Call on Congress, Stay at Home Advisory, ILCC Requests for Regulatory Relief
Friday, November 13, 2020
The Illinois Restaurant Association continues to engage with local, state, and federal officials to help our employers and employees address concerns about COVID-19. Please see the below resources and information for your business - updated as of 4:55 p.m. on Friday, November 13. *** Tell Us the Impact of Mitigations on Your Business The IRA is currently Illinois restaurant and bar operators on the impact of the latest round of state mitigations that have shut down indoor service. Please take two minutes to complete our survey and share your perspective. If you have more than one establishment, we ask that you complete the survey for each business separately. Your insights will help guide the IRA's advocacy efforts to provide regulatory relief and overall support for Illinois' hospitality industry. Click here to take the survey. Read the latest: Call on Congress Today to Pass Immediate Restaurant Relief In response to the state of Illinois' shut down of indoor service, restaurants in every region of the state need federal assistance more than ever. The IRA is again reaching out to Illinois' Congressional delegation to further reenforce the urgent need for broad-based, immediate financial relief for restaurants. Click here to read one of the IRA's letters to Congress. Click here to send a note to Congressional leaders today. City of Chicago Issues Stay at Home Advisory, Restaurants Must Follow Existing Mitigations Yesterday, Mayor Lightfoot, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), and the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) launched a new citywide strategy - “Protect Chicago” - an effort to help Chicago bend the COVID-19 curve for the second time. One aspect of the “Protect Chicago” strategy is a Stay-at-Home Advisory. Residents are strongly advised to adhere to the Advisory, which will go into effect on Monday, November 16, at 6:00 a.m. Outdoor service at restaurants and bars may continue. All customers eating or drinking on premises must be seated at outdoor tables spaced at least six feet apart, including tables within eight feet of a wall that is at least 50% open. Party size cannot exceed six people per table. In addition to the Stay-at-Home Advisory, the City is imposing new restrictions to limit meetings and social events to 10 individuals (both indoors and outdoors), which will also go into effect on Monday, November 16, at 6:00 a.m. This capacity limit applies to events such as weddings, birthday parties, business dinners/social events, and funerals, and is applicable to any venue where a meeting or social event is taking place, including meeting rooms. Click here to read the full announcement. Click here to review current restrictions on restaurants in Chicago. IRA Requests for Regulatory Relief from ILCC The IRA has issued a letter to the Illinois Liquor Control Commission (ILCC) calling for immediate regulatory relief measures for the restaurant industry, including: Allow distributors to accept unopened product from retailers received between September 1 and October 31, 2020. Extend the period in which licensed distributors and licensed retailers may enter into payment plans to pay an existing debt on a sale or sales of wine and spirits. Allowing for credit card payments between retailers and wine and spirits distributors.
Click here to read the letter. Webinar on Exploring New Revenue Streams For Restaurants 
Join the IRA and panelists from Airbnb, Prairie Grass Cafe, and Vermilion/Let's Talk on Thursday, November 19 at 10:00 a.m. for a webinar providing restaurant operators ideas for generating new revenue by offering new options or serving different audiences. Attendees will learn ideas for incorporating new ways to generate revenue at their businesses. This webinar is provided in partnership with Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and the Cook County Community Recovery Initiative. Click here to register. IRA on Plastic and Packaging Regulations Chicago Sun-Times and ABC7 recently released a report on how the pandemic has impacted the use of plastic and packaging, and how previous proposals in the Chicago City Council would seek to curb the use of plastic by businesses. IRA President & CEO Sam Toia noted that “any proposed regulations on plastics need to consider the additional financial hardships that will be placed on operators when they can least afford it.” Click here to read more. $175M Remaining in Available BIG Grants A $220 million second round of state of Illinois Business Interruption Grants (BIG) aims to provide relief for all types of small businesses, but with a particular focus on businesses downstate, in disproportionately impacted areas (DIAs), and for heavily impacted industry and regions – representing businesses that have been unable to reopen or operating at a severely diminished capacity since the spring. Eligible applicants: Must be an independently owned and operated for-profit corporation or limited liability corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship authorized to conduct business in the State of Illinois; OR a 501c3, 501c6, or 501c19 nonprofit; Must have been operating for at least three months prior to March 2020. Must have had less than $20 million in gross operating revenue in calendar year 2019, or a prorated amount if in operation for less than a year prior to March 2020. Must have experienced net operating losses since March 21, 2020. Must have been closed or had reduced operations due to government orders, public health guidelines, or depressed consumer demand during the COVID 19 pandemic. Must follow other eligibility requirements.
DCEO has begun issuing awards to more businesses in Round 2 – with over $46 million expended to over 1,200 businesses in the current round. To view a list of current Round 2 awards made, click here. Click here to learn more and apply today. Free Business Advising from Cook County COVID-19 Recovery Small Business Assistance Program All businesses located within the City of Chicago and suburban Cook County are eligible for technical assistance and business advising programming from the Cook County COVID-19 Recovery Small Business Assistance program to help address the unique needs arising from the pandemic. Click here to learn more.
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