FAQ On Revitalization Fund, Monday Vaccine Event for Restaurant Workers

The Illinois Restaurant Association continues to engage with local, state, and federal officials to help employers and employees address concerns about COVID-19.

Please see the below resources and information for your business - updated as of 11:30 a.m. on Friday, April 9.

***

Now Available - FAQ on Restaurant Revitalization Fund

The National Restaurant Association has released a new FAQ on the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF).

Click here to review the FAQs for critical updates about applications, eligibility, figuring out grant amounts, and more common restaurant and hospitality operator questions.

Monday Foodservice Vaccination Event at Moe's Cantina in River North

The IRA, Moe's Cantina, and Special Events Management have partnered up with Alivio Medical Center for a restaurant/hospitality employee vaccination event on Monday, April 12 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Moe’s Cantina, located at 155 W. Kinzie St. in Chicago.

Please use this Google Form to register for the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Alivio Medical Center will contact you after registration to coordinate an appointment time. There is limited availability and we will be working to secure more vaccination events in the coming weeks. 

• Individuals must work at a restaurant, hospitality, or foodservice establishment in the city of Chicago.

• Vaccines will be administered by appointment only.

• Vaccinations are available for those who are 18+ years of age.

• Individuals must provide proof of employment to verify eligibility at the time of appointment (i.e. paystub, business card with employee name, letter from employer/manager, employee work schedule, etc.).

• Vaccinations are free and available to any worker regardless of immigration status.

Download the event flyer in English and Spanish.

Please note that appointments for the IRA's Albany Park vaccination event on Tuesday, April 13 are fully booked at this time. We will be announcing more restaurant/hospitality worker vaccination events next week.

Crain's on High Demand for Restaurant and Hospitality Workers

Crain's Chicago Business recently covered the hiring challenges facing operators and the steps restaurants are taking - including increasing pay, enhancing benefits, and more - to bring back workers.

Insights from IRA President & CEO Sam Toia, and IRA members One Off Hospitality, Rooh, Tzuco, and others are featured in the article.

Click here to read more.

IRA Files Amicus Brief in Business Interruption Insurance Case

The IRA and National Restaurant Law Center have filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in support of TJBC in their lawsuit against The Cincinnati Insurance Company for improperly denying business interruption insurance claims. 

Click here to read the amicus brief.

Guidance Issued for 100% Business Meal/Beverage Deductibility, 2021-2022

Yesterday, the IRS and Treasury Department issued guidance allowing a 100% business deduction for food or beverages purchased from restaurants, from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2022.

For clarity, the term “restaurant” means a business that prepares and sells food or beverages to retail customers for immediate consumption, regardless of whether the food or beverages are consumed on the business’s premises.

Click here to read the guidance. Click here to read the full announcement.