Chicago Gourmet 2021, Hazard Pay Ordinance

Please see the below resources and information for your business - updated as of 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday, June 16.

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Chicago Gourmet 2021 Coming in September!

The IRA is thrilled to announce the 2021 Chicago Gourmet festivities coming this September! 

Go Gourmet!

After presenting a series of intimate, sold-out events last year, Go Gourmet returns in 2021, featuring a lineup of in person events curated with care by beloved chefs at leading restaurants and venues citywide. From daytime gatherings and evening soirees to multi-course feasts representing cuisines of the world, Go Gourmet events will range in gathering sizes and also feature premium wine, spirits, and beer brands from presenting sponsor Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits.

Taking place throughout the entire month of September, get ready for countless opportunities to reunite with your foodie friends and Chicago’s stellar culinary community. 

SeptemBURGER!

Whose burger will reign supreme? Presented by DoorDash, Buckhead Meat, and Blue Moon, the iconic Hamburger Hop is back and bigger than ever. A hit in 2020, the Citywide Hamburger Hop takes the battle beyond Millennium Park. 100+ chef competitors will offer tasty burgers for dine-in, delivery or carry out all month long. You’ll have a chance to hop around town, try as many burgers as possible, and vote on your favorite by September 22. 

And there’s more. The longtime-favorite Hamburger Hop also makes a festive return in person at the Harris Theater rooftop on Friday, September 24. We'll announce the champ of the citywide grill game, while also crowning the Peoples and Judges' winners of those participating onsite that evening. Tasty burgers, cold beer, wine and spirits, and unparalleled skyline views. If there's any better way to celebrate SeptemBURGER, we don't know it. 

Just Cru It!

An expanded variation of the Grand Cru will take place, also in person, on Saturday, September 25 at the Harris Theater Rooftop. The affair features the world’s finest wines curated by the nation’s leading wine experts, an enhanced focus on craft spirits, and unforgettable cuisine prepared by Chicago’s award-winning chefs. Come ready to do the cru in “grand” style! Two sessions will be available. 

Of Note.

The traditional Grand Tasting on the Main Lawn will not take place in Millennium Park this September, with a spectacular return planned for 2022. 

Community Love.

With post-pandemic economic recovery of the hospitality industry at heart, Chicago Gourmet programming will benefit the Illinois Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (IRAEF), a 501(c)(3) dedicated to building and promoting the health and prosperity of the restaurant industry by investing in both youth and workforce. It has awarded $3.2 million in scholarships since its inception. Since October 2020, it has also provided $270,000 in cash relief grants to hospitality employees facing financial crisis as a result of COVID-19. 

2021’s full event lineup, details, and tickets will be announced in August.  

Click here to read the full announcement.

Read more from NBC5 Chicago.

Thursday Webinar - Return to Work, Vaccinations, and Reopening: What Members Need to Know

Join Shannon Meade, National Restaurant Association Vice President of Public Policy and Legal Advocacy, and Jim Paretti, shareholder from the law firm Littler Mendelson’s Workplace Policy Institute, for a webinar discussion tomorrow, Thursday, June 17 at 2:00 p.m. (Central) on topics specific to restaurant industry employers.

Federal, state, and local guidance relating to vaccinations, return-to-work protocols, and other recommendations for safely reopening is changing literally on a day-to-day basis, with numerous agencies updating these rules sometimes (but not always!) consistently. In this webinar, we will discuss recent developments relating to:

• U.S. DOL/OSHA’s Updated Guidance for all Industries and the Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) applicable only to the healthcare sector

• Revised CDC Guidance for Vaccinated Individuals

• EEOC’s Recent Update of its Guidance for Vaccination and Compliance with the ADA and GINA

• State and Local “Vaccine Passports” and What They Mean for Restaurants’ Employees and Customers

Click here to register.

Evanston Hazard Pay Ordinance Fails

On Monday evening, the Evanston City Council voted 7-2 against a proposal that would require chain restaurants and retailers to provide hazard pay to employees on top of their current wages.

The IRA submitted a letter in opposition to a previous version of the proposal that would have impacted franchisees and chain restaurants in Evanston, and mandated those employers to provide retroactive hazard pay to employees.

Click here to read more.

Sam Toia Discusses Phase 5, Closures, and Opportunities with The Center Square

IRA President & CEO Sam Toia recently spoke with The Center Square about the start of Phase 5, how many businesses still have not reopened, and what the future holds for shuttered establishments.

“Restaurant owners and operators are the ultimate entrepreneurs, they have type-A personalities,” said Toia. “These restaurants that went out, up to 20% of them will see new entrepreneurs coming in and opening up restaurants.” 

Click here to listen to the segment.