City of Chicago Delivery Service Lawsuits, Expedited Restaurant Licensing Webinar

City of Chicago Files Lawsuits Against Grubhub and DoorDash

Today, Mayor Lightfoot, Acting Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) Commissioner Ken Meyer, and Corporation Counsel Celia Meza announced that the City of Chicago has filed two lawsuits against Grubhub and DoorDash. These lawsuits are the result of a collaborative investigation led by BACP and the City’s Law Department. They are the first comprehensive law enforcement actions against meal delivery companies in the United States.  

Click here to read the full announcement and read the complaints against Grubhub and DoorDash.

The IRA has long advocated in both the city of Chicago and statewide that any third party delivering restaurants’ food - or using their names, logos and menus - without consent is a serious issue for the industry. We appreciate the city of Chicago taking action to help restaurants protect their brands and businesses, and we are hopeful that this step will lead to all parties coming together to find a permanent resolution with guardrails in place moving forward.

Read more from Crain's Chicago Business and Eater Chicago.

The city of Chicago is also conducting a survey of restaurants to gauge their experiences with delivery services. Click here to take the survey.

WGN on IRA Push to Replenish RRF

Yesterday, WGN covered the IRA's efforts to urge Congress to replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.

Click here to watch the segment.

Click here to send a message to leaders in Congress today.

State of Illinois, Cook County, City of Chicago Require Masks in All Public Places

Effective Monday, August 30, all Illinois residents over the age of two will be required to wear a mask in all indoor settings. The requirement is applicable to both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents statewide. The city of Chicago's and Cook County's mask requirements are currently in effect.

Click here to read the Governor's latest Executive Order. Click here to read the state's announcement from yesterday.

Chicago Expedited Restaurant Licensing Program - Webinar Next Week

Under the Chi Biz Strong Initiative, the Expedited Restaurant Licensing (ERL) pilot program went into effect July 31, 2021. The ERL process helps fill empty restaurant spaces quickly and enables new restaurants to open up to 14 days sooner.

The Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) will host a webinar on Tuesday, August 31 at 10:00 a.m. to review the program. If you have seen a vacant restaurant space and want to open a restaurant in the previous space, this webinar will cover how to do just that.

The pilot program allows for a retail food establishment license applicant to open a new restaurant at a location previously occupied and vacated by another properly licensed restaurant, assuming the previous restaurant passed a Chicago Department of Health inspection on or after July 1, 2018, and that no structural, plumbing, ventilation or electrical systems have been changed.

Click here for an overview of the program. Click here to register for the webinar.

Sam Toia Discusses Masks, Mitigations, Industry Updates on WGN

Yesterday, IRA President & CEO Sam Toia joined WGN to discuss the status of the industry, how restaurants are reacting to mask requirements, and what additional restrictions would mean to restaurants and hospitality businesses around the state.

Click here to watch the segment.