RRF Passes House, Meet the Experts, Michelin Stars

RRF Replenishment Passes House, Now Faces the Senate

This afternoon, the House of Representatives approved a bill to replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF). We appreciate the Democrats in Illinois' congressional delegation and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (16th) for their support of our industry.

All eyes now turn to the Senate. This week, Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) introduced the Small Business COVID Relief Act, a measure that includes a provision replenishing the RRF. We believe this bill could be considered on the Senate floor later this month or in early May.

There was a spirited debate on the House floor on whether the RRF should be replenished by spending “new” federal dollars (thus increasing the federal budget deficit), or by reallocating existing federal dollars. As you’d expect, drawing money down from a different federal account creates winners and losers, and it has proven difficult for Congress to reach bipartisan agreement on how to approach this.

The pandemic-related shutdown of indoor dining was a natural disaster for our industry. The RRF was originally funded as emergency spending, no different from a hurricane or flood. We are not seeking a second round of RRF grants, we are simply seeking basic fairness for the 11,000+ restaurants in Illinois that are still waiting for relief.

The path to securing 60 votes in the Senate is very uncertain, and the debate on how to fund replenishment is the largest challenge we see. We will continue to press with the facts, with our economic analysis, and with your stories.

We would not be at this point without your ongoing support and engagement. Thank you all for engaging in our latest call to action and everything else you have done! Read more from The Hill.

Registration Now Open for Meet the Experts 2022

Join us for IRA's most popular networking event of the year - Meet The Experts, hosted in partnership with the Cook County Small Business Assistance Program.

On Wednesday, May 11 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Untitled Supper Club, this event offers restaurant and hospitality operators the opportunity to connect one-on-one with some of the biggest restaurateurs in the business, plus experts in HR, public relations, law, accounting, licensing, insurance, and more.

Operators can sign up to sit with selected experts to ask questions, get advice, and exchange business info to keep the conversation going in the future. It's speed-coaching and power networking at its finest. 

Registration is complimentary, and operators will be able to request their preferred experts to meet with closer to the event.

Click here to register. Contact Christine DeSousa for more information about the event and sponsorship opportunities.

Looking to Hire? Sign Up for Hospitality Hires Chicago Now

Choose Chicago, The Magnificent Mile Association, Illinois Restaurant Association, Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association, Chicago Loop Alliance, Near South Planning Board, World Business Chicago, and Cook County are excited to partner with the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership (The Partnership) to host the 5th Hospitality Hires Chicago (HHC) event on Thursday, April 28 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at The Palmer House Hilton Chicago.

To date, HHC events have helped more than 900 people hired or secured conditional job offers and is providing more than 200 employers with access to more than a thousand pre-screened work-ready candidates. Employers from retail, transportation, food services, hospitality, and related sectors are committing to hire hundreds of our residents.

Hospitality Hires Chicago is an event for employers and pre-screened job seekers to meet and interview. Working with Chicago’s premier workforce agencies, HHC provides employers with an opportunity to take a strategic approach to finding your next best hire and for job seekers to find their next best employment opportunity.

Your company provides us with a list of your top three (3) employment vacancies. The HHC team handles identifying, pre-screening, and scheduling candidates to meet and interview with your company. Our goal is to match your company with the most qualified candidates to fill your vacancies.

To secure a table for your business at the event, you must:

• Submit $100 payment to Choose Chicago
  • Click here, scroll to the bottom of the page, then click Register Now to submit payment
• Complete the Employer Questionnaire, including specific information pertaining your employment opportunities and job descriptions.

If you have any questions, please contact The Partnership’s Business Relations Specialist Marion A. Batey.

2022 Michelin Stars, Bib Gourmands Announced

The Michelin Guide has released its 2022 star ratings for Chicago. This year, the city was awarded one three-star designation, four two-star designations, and 18 one-star awards.

In addition, 55 Bib Gourmand recommendations were released, honoring spots with high-quality food for a value.
 
Congratulations to all that were recognized this year! Read more from Chicago Tribune.

Two Weeks Until Chef's Table

The 2022 Chef's Table benefiting the IRA Educational Foundation is only a few weeks away on Thursday, April 21 at Theater on the Lake. Come join us and party the night away with tasting stations from 25+ restaurants from every corner of Chicago, drinks, dancing, silent auction, and more. Click here to purchase tickets.

Can't make the event? You can participate by donating to the silent auction. Click here for information on how to donate to the silent auction or raffle. 

Yelp Providing Health Scores for Local Restaurants

IRA President & CEO Sam Toia recently spoke with Chicago Tribune about Yelp's announcement that users in Chicago and nearby suburbs will now be able to access restaurant inspection ratings from local health departments on the restaurant reviewing platform.

Toia noted that Yelp should be properly educating consumers and giving context about the health scores. “Health inspection is a snapshot in time, it’s not an overall assessment of what restaurants do every single day,” Toia said.

Click here to read more.

Woodruff Heads to National ProStart Invitational

Woodruff High School's culinary students were recently highlighted by Heart of Illinois ABC for their successful win at the IRAEF ProStart Invitational and their efforts to compete nationally in coming weeks.

The IRAEF is proud to sponsor the Woodruff team at the National ProStart Invitational May 6-8 in Washington, D.C.

Read more from Heart of Illinois ABC.

Axios on Tipping at Carryout

Axios recently covered trends related to tipping practices at carryout from restaurants. Axios noted that restaurants are seeing almost 60% more delivery and carryout business than before the pandemic.

"Restaurant employees work hard servicing both the tables in the restaurant and supporting increased orders to go," said IRA President & CEO Sam Toia. "They strive to ensure customers have a great experience in-person and in the comfort of their homes. We encourage all patrons continue to support restaurant team members."

Click here to read more.