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Thursday, August 17, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) Sam Toia Talks Chicago Gourmet, 10th Anniversary with Dane Neal on WGN-AM » This week, IRA President & CEO Sam Toia joined Dane Neal on WGN-AM Radio to discuss the 10th Anniversary of Chicago Go...
Tuesday, August 8, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) Bon Appétit Names Chicago Restaurant City of the Year » This week, Bon Appétit magazine named the City of Chicago the 2017 Restaurant City of the Year! After Condé Nast Traveler...
Wednesday, August 2, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) Manny's 75th Anniversary Benefits IRAEF » This week, Manny's Cafeteria and Delicatessen celebrated its 75th Anniversary at an event benefiting the IRA Educational F...
Monday, July 31, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) Soda Tax in Effect Aug. 2; Sam Toia Talks Negative Impact of Tax on CBS2 » On Friday, the Cook County Sweetened Beverage Tax was cleared to go into effect by a Cook County judge. The County annou...
Friday, July 21, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) Cook County Soda Tax Still on Hold; Judge to Issue Ruling on July 28 » A judge on Friday again extended a temporary restraining order blocking Cook County's proposed tax on sugary beverages.&nb...
Friday, July 21, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) Toia, Weiner, Singh on Happy Hour Two Year Anniversary in Chicago Tribune » IRA President & CEO Sam Toia, IRA Executive Committee Member Scott Weiner of The Fifty/50 Group , and IRA Advisory Co...
Wednesday, July 5, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) Sam Toia on WLS Radio - Soda Tax is Regressive and Burdernsome; Tax on Hold Until July 12 » IRA President & CEO Sam Toia joined Bob Sirott and Susanna Homan on WLS 780 AM radio to discuss the pending Cook Count...
Sunday, July 2, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) UPDATED EMPLOYER NOTICES Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave in Chicago, Cook County » Employers are required to post notices of several local, state, and federal laws in a conspicuous location in their place...
Tuesday, June 27, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) IRA in Chicago Mag: What's the Deal with the New Soda Tax? » Chicago Magazine broke down what the Cook County Sweetened Beverage Tax means for consumers starting on July 1, 2017. ...
Wednesday, June 14, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) Chicago Gourmet Launches eXtraordinary Chefs - eXtraordinary Places This Fall » On Tuesday morning, the Illinois Restaurant Association announced the full lineup of Chicago Gourmet's eX traordinary C...
Thursday, June 8, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) Updated Soda Tax Rules from Cook County: Separate Line Item OK, Price Must Be Inclusive of Tax » Recently, the Cook County Department of Revenue reissued Regulation-2 and the FAQ on the upcoming Sweetened Beverage T...
Thursday, June 8, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) IRA Chairman Jim Kallas Featured in Segment Highlighting Detroit Favorite: Press Room Cafe » 2017 IRA Chairman Jim Kallas, Division President of Eurest Dining, was featured by Local 4 News in Detroit in a piece on t...
Thursday, June 1, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) Sam Toia in Chicago Tribune: Can The Cook County Beverage Tax » IRA President & CEO Sam Toia recent co-authored a letter to the Chicago Tribune with John Coli, Jr., President of Team...
Wednesday, May 24, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) City of Chicago Announces New Min. Wage Rates: $11 for Nontipped, $6.10 for Tipped Employees » The City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection has released the new minimum wage rate for tipp...
Tuesday, May 23, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) Preckwinkle: Soda Tax Will Stand, as IRA + Industry Groups Work for Repeal » Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle asserted that despite the push to repeal the penny-per-ounce beverage tax in...
Thursday, May 18, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) "Can The Tax" Coalition Launches Fight to Repeal Soda Tax » The IRA joined dozens of Cook County residents, businesses, and organizations in the "Can The Tax" Coalition at a kick-off...
Monday, May 15, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) IRA Member Ala Carte Entertainment Concepts Appeal to Baby Boomers, Millennials Alike » The Daily Herald recently featured IRA Member Ala Carte Entertainment in a piece covering their numerous restaurant concep...
Thursday, May 4, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) IL Meetings + Events: Visitors Always Welcome to Chicago, Food Scene Drives Tourism » Illinois Meetings + Events Magazine recently featured a story on how Chicago is nearing its goal of attracting 55 million...
Thursday, May 4, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) Daily Herald: Elgin H.S. Shines at IRAEF ProStart Invitational » The Daily Herald recognized Elgin High School's ProStart management team that won the 16th Annual IRAEF ProStart Invitatio...
Wednesday, May 3, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) Chicago Tonight on Allergen Awareness, IRA Wants Higher Training Standards » Chicago Tonight on WTTW covered the proposal in Springfield that would require restaurants to have managers undergo accred...
Monday, April 24, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) IRA in U.S. News & World Report: Reasonable Min Wage Increase Possible, Must Consider Job Losses » U.S. World & News Report covered various proposals to raise the minimum wage to $15 in the state of Illinois. The repo...
Friday, April 21, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) IRA on Restroom Accommodations Ordinance: Rushes After Games, Festivals are Burdensome, Unsafe » This week, Alderman David Moore (17th) introduced an ordinance that would require every licensed business with a public re...
Friday, April 7, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) IRA Works with Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, Biz Groups to Offer Jobs at Hiring Event » The Chicago Tribune covered Mayor Rahm Emanuel's announcement that the IRA will partner with the Chicago Cook Workforce Pa...
Tuesday, April 4, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) IRA Vice Chairman Greg Schulson Talks Food Tourism, Business Concepts with Chicago Tribune » IRA Vice Chairman Greg Schulson, CEO of Burrito Beach and Lunan Corp. (Arby's), was interviewed by Chicago Tribune to disc...
Friday, March 31, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) Restaurateur Mike Murphy Joins IRA Staff as Central IL Rep » The State Journal-Register highlighted the career of Mike Murphy as he begins his new role as Member Relations Manager wit...
Thursday, March 30, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) Food Trucks at O'Hare and Midway Airports, IRA on Food Truck Regulations » Mayor Rahm Emanuel recently introduced an ordinance that would allow food trucks to operate at O'Hare and Midway Airports....
Wednesday, March 29, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) JBF Eats Week Culinary Celebration Returns to Chicago » Chicago Sun Times highlighted the return of James Beard Eats Week to Chicago from April 21 through May 1. More than 130 Ch...
Friday, March 24, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) IRA Member Chefs Dazzle at "Evening In Bloom" Benefiting IRAEF » Fleurotica, a floral fashion show created by the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance, made its Chicago Flower & Garden...
Friday, March 24, 2017 (0 Comments - view/add) IRA Supports Initiative to Allow 18+ Year Olds to Serve Alcohol in Restaurants » IRA President & CEO Sam Toia recently expressed the IRA's full support of an initiative from Alderman Tom Tunney (44th...
Monday, February 20, 2017 Crains: Restaurants, Groceries Close for Immigration Strike » IRA President & CEO Sam Toia spoke with Crains Chicago on "A Day Without Immigrants", where he affirmed that immigrant...
Monday, October 24, 2016 (0 Comments - view/add) Sam Toia on James Beard Awards in Chicago Through 2021 » Chicago Sun Times interviewed Sam Toia to talk about the significance of culinary tourism to Chicago, and how the James Be...
Wednesday, September 7, 2016 (0 Comments - view/add) Video: Chicago Gourmet City Club Panel » On Tuesday, September 6, IRA President & CEO Sam Toia moderated a City Club of Chicago panel luncheon focused on Chica...
Friday, August 26, 2016 Free Student Memberships from Gordon Food Service » Gordon Food Service Will Sponsor All New Student Members In a new partnership between the Illinois Restau...
Tuesday, July 26, 2016 (0 Comments - view/add) Illinois Restaurant Association Celebrates One Year Anniversary of Happy Hour » Crains Chicago met with the Illinois Restaurant Association, State Representative Sara Feigenholtz, and restaurateurs that...
Wednesday, June 22, 2016 Illinois Restaurant Association Hosts Meet Chicago Northwest Hospitality Industry Day in Schaumburg » On Wednesday, June 29 the Illinois Restaurant Association (IRA) and Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) will hold a s...
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