In 2019, membership continued to grow throughout Chicago and Illinois under the direction of Committee Chair Steven Hartenstein. As we close out the year, total membership dues and non-dues revenue up 5%.

The membership team hosted roundtables, networking events, and educational seminars throughout Chicago and the surrounding area. 

We started off the year with To Deliver or Not to Deliver, which gave over 40 operators an inside look at third party delivery. Thanks to Gene and Georgetti’s in Rosemont for hosting us and to Reinhart Foodservice for sponsoring this great event.   

The 6th annual Meet the Experts event was held in April at Untitled, featuring keynote speaker Matt Menna from Four Corners and Sterling Bay. More than 375 people participated in this annual power networking and professional speed coaching event with some of the biggest restaurateurs in the business.

In June, we held our 3rd Annual Mixer at the Wrigley Rooftops. Over 225 people attended this sold out event. Special thanks to Stacey Loukas from Wrigley Rooftops and Cubby Bear for hosting us and to Illinois Gaming Systems for becoming the new title sponsor for this event. The IRA also hosted “Let’s Talk Labor”, an event sponsored by Gordon Food Service at Relish Works. This panel discussion covered culture, labor, retention and a lively conversation by our panelists and 50 operators in attendance.  

In August we hosted “How to Manage Your Online Reputation” at the Yelp! Offices.  Our host, Emily Washcovick from Yelp!, led a panel discussion with operators on best practices for using online platforms like Yelp!.

Throughout the year, we hosted five roundtables in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs for lively discussions on changing laws and regulations, third party delivery, labor shortages, and more. We thank our hosts and presenters for graciously offerings their time and businesses to bring people together to help address the overall challenges we face as an industry. 

We also welcomed a new Endorsed Insurance Broker/Partner in 2019, The Horton Group. Since 1971, Horton has been providing health benefits and risk management assurance. Since then, they have grown to nine offices across five states. Thank you to The Horton Group for making this commitment to the IRA! 

If you are interested in learning more about our Membership programs or events, please contact Eric Fine, Director of Sales & Marketing, at efine@illinoisrestaurants.org.