Since it's been a head spinning 6 months even for the Chicago taverns and restaurants that have endured pandemic 2020, here's a thread of key dates for Chicago's hospitality industry.
Might do this tomorrow too in even more excruciating detail.
April 8th @chicagosmayor orders City wide 9pm liquor sales curfew for bars, restaurants, grocery and liquor stores. An idea initially championed by CPD brass on the West Side dealing with some problem liquor stores.
May 30th - widespread looting and rioting strikes Chicago, up go many downtown bridges for first time in decades. National Guard arrives to secure downtown access.
June 3 - @ChicagosMayor allows outdoor service at liquor licensed businesses with retail food licenses to resume (not at taverns or tap rooms without kitchens). chicago.eater.com/2020/5/28/2127…
June 5 - City of Chicago announces @NavyPier but not tavern licensees with outdoor patios will be allowed to reopen to public on June 10th.
June 17 - City of Chicago announces over 450 tavern licensed small businesses may now reopen with outdoor service. news.wttw.com/2020/06/15/chi…
June 23rd - @GovPritzker announces Illinois can resume indoor bar or restaurant service as long as all tables are socially distanced, with masks and other safety precautions required. @chicagosmayor opts out of that statewide timeline.
June 26 - City of Chicago allows indoor service to resume at taverns and restaurants with maximum indoor occupancy of 25% posted occupancy, or 50 people maximum, whichever is lower. chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct…
July 11th - Chicago amends 11pm sales on-premise alcohol sales curfew, adds requirements that tavern and restaurant customers must be gone by midnight. nbcchicago.com/news/local/chi…
July 24th - Chicago curtails indoor service at tavern licensees without food. Kills Guthries Tavern. Vague future assistance to taverns promised. abc7chicago.com/chicago-covid-…
July 31st - Chicago announces sidewalk cafes for tavern licensees without retail food licenses will be allowed for first time in decades, can also participate in expanded outdoor dining (street) permit process. chicago.eater.com/2020/7/31/2134…
August 6th - City of Chicago announces “Winter design challenge” for hospitality industry with three $5000 prizes available for winning ideas. Eventually over 600 ideas entered.
August 10th - Another round of widespread looting in Chicago. Downtown bridges go up again. Many downtown hospitality businesses attacked again.
And that basically brings us to the present. Nothing has changed in terms of local rules or aid since early summer. No second round of PPP for small biz or new unemployment benefit has emerged from Congress.
Winter's coming. Chicago hospitality faces an extinction level event.
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I did not expect District Judge Steven Seeger to be funny as hell but he was. Now (while I wait) here’s a thread from a naturalization ceremony I attended earlier today that he presided over and was one of the greatest patriotic thing I’ve seen in years… 🇺🇸🗳️🫡🙌
Most citizenship ceremonies in Chicago are at Dirksen Federal courthouse in Loop. When I was invited to attend I was asked if I knew where that was. 🙄
The citizenship ceremony was in the huge 25th floor ceremonial courtroom. Bunch of cool history exhibits too. There are signs all over about not taking pictures and having watched Federal judges absolutely incinerate people for phone use I took none. Interesting space though.
As a courtesy to Chicago Twitter's many armchair Covid lawyers, here is a thread of every legal authority cited in today's @ChiPublicHealth Mask Mandate order. Which you can read...here: bit.ly/2W9cADQ
For those scoring at home? There are no less than seven "WHEREAS" in this order. Should have had a pool going on that. My bad.
Off the bat, the new CDPH Mask Mandate order cites to @GovPritzker Executive Order No. 2021-15. This EO "Reissues several executive orders, extending a majority of the provisions through August 21, 2021" and you can read it here: bit.ly/3y23shF
ICYMI yesterday @GovPritzker following his long announced @IDPH Covid metrics ordered indoor service at Chicago taverns and restaurants effective Friday.
April 9, 2020 @ChicagosMayor announces 9pm alcohol sales curfew for every tavern or restaurant liquor licensed businesses due to some liquor store problems.
May 20, 2020 @GovPritzker announces Restore Illinois Phase 3 allowing outdoor dining and drink service will start May 28th. Governor's order does not distinguish between taverns and restaurants allowing both to operate.