(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Chicago restaurant owners are asking Mayor Lightfoot to boost indoor dining capacity to 50%, up from the current threshold of 40%.
The Chicago Restaurants Coalition is asking that the greater capacity be allowed by the end of the week.
“The city of Chicago’s COVID positivity rate is 3% and dropping,” coordinator Roger Romanelli said Monday. “So, we find that to be significant.”
Mary Kay Tuzi, owner of Twin Anchors Restaurant in Old Town, said raising the capacity by 10 points may not sound like much, but at least she wouldn’t have to turn as many people away.
“It just crushes me as a business owner to tell people, ‘No, I can’t seat you because I’m not allowed to have X number of people.'"
Chicago last month gave bars and restaurants permission to serve at 40% of their indoor capacity or 50 people, whichever is less. While that level may help smaller venues, advocates for restaurants say larger dining establishments will continue hurting under those limits.
The restaurant coalition also is asking City Hall to set aside $50 million in tax-increment financing money for restaurant survival grants. The industry has been decimated by periodic shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The coalition says Chicago's 7,300 restaurants provide at least 75,000 jobs.
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