(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A survey of Naperville restaurants indicates many are on the verge of closing if the governor's ban on indoor dining continues.
The Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce did a quick 24-hour survey of restaurants. Director of Government Affairs Reba Osborne said while there was a low response rate, numbers back up what many restaurant and bar owners have been saying for the past couple of weeks: that things look bleak them the longer a ban on indoor dining continues.
Osborne said half of the restaurateurs expect losses of over 75%.
"A handful of them have less than a month reserve. And also, 30% have less than between one and five months' of operating reserve, so that's very disturbing."
When restaurants and bars can't have indoor dining or longer hours, it has an impact on other retailers around them, she added.
The Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce is not taking a position on the governor's ban on indoor dining because of possible legal liabilities restaurants could face by defying the ban.
The chamber says 90% of the restaurants and bars that responded are privately-owned, family businesses.
