Justin Bobin is the owner of Buffalo Wings & Rings Bridgeport.
He currently employs 48 people, down from a pre-Covid number of around 55, which is much better than most restaurants in the state.
Bobin said unless Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot defies Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s orders regarding the closure of dining rooms throughout Chicago two thirds of his staff will be unemployed come Saturday.
“We have zero need for servers,” he said. “No need for bartenders. No need for bussers or for a dish guys.”
Others, such as Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau and Libertyville Mayor Terry Weppler have said they will not enforce any the dining room ban.
While Lightfoot has questioned Prtizker’s demands, she has fallen short of standing up to the governor.
“Unless the mayor comes out and says the City Chicago doesn't have to comply, I don't know that any restaurant in the city has much of a choice,” Bobin said.
Bobin was one of 50 restaurateurs who asked Lightfoot for more support. A review of that list reveals some of those restaurants are now out of business.
“My opinion is that the city has unlimited pocketbooks like Pritzker's personal bank account, that I don't have access to. So as much as I want to be open, I don't want to take a risk either.”
The Illinois Restaurant Association is currently considering filing a class action lawsuit against Pritzker regarding the constitutionality of his executive orders.
Bobin said he is lucky to be able to have the option to stay open despite the dining room being closed.
In the meantime, Bobin said in any case he does not wish to run afoul of the city health department.
“We've tried to follow all the rules from day one and now the governor in the case says 'shut it down' then I'm going to follow that,” Bobin said. “If a judge comes out and says we don't have to comply based on legal language then we'll reconsider.”
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