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11am Zoom Call Press Conference: Chicago Restaurants Coalition
Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rEPUOxq8QvqEORVRSb8PmQ
Phone: 312-626-6799, code 839 2130 9325
Restaurants Joyful for 100% Capacity Restored Tomorrow June 11, Thank Employees & Customers for Helping Them Survive “Worst Crisis in Chicago History”
Contacts
Roger Romanelli/Chicago Restaurants Coalition & Fulton Market Association/773-531-6370
Jodi Agee/Jefferson Tap/312-287-9864
Nancy Bruni/Formento's Restaurant/929-293-9210
Dan Conroe/City Winery/312-399-8546
Len DeFranco/Hawkeyes Bar & Grill/815-341-2380
Kim DiPofi/Pompei Restaurant/630-336-6190
Robert Martin/Martin’s Corner/773-343-1374
Matt Nealey/Nealey Foods/312-829-0856
Rebecca Shabaz/The Breakfast Club/312-501-3793
Mary Kay Tuzi/Twin Anchors/312-296-6740
Anthony Waller/Catering Out the Box/773-704-3544
Today, Thursday June 10 at 11am, the Chicago Restaurants Coalition will hold a virtual press conference to:
•Celebrate that indoor dining will be restored to 100% capacity tomorrow, Friday June 11 for the first time since March 16, 2020 - - 452 days ago.
•Celebrate the dedication of Chicago’s estimated 100,000 restaurant employees and thousands more customers who helped most of Chicago’s 7,300 restaurants survive the pandemic, even though many restaurants are struggling to restore sales and gain back essential employees.
•Somberly remember the restaurants that were forced to close permanently, as well as remember the 5,537 Chicagoans who lost their lives during the pandemic.
Tomorrow, Mayor Lightfoot, the 50 Aldermen and Governor Pritzker will restore Chicago indoor dining to 100% capacity for the first time since March 16, 2020. From March 2020 to June 2020 and October 2020 to January 2021, Lightfoot and Pritzker shut down indoor dining completely, risking the survival of Chicago's largest business sector and thousands of jobs. Between the full shutdowns, indoor dining was restricted at various rates, sending restaurants on unpredictable ups and downs.
At the same time, the Chicago Health Department had no evidence showing that restaurants were spreading the COVID-19 virus significantly or were worthy of punitive government policies, initiating the creation of the Chicago Restaurants Coalition.
At today's press conference celebrating the June 11 restoration, restaurants will thank their incredibly dedicated employees and customers for banding together during the pandemic. Restaurants will also welcome back customers and encourage people looking for work at family-owned restaurants to apply.
"Chicago’s 7,300 restaurants are the joyful, delicious anchors of our Chicago neighborhoods, so Chicagoans are grateful to restaurant owners, employees and customers for helping restaurants survive and saving essential businesses and jobs,” says Roger Romanelli, Chicago Restaurants Coalition coordinator. "As we celebrate the June 11 restoration, we're inviting customers to return, and we're inviting people wanting to work at family-owned restaurants to visit our Coalition's website (www.chicagorestaurants.org) and contact us." Adds Romanelli, “Our Coalition also wishes to thank Chicago's media outlets (newspapers, TV, radio, online) for helping restaurants during the pandemic to have public forums to challenge City Hall's controversial, unfair policies.”
Formed in September 2020, CRC united an unprecedented group of restaurants across Chicago wards; made Freedom of Information requests to gain City Hall data about COVID-19 contact-tracing and restaurant policies; and asked the media to cover the issue. After securing the January 23, 2021 restoration of indoor dining at 25% capacity, CRC pressed ahead for full restoration while emphasizing COVID-19 safety, vaccinations and government compensation for restaurants hurt by unfair government policies. CRC is coordinated by Chicago’s Fulton Market Association, a 25-year economic development organization and non-profit agency: www.fultonmarketchicago.org.
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