At Gurnee this week, Timothy O’Toole’s, Stevens’ and Kaiser’s Pizza and Pub joined The Shanty in neighboring Wadsworth to announce the change on Facebook.
The coalition is promising what it calls a responsible internal experience, with a 25% reduced and socially distant capacity, that goes against the State’s Level 3 mitigation rules.
In its online statement, the group said in part: “Our teams have sacrificed a lot since March with two complete internal stoppages”.
They go on to say that all four restaurants “… have great respect for the safety first approach that each of our businesses took from the beginning.”
The owner of the nearby Riverside Café, Paola Smith, said she is also welcoming customers back, with a capacity of up to 25%, starting on Friday, encouraged by the decision of other local companies.
That coalition said it sought out health officials to share its plans.
In a statement, the Illinois Department of Public Health did not specifically address the companies’ decision, but said, “Lake County does not meet the metrics to return to previous levels.”
The Lake County Health Department said it was “aware” that some restaurants are planning to reopen on Friday.
“Our policy has been and will continue to be that when we become aware of restaurants that violate mitigation restrictions, we will contact them and, if they choose to continue serving indoors, we will receive a quote for violating the Public Nuisance Regulation. Lake County by creating or allowing conditions that are potentially harmful to the health of Lake County residents, “the department said in a statement.
All of this comes like some other Illinois counties get ready to exit Level 3 mitigations.
For now, Chicago is not among that group, but the city’s mayor is expressing her support for easing restrictions on restaurants in the city as well.
“I feel strongly that we are very close to a point where we should talk about opening bars and restaurants,” said Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Read the full Lake County statement here:
“The Lake County Department of Health is aware that some restaurants in the county intend to open for indoor dining on January 15, 2021. According to the governor’s Executive Order, indoor dining is still prohibited in Lake County. Our policy has been and will continue to be that when we become aware of restaurants that violate mitigation restrictions, we will contact them and, if they choose to continue serving indoors, we will receive a quote for violating the County Ordinance of Public Nuisance. Lake, creating or allowing conditions potentially harmful to the health of Lake County residents. Fines can be imposed for these violations. Other enforcement measures can also be taken if there is evidence that the transmission of COVID-19 has occurred, or is likely to take place in a restaurant if the immediate action is not busy. “
The Illinois Restaurant Association also released a statement that said:
“We appreciate the dialogue with Governor Pritzker and his team. While every step towards reopening helps, today’s announcement falls short of the critical needs and expectations of the restaurant industry. As described, restaurants in all regions of our state will remain closed. for indoor dining until they reach Tier 1 – increasing indebtedness, devastating job losses and company closings. In addition, restaurants located in Tier 1 regions capable of offering limited indoor meals can do so with capacity below 25 %, or 25 total guests per room. No restaurant can tie with this volume, let alone hire your team members again. As one of the most regulated sectors in terms of health and safety – and with improved measures introduced during COVID- 19 – Illinois restaurants know how to protect the well-being of their guests and staff members. safely serve more guests than the state currently allows, and they need more to survive this crisis. For the sake of the nearly 100,000 restaurant workers who lost their jobs between February and November, we urge the state to review this strategy and to rely more on the industry that has long served as Illinois’ largest private sector employer. The IRA will continue to push for more pragmatic reopening regulations, as well as greater support and relief for Illinois restaurants and hospitality companies. “
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