Whether they wanted to belly up to the bar or perch at a high-top table to watch the Bears game, several restaurant patrons in the region found places to serve them inside Sunday.
At Jameson’s Pub in Frankfort, owner Louie Vardikos said his decision fell on a simple calculation.
“We get people all the time who say, ‘Why are you open?’ We have a lot of bills to pay. If we don’t pay the bills, we can’t stay open,” Vardikos said.
“If you feel uncomfortable, you don’t have to come in here. I understand how you feel and it’s OK, but you don’t have to come in,” he said.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker imposed new limits on indoor dining and limited gatherings to 25 people or 25% of room capacity in response to an October surge in COVID-19 positivity rates. On Monday, he announced further limits, cutting gatherings to 10 people in Will County and other areas.
Vardikos said he encourages patrons to take a table on Jameson’s large outdoor patio, but some people prefer to be indoors. Hosts work to space out guests so they’re sitting 5 to 6 feet apart, Vardikos said. He wants to keep everyone safe, he said, but his 60 employees are one reason he’s not closing down indoors.
“I’ve got hostesses, waitresses, bartenders, cooks, busboys — they have families, too,” Vardikos said.
Karen and Mike Monahan walked out of Jameson’s with leftovers in hand just as the Bears entered the third quarter in their ultimately losing matchup against the Tennessee Titans.
Pleasant weather prompted them to dine outside, but Karen Monahan said they gladly would have eaten inside. The couple from New Lenox said they have no problem dining indoors. They think restrictions on businesses caused by COVID-19 are unnecessary, and they blame Pritzker for the state’s struggling restaurant economy.
“The governor’s not doing his job. He’s horrible,” Mike Monahan said. “He should be figuring out how to make the economy work instead of killing it with regulations.”
Karen Monahan lamented the lost opportunity to try certain downtown Chicago restaurants that have closed since coronavirus regulations severely impacted the hospitality industry.
“I think everyone has just had enough, especially the business owners,” she said. “What’s the end date? We can’t do this forever.”
The Monahans said they aren’t concerned about the risk posed by COVID-19. But they said it’s the business owner’s decision to keep their dining room open, and patrons’ choice to sit down at a table.
Legends Grill and Bar in Mokena and Davidson’s Bar & Grill and Pelican Harry’s Sports Grill in Homer Glen confirmed Sunday they were open for indoor dining. Owners declined interviews, though two of those restaurants actively advertised being open on their social media accounts.
The National Restaurant Association reports that more than 8 million U.S. restaurant workers have been laid off or furloughed from their jobs since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. That number represents two of every three restaurant workers in the country.
The association also reports four out of every 10 restaurants in the United States have closed due to the pandemic. Using the most current data, the association estimates the industry will sustain $240 billion in losses by the end of 2020.
Over at 3 Corners Grill & Tap in New Lenox, patron Will Mullen enjoyed his meal out on the patio. He wasn’t even aware the restaurant was open for indoor dining.
“I haven’t even been inside yet,” Mullen said. “We’re trying to keep it as safe as we can, since there’s a spike right now. I’m trying to be very cautious.”
With older and more at-risk people in his life, Mullen said he works to minimize his exposure. Still, the New Lenox resident said he sympathizes with restaurant owners who are terrified of losing their livelihoods.
Mullen mentioned Gina’s Teardrop Cafe,
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another New Lenox business that has operated in defiance of the indoor dining ban. Despite his overall reservations, Mullen said he eats breakfast inside the cafe to support the owner.“She’ll lose her house if the business closes, he said. “There’s no good choice for restaurants. Either they stay open right now, or they shut down completely.”
John and JoAnn Burns were walking up to the Jameson’s in Frankfort Sunday for a bite to eat. The couple drove from their home in South Wilmington for a shopping trip.
They prefer to dine outdoors if possible, JoAnn Burns said through her disposable face mask. Even if a restaurant environment seems safe at first, the situation can change, she said they learned on a recent trip to Door County, Wisconsin.
“It was fine when we sat down to eat, but then the place started to fill up and I got uncomfortable. We didn’t go back there,” she said.
While the older couple are focused on protecting their health, they acknowledged the difficult decisions restaurant owners face.
“It’s a real balancing act, isn’t it?” John Burns said.
While restaurant owners expect to see some relief from Illinois’ Business Interruption Grant Program, it’s unclear whether the injection of cash will be enough to prevent more closings.
Help didn’t come soon enough for Vardikos’ other restaurant. Louie’s Chophouse, a fine dining establishment that operated in Oak Lawn for a quarter century, closed in late June.
“Mr. Governor made us shut it down, and it won’t open up again. We had 25 years there,” Vardikos said.
“We’re going to give $10,000 to support small businesses,” he said. “What is that even going to help someone who has a restaurant that is 6,000 square feet?”
The governor on Monday criticized local officials for not enforcing the restrictions.
“Mitigations are only effective if they’re followed,” Pritzker said. “Too many local officials across the state are ignoring their local public health departments and doing nearly nothing to assist their residents in following even the most basic COVID-19 guidelines.”
Carole Sharwarko is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.