Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz – Page 8

Corey Drake and Veronica Coria sit in the outdoor dining area at The Loyalist on June 25, 2020, in Chicago.

Dining with heaters, blankets and plastic domes? With more than 5,000 Illinois restaurants predicted to close, extending patio season may be crucial

August 13, 2020 at 8:17 a.m.

As the end of Chicago's patio season approaches, restaurant leaders are urging local officials to take a cue from Northern European cities and Colorado ski towns to encourage outdoor seating...

Passersby look over damage at the Jonathan Adler store on Aug.10, 2020.

Downtown businesses on edge after looting, vandalism. ‘I feel like we are under attack.’

August 11, 2020 at 11:03 a.m.

Downtown business owners still struggling during the coronavirus pandemic were scrambling to board up broken windows and take stock of damage after a wave of vandalism and looting early Monday...

Attorney Tamara Holder holds up lingerie, left, and a uniform top worn by some of her clients and former employees of Twin Peaks, March 26, 2018.

Twin Peaks hit with federal lawsuit alleging lingerie uniforms, body grading system led to ‘rampant sexual harassment’

August 10, 2020 at 7:45 a.m.

A group of 34 former employees of Twin Peaks, a restaurant chain featuring scantily clad waitstaff, filed a federal lawsuit Thursday alleging their uniforms and a system for grading their...

The Drake Hotel is pictured on March 31, 2016.

7,000 Chicago hotel workers could lose health insurance by end of September

August 5, 2020 at 4:06 p.m.

Some 7,000 Chicago hotel workers who remain laid off due to the pandemic risk losing their health insurance at the end of September, their union said Wednesday, making it difficult...

Customer Jennifer Gutilla orders food during lunch on the patio at Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse on June 24, 2020 in Chicago. The Gibsons restaurant group is one of the plaintiffs suing insurance companies, seeking coverage of their coronavirus-related losses under business interruption policies.

In a sweeping lawsuit, 42 Chicago businesses seek insurance coverage for COVID-related business losses

August 3, 2020 at 2:38 p.m.

In a sweeping lawsuit, prominent Chicago restaurant groups including Lettuce Entertain You and Gibsons are fighting their insurance carriers over denial of coverage for lost income related to COVID-19. The...

Laura Yepez, owner of the Wicker Park Inn, cleans a window in the kitchen seating area as a CTA trains passes by, July 8, 2020.

COVID-19 cases are increasing in Illinois, making it difficult to bring back jobs. ‘Some people may be put out of the job market for a long time.’

July 30, 2020 at 4:42 p.m.

Laura Yepez, owner of the Wicker Park Inn, thought the worst would be over by now. Even as she laid off her small staff in March and steeled herself for...

Employees protest for personal protective equipment at a McDonald's in Hayward, Calif., April 9, 2020.

McDonald’s to require masks at restaurants, delays reopenings another month

July 24, 2020 at 3:16 p.m.

McDonald's will require customers to wear face coverings at its restaurants, joining other large businesses that are tightening rules as COVID-19 cases mount across the country. The Chicago-based fast food...

Andres Moreno, left, 35, and his husband Brad Eickhoff, 29, are currently receiving unemployment compensation due to losing their jobs during the pandemic, July 21, 2020.

1 in 5 US workers collects unemployment benefits. Without the extra $600, many say they’ll struggle to buy food, pay bills

July 22, 2020 at 7:44 p.m.

For 39 years, Joseph Aleman spent baseball season hawking beer at Wrigley Field, trekking through the stands with 25 pounds of cold brews strapped to his back. He loved the...

Andrés Moreno (izq.), de 35 años, y su esposo Brad Eickhoff, de 29, actualmente reciben compensación por desempleo debido a la pérdida de sus trabajos durante la pandemia. (Chris Sweda/baiduhai)

Se acaban los $600 extra del desempleo que les ayudan a sobrevivir

July 22, 2020 at 3:07 p.m.

Durante 39 años, Joseph Alemán pasó la temporada de béisbol vendiendo cerveza en Wrigley Field, caminando por las gradas con 25 libras de cervezas frías atadas a su espalda. Le...

General Manager Tim Ross, center, carries a box over his employees, while Javonne Dixon, center right finish a sandwich for a customer, at the Potbelly on the 100 block of N. Canal, Wednesday, July 31, 2019. Abel Uribe/baiduhai

Struggling Potbelly hires former Wendy’s executive to guide its turnaround

July 21, 2020 at 2:58 p.m.

Potbelly, the Chicago-based sandwich chain hit hard by the pandemic, has hired former Wendy's executive Robert Wright as its CEO. Wright succeeds Alan Johnson, a former BevMo! CEO who has...

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