Health |

From 79,000 jobs lost to 48,000 cups of milk tea delivered, the numbers show coronavirus pandemic has affected Chicago dining six months in

Six months ago Wednesday at 9 p.m., all Illinois restaurants and bars were shut down for on-premise dining or drinking. Since then, a gradual reopening has allowed some business to return to the struggling establishments.

As the entire city held its breath during the stay-at-home order this spring, summer offered a solution for many with the approval of serving at outdoor spaces. Then, tentatively, food and beverage establishments were allowed to open indoor spaces with limited capacity. But as coronavirus cases waxed and waned, restrictions changed, and the city walked back on its allowance for bars to host patrons inside. As winter approaches, these businesses now grapple with how to operate when the weather shifts.

Looking back at the past six months and to what the future holds, it’s helpful to consider some of the numbers that help tell the story of what restaurant owners, chefs, bartenders and servers have endured.

SHUTDOWN

0

The number of customers allowed inside restaurants and bars after the state’s March 16 stay-at-home order.

3

The opening phase where restaurants were allowed to open their outdoor spaces for diners, and a couple weeks later, indoor service again.

6

The number of streets that were to be closed in the city’s program to carve out more outdoor dining space for restaurants hampered by restrictions limiting indoor capacity to 25%. Since the rollout in June, dining tables and chairs have been set up in the streets of several more neighborhoods, and embraced by diners.

Also, the number of feet that tables need to be spaced apart.

1

The number of years cocktails to-go will be allowed in Chicago.

1,000

The number of sidewalk cafe permits the city had approved by June 24.

0

The number of bars allowed to serve patrons indoors starting July 24.

TAKEOUT

45,375

The number of meals Taipei Cafe has delivered through Chowbus, making it the delivery platform’s most-frequented restaurant.

59.5%

The percentage increase of delivery in the Hermosa neighborhood, the highest increase out of other communities like Austin, Garfield Park, South Lawndale, North Lawndale and West Englewood. According to UberEats, Chicago orders were way up this year, and almost all of that growth was in the South and West Sides.

50,000

The number of people who have signed up since March 1 to deliver with Uber Eats in Chicago, which is significantly more than over any prior period.

AFTERSHOCK

79,700

Number of industry jobs lost in Illinois between February and July, a decline of 17%, according to the Illinois Restaurant Association.

!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var e in a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var t=document.getElementById(“datawrapper-chart-“+e)||document.querySelector(“iframe[src*='”+e+”‘]”);t&&(t.style.height=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][e]+”px”)}}))}();

$10,000

The amount a business can be fined by the cIty of Chicago if it is found in violation of COVID-19 reopening guidelines regarding social distancing, masking and other safety measures.

54

The number of Chicago-area restaurants and bars that have confirmed they are permanently closed because of COVID-19 economic pressures, and probably much higher.

2

The number of James Beard Awards ceremonies canceled for 2020 and 2021.

gwong@chicagotribune.com