Mayor Lightfoot Says Chicago Restaurants Won't Open In May

CHICAGO — Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Thursday she doesn't expect city restaurants to open in May despite the governor's announcement the day before that bars and eateries statewide will be allowed to open under certain restrictions by the end of the month.

Facing growing pressure from the restaurant industry, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday said restaurants and bars across Illinois can begin preparing to reopen at the end of the month if they can provide outdoor seating for customers.

The mayor said she was "heartened" by the governor's announcement but wants to be "certain that restaurants across the city — not just the big ones, not just the ones that have a lot of cash flow, but the small ones, too — have the means to protect their employees and members of the public."

Lightfoot said her administration is considering closing streets to expand dining options, but she doesn't think the eased restrictions go far enough to help financially struggling restaurants.

“No restaurant I know of is going to be able to survive dependent upon what the weather is going to be like on a particular day in Chicago," the mayor said. "I think having the opportunity to do it and dine alfresco on a larger scale, which is what we certainly are talking about, is important; but they also need to be able to be inside as well or, economically, I don’t think the numbers work."

Lightfoot said she hopes to have a plan for restaurants to reopen sometime in June. The mayor also said that the lakefront will remain closed.

The city is considering how to reopen the lakefront and adjacent parks safely once public health metrics improve. But the mayor stopped short of saying when that might happen.