Economic Impact Worse Than Health Crisis: 94 West Owner

ORLAND PARK, IL — Add a local restaurant owner to the list of Orland Parkers who think the economy should re-open sooner than Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has in the works with his "Restore Illinois" plan. Pritzker's plan calls for the earliest restaurants could reopen for dine-in services to be June 26.

Bryan Sord, owner of the 94 West restaurant at 15410 W. 94th Ave., says that's unfair.

"It's horrible. It's going to put so many people out of business," Sord said. "I think this (the economic impact) will be worse than the pandemic itself."

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He says the coronavirus pandemic and statewide shutdown that's now gone on for two full months will "make the big guys richer... and the small guys will be gone."

That's in reference to the ability for large chain stores to remain open under the guise of "essential" business, while many small businesses aren't able to claim the same due to offering a fewer number of items.

"I've been here 17 years and I live here... that's what's so sad," he said. "I support Orland Park, go to the grocery store here. All the big box people that money out of state and I keep it in Orland 90 percent of the time."

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94 West, Sord said, has been able to remain afloat so far by offering carryout services and deliveries through GrubHub. They are open with those services available from 4-7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays through Sundays.

But two of their busiest days of the year for dine-in are already behind them.

"They took away Easter, and then Mother's Day. And Mother's Day is our biggest day of the year," he said.

Sord, who also owns a restaurant in downtown Chicago, says if dine-in services aren't able to return soon that "70 percent of downtown won't reopen."

"And it will never be the same."

Sord said he "wholeheartedly" sympathizes with the families who are dealing with coronavirus infections and the hundreds in Illinois who have died as a result of it.

"But we (restaurant owners) are dying in a different way," he said.