City of Chicago Business Affairs & Consumer Protection // Dec. 17, 2020
Yesterday, the Chicago City Council passed an important piece of legislation expanding regulatory relief for businesses that continue to be impacted by COVID-19. This ordinance extends a number of different measures, outlined below, that were implemented this year in order to support businesses during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
Under this new ordinance, the following relief measures are now in place:
- Extension of License Expiration Dates: All licenses that expire between March 15, 2020 and June 15, 2021 will be considered active until July 15, 2021 and those businesses can operate during that time without renewing their license.
- Read the Industry Notice
- For licensing questions, call (312) 74-GOBIZ (46249) or email businesslicense@cityofchicago.
org. - Extension of Sidewalk Café Permit Expiration Date and Extension of Reforms: All current Sidewalk Café Permits will be considered active through May 31, 2021 and businesses with a Sidewalk Café Permit can operate their current Sidewalk Cafes until that date without renewing. Additionally, all Sidewalk Café Permits issued for the 2021 season will benefit from the temporary reforms implemented earlier this year: permit fee reduction of 75%, the ability to extend in front of neighboring property, and an expedited permit issuance process.
- Read the Industry Notice
- Learn more about the Sidewalk Café Permit
- For Sidewalk Café Permit questions, email publicwayuse@cityofchicago.org
. - Extension of Expanded Outdoor Dining Program: The Expanded Outdoor Dining Program, through which bars and restaurants can operate outside on private property or closed streets, has been extended to last through the end of 2021. Businesses that are interested in extending their permit past the end of 2020 must submit a request including the DOT number of their Permit and submit insurance covering the extended dates. Additionally, businesses that are operating their Expanded Outdoor Dining area during winter months need to submit an updated permit plan that includes any winterization plans and equipment.
- Questions and required documents can be submitted to SEPermits@cityofchicago.org.
- Learn more about the Expanded Outdoor Dining Program
Additional Updates:
- COVID-19 Vaccine: As many of you know, this week the City of Chicago administered its first COVID-19 vaccine. There will be a phased roll-out of the vaccine with a very limited supply at the beginning, so healthcare workers will be prioritized, particularly those who treat COVID patients. Vaccine supply is expected to continually increase in the weeks and months ahead and it will then be made available to others. The Chicago Department of Public Health is working with partners at all levels, including hospitals, health care providers, and community leaders, on flexible COVID-19 vaccination programs that can accommodate different vaccines and scenarios. We will share more information as it becomes available. To learn more and stay updated, visit chicago.gov/COVIDVAX.
- Chicago Hospitality Grant: This week, bars and restaurants that applied to the Chicago Hospitality Grant Program were notified as to whether or not they were awarded a $10,000 grant through this program. If you applied for the grant and did not receive communication this week, please respond to this email. The Hospitality Grant Program was designed to supplement federal and state relief program and recipients were chosen via a lottery and then checked for eligibility requirements – we express sincere regret that we were unable to fund all eligible applicants. As we continue to deal with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will notify you if any funding opportunities become available on the local, state or federal level.