Indoor Dining To Start In Chicago Next Week

As Illinois moves to next reopening phase, indoor dining expected to expand in Chicago, but hours and size of parties will be limited.

Chicago bartender
star5112 / Flickr
Chicago bartender
star5112 / Flickr

Indoor Dining To Start In Chicago Next Week

As Illinois moves to next reopening phase, indoor dining expected to expand in Chicago, but hours and size of parties will be limited.

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Indoor dining can resume at bars and restaurants in Chicago next Friday, June 26. But Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the city’s health officials encourage businesses to prioritize outdoor seating.

This latest move will align the city with the rest of the state as Illinois is expected to move to Phase 4 next week.

Restaurants and bars will be limited in how many patrons they can accommodate. The city is limiting capacity to 25% or a maximum of 50 people per room or floor. Tables will have to be six feet apart with no more than 10 people to a party.

The city is imposing a two hour time restriction for customers seated at bars and taverns that don’t serve food. Carryout liquor sales will continue and last call for drinks is 11 p.m.

Bars and taverns without kitchens were given the green light to serve customers outdoors earlier this week. And the City Council approved new regulations to make it easier for restaurants, bars and taverns to apply for a patio license.

The Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, the city agency that handles those permits, will be hosting webinars all next week explaining the eased dining restrictions.

If the city continues to see a decline in hospitalizations and new cases of COVID-19, indoor capacity could be expanded to 50%.