Over the weekend, the city ordered Wise Owl Drinkery & Cookhouse to close immediately after breaking the reopening rules. West Loop site violations included exceeding 25 percent of indoor capacity, failing to maintain social detachment, and not requiring clients to wear face covers, according to Business Affairs and Consumer Protection’s (BACP). The restaurant at 324 S. Racine Avenue was one of six Chicago businesses to receive citations for violating the city’s safety guidelines for bars and restaurants during the pandemic.
This is the first Chicago restaurant closed for breaking COVID-19 rules. The city has inspected restaurants since June, when cookouts were resumed. Many received warnings. The city says violators are subject to fines of $ 10,000.
“While most companies are taking the necessary precautions to keep their customers and employees safe, the city will continue to hold bad actors accountable, and this weekend we issued an immediate shutdown order to a bar for blatantly and blatantly ignoring reopening requirements. ” A BACP representative wrote in a statement Monday. “Irresponsible actions like this put our entire city at risk and will not be tolerated.”
Concerned neighbors drew attention to what happened at Wise Owl in the True West Loop Facebook post on Saturday night. A representative for Wise Owl entered the social media thread and tried to calm the commentators. Apparently, the promised security measures had failed when the BACP enforcers arrived.
Wise Owl is the second business that BACP ordered to close immediately since June 3, and the executors have cited 25 businesses and issued 85 warnings. The first was Chicago Lakefront Cruises, according to media reports. Watching establishments violate rules aimed at keeping employees and customers safe from COVID-19 increases frustration among many industry workers who are concerned that Mayor Lori Lightfoot, like other mayors and governors across the country, close stores again, a move that would cause immense financial damage at all levels of the industry.
And in other news …
– The Band of Bohemia property, the only Michelin-starred brewpub in the world, released a statement over the weekend aimed at refuting allegations of mishandling during the pandemic and fostering a toxic work environment. Posted on Band of Bohemia’s Instagram account on Saturday, co-owners Michael Carroll and Craig Sindelar’s statement flatly denies the allegations released by Eater and The Grandstand, as well as those published on the Instagram account @ the86dlist.
“At no time in our existence as a brewpub have we neglected the well-being of our staff, who have remained the backbone of our establishment since we opened our doors,” the publication reads. “We cannot begin to assume the reasoning behind the allegations of these few employees against our business, but we hope to reach a point of mutual understanding in the future.”
Claims against Carroll and Sindelar range from alleged mismanagement of funds raised through a GoFundMe page for workers during the pandemic, to allegations that the co-owners failed to act when former executive chef Ian Davis was accused of sexism and misconduct. in the workplace. Former Band of Bohemia executive chef Soo Ahn (Grace, EL ideas), as well as other former workers, has spoken publicly about recent specific cases that gave him the impression that the property focused solely on saving the restaurant, rather than worker safety.
– Goose Island Bourbon Country Brand Stout remains one of the brewery’s top assets, attracting flocks of beer nerds to stores each November to purchase each new variety released. Punch has a fun story about the legend of the brewers who create their specialized variants. These parodies are not sanctioned by Goose. Unofficial releases include “Double Stuffed”, “German Chocolate Cupcake” and “Goose Hunting Butterfingers”. Fans love to claim that these beers really exist, but history suggests that these unique flavors are just rumors spread across the internet.
– The venerable Northwest Side Gale Street Inn restaurant is temporarily closed until July 22, owner George Karzas wrote in a message on the inn’s website. Chef Liborio Martínez needed to make an unexpected trip to Mexico, so he and all the staff will be quarantined in the meantime. Karzas promises more news once they return to Jefferson Park later this month.
– A Black Chicago-area food entrepreneur is seeing a surge in sales following Quaker Oats’ recent announcement that it will change the name of Aunt Jemima’s syrup. Business owner in the southern suburbs of the Netherlands, Michele Hoskins, has been producing special breakfast syrups for over 30 years, and as customers look for an alternative to the minstrel show-inspired brand, her products Have stood out. Hoskins syrups, in flavors like Butter Pecan and Maple Creme, are available now at Jewel stores and will land on Mariano’s shelves in the fall. Their products will now also be supplied by national retailers such as Roundy’s, Kroger, and Food 4 Less.
– Austin teen residents on Chicago’s West Side are working to launch an emerging food market at 423 N. Laramie Avenue in an effort to bring fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers to an area of the city where those items are too short . supply, Block Club Chicago reported. Teens are participating in By the Hand Club for Kids, a faith-based after-school program for youth in low-income neighborhoods overseen by Moody Church. Several professional athletes, including former Chicago Bears linebacker Sam Acho, have raised $ 500,000 to tear down the liquor store currently located in the Laramie Avenue space. The club is also working in partnership with local food and beverage incubator The Hatchery to help young people develop business skills and experience in the hospitality industry.
