Chicago Restaurants: Adjusting to a New Normal and Supporting their Food Families
Bernie’s Chicago
It’s easy to be there for people during the simple times. When things are going well, and life could even be called “easy.” You see the true mark of a family or a community when you see how they come together to get through a challenge. To say that 2020 has been a challenge for the Chicago hospitality community would be the understatement of the century. And while we know that this year has not just had an impact on the world of food, it’s been especially inspiring to see Chicago chefs, restauranteurs and hospitality workers come together to support one another during every stage of this year’s crises.
This has been especially true in recent weeks, when indoor dining was introduced back into our day-to-day dining options. From iconic Chicago spots to worldwide brands, the world of food in our city is making updates and taking steps every day to make your future dining experiences safe and delicious.
Stax Cafe
Safety First
Indoor dining does allow for more customers, but it also brings a set of new challenges to restaurant owners. First and foremost of those is keeping both their staff and their diners safe. Every little step makes a difference in these cases, and so restaurants are taking extra care in every way possible. Just ask Spiro Tsaldaris from Stax Cafe. Every day at Stax starts by sanitizing the kitchen, tables and chairs. They have implemented all regulations set forth by the city, state and Illinois Restaurant Association, and are consistently using sanitizing practices throughout the day.
Tsaldaris explains just what this means for his team in a practical sense, saying, “Our staff wear masks always, and wash their hands every half hour or more. We are using touchless menus with QR codes to limit contact. We are only allowing 25% capacity for diners. We always ask anyone waiting for a table or carryout to wait outside. We have also placed social distant markers throughout the restaurant to make it easy for everyone who comes in.”
But it’s not just about diners. Though these efforts are the ones we see, and the ones that keep us as safe as possible, restauranteurs are also caring for their staff. These are the people whose livelihoods depend on restaurants, and who are doing all the extra work to keep diners safe. Owners like Tsaldaris are watching over these staff members as well.
“We are constantly supporting our staff through these changing times with constant communication and education. We provide them with all and any sanitizing equipment, masks etc. that they could need. We luckily also received the PPE Loan for both of our locations so we were able to bring our staff back, and continue to support them.”
Bernie’s Chicago
Tara Zavagnin, General Manager of Spiaggia, echoes Tsaldaris’ sentiments. Spiaggia has been a Chicago institution for decades, and they take that status seriously. When they re-opened this summer, they implemented additional practices for the safety of their employees and guests on top of their already high standards of service. Table spacing, guest capacity, and additional health and safety measures reflect guidelines provided by the CDC, City of Chicago, and Illinois Restaurant Association, and they are also prioritizing education for both their customers and staff. Full-service doesn’t just apply to the treament you get on your plates anymore.
That applies to patios, too! Even outdoor dining requires extra care and precautions, as General Manager of Bernie's, Mark O'Sullivan, knows all too well.
"Bernie's does have a large rooftop deck, which allows our guests to enjoy our food and drinks in an open air environment. But for guests who are comfortable sitting indoors, our dining room is now also open at 25% capacity. In the case of both dining spaces, we have carefully redesigned our seating to make it as safe as possible, in addition to taking guests' temperatures upon arrival and following CDC-mandated guidelines.”
All of these steps rely on a restaurant’s staff, and O’Sullivan says they’re “very lucky to have such a responsive and respectful staff, who not only follow our COVID-19 precautions, but enforce them among our guests." Turns out it takes a village to feed a city!
Starbucks Reserve Roastery Chicago
Prioritizing Their Team
It may take a village to feed our city, but that village of workers needs to be kept safe, too. Prioritizing teamwork is important now more than ever for restaurants. From the owners to your hosts and servers, working together has become paramount for restaurants of all sizes.
Though Starbucks is an international brand of acclaim, their new Starbucks Reserve Roastery on Michigan Avenue is facing similar challenges and restrictions to any local coffee destination. Starbucks Reserve Roastery General Manager Shauna McKenzie-Lee says that the Roastery has been working to follow both national and city guidelines in order to ensure the safety and ongoing education of their team. That might come in the form of a daily health check-in when they arrive to work to support their well-being or even with a focus on continued mental well-being.
“We provide our partners with tools and resources to support them during these changing times, including mental health support, round-table discussions, opportunities to volunteer in the community and on-going training.”
Chef Erick Williams from Virtue has similarly been working with his staff, the Hyde Park neighborhood, and other Black-owned restaurants across the city to provide education, inspiration, and a community for hospitality workers.
He says that “supporting and protecting our staff is paramount, and is equally as important as protecting our guests. We check in with our team often. I’ve also made resources available to them to ensure that they are positioned to succeed and manage their needs during this time, and in the future.”
Virtue
A Chicago Family
That is because Chicago as a city is thinking big. Thinking beyond the next day or the next meal. Because in so many ways, the members of our hospitality industry are all a part of one big family. They are more than just the tables they service or the bellies they fill.
They’re patrons as well as severs. Tsaldaris from Stax Cafe says as much…
“We have so different and diverse neighborhoods throughout the city. Not only as a restaurant owner, but also a patron it is important to be able to experience this. We are a city that thrives on being together.”
They’re Chicagoans as well as industry influencers. That’s why it’s so important to McKenzie-Lee and Starbucks to make a difference throughout the city…
“We have donated to black non-profit organizations as well as Chicago Public Schools (CPS), packed meals and basic needs kits for homeless shelters, and donated coffee to first responders and hospitals.”
They’re proud of their profession, their industry, and their city at large. Zavagnin from Spiaggia put that pride into perspective...
“People come to this city to experience the incredible food scene that we have and locals are proud to call this city their home. I have been so impressed by how the restaurant community has come together during these difficult times to support one another to ensure we can continue to support and celebrate our hospitality community for many years to come.”
Spiaggia
Looking to the Future
This is only the beginning for restaurants in Chicago and across the country to rebuild though. There are many more steps to be taken, and much more work to be done. That is not limited to the hospitality industry either. By wearing masks, socially distancing whenever possible, or supporting local businesses with online orders and donations, we can continue to build up the hospitality industry. This is only the beginning of their work, and of the assistance we as a city need to provide. Their service will continue to be important to the growth and heart of Chicago for years to come.
"The hospitality industry is vital to our city as it provides so many jobs, contributes greatly to our economy, and is a big draw for tourism to boot,” explains O’Sullivan from Bernie’s. “Restaurants act as gathering places for locals and visitors alike to interact and make memories with each other, and I know we all hope this doesn't change in the future."
McKenzie-Lee from the Starbucks Reserve Roastery went even further, expanding on how hospitality is not just in the DNA of Chicagoans, but indeed at the core of the Midwestern mindset.
“The hospitality industry is the heart of this city. Hospitality is central to our DNA as Midwesterners and it is an integral part of how we welcome visitors from all over the world to our amazing world-class city. Since this new re-opening phase, the city’s restaurants and bars have shown that people miss the dining experiences and having been turning up to show their support. We are thrilled to be open and safely serving our guests!”
You can continue to support restaurants and local shops in all kinds of ways, from in-person dining to ordering delivery or even purchasing restaurant merchandise. No matter how you support, just know that you are making a very real difference in the lives of the Chicago hospitality industry.
By Kaleigh Glaza | Market Editor