Restaurants and bar owners concerned after Gov. Pritzker shuts businesses down for COVID-19

Gov. JB Pritzker’s announcement Sunday to close all bars and restaurants across the state to prevent further spread of COVID-19 brings concerns for many area restaurant and bar owners.

For Dan Hart, owner of D.C. Cobb’s in McHenry, the governor’s decision isn’t fair.

“I have a lot of people that rent and are single mothers that work for us. And I don’t think it would be fair or make any sense to put them in a position where they can’t pay their bills, especially their medical insurance, things that will make you vulnerable to a devastating effect,” Hart said.

During the two-week closure, Hart will be making sure his employees are “compensated appropriately.”

Although he said his business will be fine during this period, others may not be. He said he fears for new restaurateurs who may not have the savings, the capacity or funds to keep going. As a veteran restaurateur, Hart said he believes the two weeks will be long enough that some businesses may not reopen.

“We were lucky enough to be in a position where we can pay our employees to take care of them. But not every restaurant is that lucky, and you’re gonna have people that can’t pay rent, can’t pay their car payments, you can’t pay insurance,” he said. “You could end up with people literally ending up being homeless as a result of this. So I hope that these people have the opportunity in some way to get some relief.”

D.C. Cobb’s now will be launching a full delivery and take-out service with curbside pickup, something many area restaurants are doing in response to the shutdown.

Randy Kief, owner of Kief’s Reef in McHenry, also is concerned about the consequences of the decision. He said the ramifications would be detrimental to all his employees from kitchen staff to truck drivers to suppliers. His employees, who work with tips and are volume based, he said, are hardly making their payments now.

“I’m worried about my employees who work from paycheck to paycheck. We’re hardworking people,” Kief said. “To have him say to close down all these small businesses, you’ve got to think that people are going to be put out of jobs.”

Not only will it be a “huge loss of revenue” for the next two weeks, said Tom Guasta, owner of WindHill Pancake Parlor in McHenry, but moving to delivery service and to-go orders will be something new to deal with.

As of now, the city of McHenry hasn’t received an executive order about what is considered a bar or restaurant. Mayor Wayne Jett said he’s been receiving many calls from restaurant and bar owners for more information.

Jett will be meeting with many restaurants and bar owners Monday to work on alternative plans for their businesses.

“This is what we’re working with to try to stay afloat, and I’m going to personally go to each of those businesses that are new and that have never done takeout before to try to help,” he said.

At this time, it is important for residents to support local businesses, he said.

“I’m never gonna go against professionals, and hopefully he’s listening to the right professionals on what needs to happen in the state of Illinois. My only major concern is that other states, hopefully, follow suit so that way we don’t have people going from Illinois to Wisconsin or Illinois to Indiana,” Jett said.

While some weren’t in favor of the shutdown, others were OK with the decision if it meant preventing the spread of the virus.

“I think that they’d be doing what they have to do,” said Jim Archos, owner of Bimbo’s Italian Kitchen in McHenry. Is it going to kill me if we close for two weeks? No. I mean, in the long run, it means that this goes away faster. Right? That’s really what we’re all striving for,”

Both Hart and Kief said it shouldn’t be up to the government to decide to shut down businesses.

“I think that people should be allowed to make a choice. I believe that for the First Amendment people have a right to peaceably assemble. I think it’s stripping the rights of the American people. And people should be allowed to make their own decisions and not be forced by the government,” Hart said.