State health officials ordered 7 local restaurants to disperse premises amid indoor dining violations

IDPH sent letters to local establishments for continued violations

Seven DeKalb County restaurants received letters from state health officials this week and were ordered to disperse amid continued violations of indoor dining, according to the DeKalb County Health Department.

There remain 15 local bars and restaurants on the watchlist of state and local health officials for continually not complying with the ban on indoor dining, according to the weekly update on COVID-19 mitigation by the county health department.

PJ’s Courthouse Tavern, 202 W. State St., Sycamore, received a letter from the Illinois Department of Public Health on Tuesday, according to the list. A IDPH letter to disperse also was sent Tuesday to Rise ‘N Shine Family Restaurant, 1640 DeKalb Ave., Sycamore; Rambo’s Bar & Grill, 140 W. Market St., Somonauk; Sycamore Cafe, 1170 DeKalb Ave., Sycamore; Route 34 Pub and Grub, 1201 E. Church St., Sandwich; MVP’s, 124 S. California St., Sycamore; Sidetrack Bar & Grill, 1 S. Main St., Sandwich; and Kirkland Family Restaurant, 507 W. Main St., DeKalb.

All of these restaurants previously had been placed on the noncompliance list by the county health department, and the previously received letters of noncompliance from the IDPH for failing to suspend indoor dining services as required by Gov. JB Pritzker’s recent executive order, according to the county health department’s online resurgence mitigation tracker.

No new restaurants were added to the list as of Friday.

New mitigations first began Oct. 3 in DeKalb County’s Restore Illinois health region, known as Region 1, which also includes Winnebago County west to Whiteside County.

Restaurants on the list include Egg Haven at 2562 Sycamore Road in DeKalb, which was added to the list Nov. 25 by the county health department and received warnings by the IDPH on Dec. 3. Fatty’s Pub & Grille at 1312 W. Lincoln Highway in DeKalb was added to the county list Nov. 25 but has not received letters from the state. Hobbnobbers at 2030 Baron Drive in Sycamore was added to the county list Nov. 17 and received a noncompliance letter from the IDPH on Nov. 25.

DeRailed at 48 E. Railroad St. in Sandwich was added to the county list Nov. 13 and also has not received letters from the IDPH. Sam Family Restaurant was added to the list Oct. 20 and received an IDPH letter Nov. 25. El Jimador Mexican Grill at 260 E. Lincoln Highway in DeKalb was added to the county list Oct. 20 and received a noncompliance letter Nov. 25. Country Kitchen at 105 W. Market St. in Somonauk was added to the county list Oct. 8 and received an IDPH letter Nov. 25.

The eateries called out by the IDPH also were given a “reasonable opportunity” window of time in which to come under compliance or face further consequences, according to the tracker.

The next steps will include a reinspection from local health officials to determine whether the establishments are complying. If they’re still found to be allowing patrons to dine inside, the establishments could be given an order for those dining inside to disperse.

If they remain noncompliant after the fourth step, they could risk losing their food permit or being referred to the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office for an injunction.

To date, no local bar or restaurant has made it past the IDPH letter step for compliance.

The county health department on Oct. 23 began publishing a list of restaurants found to be defying the indoor dining ban.

In an interview with the Daily Chronicle, local health officials said the reason for publishing the list wasn’t punitive but rather to address the large amount of public interest in the topic.

Businesses will be removed from the list if they’ve demonstrated compliance for 30 days, health officials have said.

Have a Question about this Daily Chronicle article?