Lightfoot Says Restaurants Should Reopen As Quickly As Possible

CHICAGO — Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday said restaurants and bars should open "as soon as possible," and she plans on pushing for lifting the state's ban on indoor dining with Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

Lightfoot said it's time to give people an outlet for entertainment in an environment that is regulated and inspected rather than dealing with speak-easy style gatherings and crowded private parties that have repeatedly popped up in the city since indoor dining and bars were shut down in October.

“Let’s bring it out of the shadows. Let’s allow them to have some recreation in restaurants, in bars, where we can actually work with responsible owners and managers to regulate and protect people from COVID-19," Lightfoot said.

On Wednesday, celebrity chef Rick Bayless joined the Chicago Restaurants Coalition in calling on Lightfoot and the City Council to push Gov. J.B. Pritzker to allow city restaurants starting on Jan. 29 to reopen at "a low 20% occupancy rate" that a study conducted by researchers at Northwestern and Stanford universities showed was effective to greatly lower virus spread.

MORE ON PATCH: Chef Rick Bayless Calls on Mayor, Gov. To Reopen Indoor Dining

Bayless contended in an open letter that "to not reopen restaurants at 20% or 25% capacity is irresponsible and wrong," and has a negative impact on restaurants that employ more non-white managers than any other industry, including immigrants and formerly incarcerated people.

The coalition called on the mayor to pressure Pritzker to lift the state's ban on indoor dining and drinking. On Thursday, Lightfoot said that's what she will do even though Chicago doesn't meet the metrics for reopening indoor dining and drinking established by the state.

"I am very, very focused on getting our restaurants reopened," Lightfoot said. "If we look at the criteria the state has set, we are meeting most if not all of those. So that’s a conversation that I will have with the governor. ... I want to get our restaurants and our bars reopen as quickly possible."