Some Hinsdale Restaurants Violate Governor's Order

HINSDALE, IL — It was unseasonably warm early Thursday evening. So many diners were out in Hinsdale's downtown.

On First Avenue, three restaurants had tents on the street. This is thanks to a village program that blocks off a lane of traffic to allow outdoor dining during the pandemic.

In October, with surging coronavirus cases, Gov. J.B. Pritzker banned indoor dining. While most restaurants are following that rule in the suburbs, some aren't. Hinsdale is no exception.

Patch checked seven downtown restaurants in Hinsdale early Thursday evening. Of them, two offered indoor dining. One of them only had two customers when Patch dropped by. The other, which had a tent on First Avenue, had 18 customers eating in its dining room.

Area police departments say they don't have the power to enforce the governor's order, saying that's the job of county health departments. The order gives police no authority to issue citations.

Many argue the governor lacks the power to shut down restaurants and bars. In any case, they say, such establishments are not where the problems are.

Others say the order is an unfortunate but necessary step to control the spread of the coronavirus.

Unlike earlier in the pandemic, the federal government is no longer making loans to help businesses pay employees while they are shut down. Many fear restaurants will not survive if they follow the governor's order.

Last month, Patch contacted officials in six western suburbs, including Hinsdale, about how their police handle calls about restaurants that offer indoor dining in violation of the governor's order. Only Hinsdale did not answer.

In late November, Patch conducted a spot check of Elmhurst restaurants to see whether they were offering indoor dining. Four were.

Western Springs' village president has taken a more aggressive stance than her counterparts in other towns, saying the village would alert the county health department about violators.