Wilmette 11-Year-Old Launches Campaign To Save Local Restaurants

WILMETTE, IL — A local 5th grader launched a campaign to help Wilmette restaurants survive the coronavirus pandemic through a pledge to order out at least once a week.

Gabby White, 11, launched the Wilmette Orders Out campaign earlier this month with the aim of assisting local eateries to survive the winter with delivery and takeout orders. White has produced posters that say, "Take the Pledge: Order Takeout Every Week," and hung them at more than a half-dozen local restaurants.

Indoor dining has been forbidden in Wilmette since Oct. 28, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker has indicated the ban is unlikely to be lifted before January, even if COVID-19 rates decline.

The Wilmette Orders Out campaign started as part of a service project for White's homeschooling curriculum, she told Patch via email.

She said she was inspired to help local restaurants amid COVID-19 dining restrictions after seeing the experience of a family friend who owns a steakhouse in Northbrook.

"The impact of local restaurants closing would be sad and devastating, for the owners, employees and the people who enjoy eating at our restaurants," White said. "Local restaurants make up a huge part of the economy and provide a much needed service for us all."

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White moved to Wilmette from Cincinnati two years ago and attended McKenzie Elementary School prior to switching to the Prisma homeschooling program due to COVID-19. She plans to go to 6th grade at Highcrest Middle School next year.

"By supporting locally owned businesses, it gives back to the community because the owners pay taxes here, employ many Wilmette residents, and give people of Wilmette a place to go to visit with family and friends," she added. "If local restaurants closed, many people would be out of jobs. That is why our campaign is so important."

White said her family has replaced eating out about twice a week prior to the pandemic with ordering takeout at least twice a week.

"We now ask people to order out at least once a week," she said. "This is a reasonable amount as many people might not want to go in to restaurants all the time because of the pandemic and it can get expensive."

White encouraged restaurant patrons to avoid ordering through third-party services, which often take significant cuts of the restaurant's revenue out of the community.

She also suggested posting images of your meals on social media with the hashtag "#WilmetteOrdersOut" to spread the word about the campaign.