Prairie State Wire

In the past weeks, hundreds of restaurants have banded together to oppose Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s executive orders shuttering indoor service at restaurants, but one restaurant owner says they are being targeted for speaking out.

The Illinois restaurant owner, who wished to remain anonymous, said one only needs to look at Captain’s Table in Moline as an example of why restaurant owners are afraid to speak out. 

The restaurant was targeted for action to pull its liquor license after its general manager was vocal in local media about the restaurant’s refusal to comply with Pritzker’s order to shut down the restaurant’s dining room.

“Putting a target on your back is not the thing that is going to help any of these businesses,” the restaurant owner said. 

Now, other restaurant and bar owners who previously were similarly outspoken are tempering their public statements. 

Instead, the owner said groups that represent bars and restaurants have been working to put together some kind of consensus within the region.

The owner said the pandemic has really harmed workers.

“We're supposed to be worrying about everyone's health and keeping them alive. But the economics of it are people in this industry are workers. It's just hurtful. And there is nothing out there for them.”

The owner said unemployment compensation isn’t helping restaurant workers, especially not workers like single mothers who live on the tips alone.

“So it's just, it's just really crushing to think that our government is so out of touch with what it really takes to survive … to the average … worker. It’s really out of touch.”

Sangamon County, which includes Springfield, enacted their own, less restrictive rules and regulations regarding restaurants and bars during the pandemic.

“What I can tell you is that the city of Springfield has taken some action (to be less restrictive),” the owner said. “And it appears to me personally as a business owner, that that type of model could be beneficial if we could kind of come to some agreement in our region to take whatever mitigations or even additional mitigations that our local officials would see as enough to ensure that we're doing everything we can and also ensuring that our industry isn't unduly targeted by this new executive order.”

Moline also got creative by offering $5,000 to restaurants to follow Prtizker’s orders. Many are scoffing at that amount, particularly because the executive orders can change at any time and can apparently last indefinitely. 

“It's nothing, that may be enough to pay the bills that are there, whether you’re open or not,” the owner said. “It definitely is not enough to cover what it would cost to keep employees employed.”