Many people wish to return to their regular lives, but in Cook County, this task may be more difficult than expected. Rising COVID-19 cases in these areas are responsible for the order issued by Governor J.B. Pritzker to close indoor restaurants and bars, but many businesses are defying the orders and trying their best to stay open. Some restaurant and bar owners may feel frustrated with these orders being put in place because they do not feel that it is fair to them.
During an interview with CBS News, Kevin Boehm, a restaurant owner of over a dozen establishments in the Chicago area, shared his frustration about how these restaurants were getting very excited to open four to six weeks ago and now they are forced to close indoor dining again. He elaborates on how closing restaurants is not as easy as closing something like a hardware store because restaurants have to order specific things with expiration dates.
Some customers share similar frustration with the situation as they are not able to go out to sit down and eat with friends and family at their favorite restaurants and bars.
“It’s really disappointing that there is a possibility that nearby restaurants might be closing down, and they have closed down in Chicago,” sophomore Chase Clark said. “I really look forward to eating out with some of the boys every Friday night and if my friends and I can’t do that anymore that’d suck.”
The reason why some business owners choose not to comply with the governor’s orders is possibly because they can’t afford to close again, as there is a possibility that they would lose a lot of money and their employees would be forced to go without work.
“I hope restaurants around Antioch are not forced to close down, and if they are, they try to fight and stay open,” senior Alex Titus said. “I know plenty of people that could lose their job or not get paid for weeks if something like this were to happen.”
Whether or not the safety provided by this order will help prevent the COVID-19 outbreak, there is no doubt that restaurant and bar owners will suffer and many customers will be upset that they will not be able to dine indoors.
