The only thing keeping Bronzeville’s Truth Italian Restaurant afloat is it’s outdoor patio, said owner Peytyn Willborn.
Still, it’s a far cry from the normal capacity of 170 people.
If Chicago were to slip into a stay-at-home order again, Willborn says it will be the end of her 7-year-old business.
“This is my income, this is my staff’s income. They already make a low minimum wage. They survive off of tips,” Willborn said. “If you don’t have anyone sitting in the seats, there’s no tips.”
But with coronavirus cases surging and regions of Illinois seeing a return of more restrictions, Chicago business owners are bracing for the worst.
On Monday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot stressed that future mitigation efforts would be strategic, even focused down to the city block.
Instead of seeing a one-size-fits-all approach, the city could see restrictions only in areas with the greatest challenges.
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“We’ve got to be very strategic about the way in which we deploy intervention. We have to use a surgeon’s knife and not a blunt axe,” Lightfoot said. “In thinking about the next steps, that is really the mindset we are taking.”
While the mayor wasn’t specific on the timing of restrictions, she told NBC 5’s Chris Hush she would release more details later this week.
“We’ve got to buckle down on the public health guidance that we know is our only tool until there is a vaccine that is finally authorized,” said Mayor Lightfoot.
The mayor’s communications team added more restrictions wouldn’t come this week, but in the near future.
