(WAND) - The Illinois Restaurant Association (IRA) is calling on Governor Pritzker and state representatives to change the approach to mitigations.
The group says the mitigations are detrimental to the restaurant industry. By Sunday, the IRA says nearly 90% will be closed down to indoor service under the states mitigation plans.
"Restaurants are in debt, they can't pay their bills and they are nowhere near breaking even for the year. It's estimated 86% of restaurants will not make a profit in 2020," says Sam Toia, president of the Illinois Restaurant Association.
According to the IRA, 55% of Illinois operators say it is unlikely their restaurants will be open if the current restrictions are still in place in the next 6 months. Toia says conservative estimates show 20% of restaurants in Illinois will close down, which he says would mean 120,000 jobs lost in the state.
The IRA said in a media conference, they want to collaborate with the state to address the concerning number of cases of COVID-19. The group requests to be at the table with the Governor to come up with a reasonable and pragmatic approach to mitigation.
The group says they support the mask requirement and the safety precautions during the pandemic.
"Public safety of guests and team members is always number one," Toia says. "The IRA does not support bad actors, and we encourage restaurants to not disobey public health guidelines. we want restaurants to comply with all necessary safety requirements."
The IRA says according to research, only 1% of cases are tied to restaurants in the state of Illinois.
"The restaurant industry is being singled out for closure even though restaurants are the most highly regulated frequently inspected health focused industry there is."
The IRA says they are hoping to have a meeting with the Governor next week.
