Local restaurants continue the fight to stay afloat during indoor dining ban
HUNTLEY – Sammy’s Bar and Grill is just one of many local restaurants continuing to offer indoor dining services to the public, despite Gov. Pritzker’s Tier 3 mitigation orders forbidding establishments from doing so.
Yet even with McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally’s recent announcement stating that his office will not be enforcing any rules pertaining to the indoor dining ban, Sammy’s co-owners Diane Walsh and Mike Bruski maintain that business is still not as it once was due in part to a variety of factors.
“With the closing down of gaming, it’s definitely slower. I even think if we had tents outside, we wouldn’t do much more than we’re doing right now. I think that, you know, you can’t keep a tent outside warm and no one’s bundling up to sit outside to have dinner. You know, everybody’s just trying to make it right now. No one’s going home with money in their pockets, believe me. So, it’s just survival right now, which is sad,” Walsh said.
Walsh explained how their plan is not to entice a crowd, instead stating if they had the proper financial means, they would choose to close the restaurant down to comply with Pritzker’s orders.
Some local residents like Ann Raimondo, are strongly in support of food establishments that take the dine-in route.
“Businesses did everything required of them and still they shut them down. Sorry, but they should remain open. If you’re a person who is uncomfortable going, then don’t go,” she said.
Others, however, are more concerned with the rising number of restaurants who are disregarding guidelines pertaining to mask coverings and social distancing. Such is the case with Marengo resident Renee Hill.
“I would like you to know that I am very concerned about how the restaurant business is coping as well as their clients. I have close friends who are or have been working in the industry for many years, some not as long,” Hill said. “My husband and I committed to take out only and have continued since March of 2020. When we go in to get take out, both of us are aware of all the people who are not masked. We note that and carefully decide what restaurants we will [and] will not support during this crisis.”
“It is astounding to me that so many restaurants are so willing to put their customers and employees at risk for infection. We cannot understand how they can justify doing business that puts their customers in harm’s way.”
Though representatives for Parkside Pub in Huntley and Niko’s Red Mill Tavern in Woodstock did not return requests for interviews, news station CBS 2, uncovered via the Freedom of Information Act, that the two restaurants are part of a growing list of McHenry County eateries cited for violations by the McHenry County Department of Health.
Niko’s Red Mill Tavern, for instance, not only had violations for indoor dining, but inspectors also noted instances of no social distancing taking place and lack of face coverings being worn by both patrons and employees.
Consequently, Niko Kanakaris, the owner of Niko’s Red Mill Tavern and a trustee for the Village of Huntley, has been vocal about convincing the Village to waive the $500 fee charged to Huntley restaurants who have gaming machines in their establishments.
“The fees that we’re charging owners when the machines are turned off. I just want to see if we can help them, the business owners, to waive [the fee]. My opinion is that we charge them $500 per machine, to the liquor license holder. I’d like to waive that part and still charge the liquor license fee. At least we’re helping them in some direction,” Kanakaris said during the December 10 Village Board meeting.
Trustee Harry Leopold agreed that the Village of Huntley should do more to help local restaurants, though his idea differed from that of Kanakaris.
“I think [the fee] should be prorated based on the months of operation. They were in operation through the first three months of the year. They closed down in March for three months and then they closed down again three weeks ago, I believe,” Leopold told the Board. “I’m all for helping little businesses. Whatever the majority feels, I’ll go along with it.”
The Village Board did not reach an agreement during that meeting but they are expected to vote on a solution to the video gaming fees on Dec 17. Until then restaurants like Sammy’s will just have to continue taking business one day at a time.
“Our customers have very much stood by our side and new people are coming in. It’s got its upsides and its downsides and you just got to pray that everyone survives both the pandemic and the businesses survive. It’s just a matter of moving on day to day and just being really cautious,” Walsh explained. “The girls are doing great. You know, it’s slower. The tips are down. No one is profiting off it, and I think people understand, that are coming in. They’re there to support us because we supported them through the years. Thank God Huntley is a community that will do that.”
