It has been a tough year for businesses around the world. Chicago has not escaped the wrath of the coronavirus pandemic but thankfully seems to be coming back to its former glory, at least in some industries and regions.
As we know, some government aid has been received for this. More should be coming though. For example, the recent bill that was just passed by the House for $1.9 trillion for pandemic recovery entitling around 85% of adults to $1,400. Further, $28.6 billion is being earmarked for grants to be given to restaurants that encountered a decline in revenues due to the pandemic. These grants should be the same as the revenue each restaurant lost, capping at $10 million per company and $5 million per location.
It is hoped that businesses that were forced to shutter during the pandemic will have enough money to re-open and re-hire their staff. And it seems this is already happening right here, at the local 92nd and South Stony Island at Nipsey’s Restaurant. They are looking for new staff as the restaurant has received permission to open for indoor dining once more. The owner, Teddy Gilmore said:
“I’m offering $150 to employees to get vaccinated. Once they get vaccinated, we’ll give them another $150, so it opens the doors of the place safely and allows us to hire plenty of people in the community.”
In related news, Primark has just opened on State Street in the Loop – in the place where Old Navy and Gap used to be. This Irish firm already has a presence in the East Coast but Chicago has been on its wishlist for a while as US firm president Andy Stewart pointed out “There’s more than 50 million tourists that come here every year.” He believes that things are really looking up and that by “this time next yea we will be on the cusp of a retail revitalization.”