Chicago Tribune

Editorial: Message to Chicago restaurants: Customer goodwill won’t last forever.

The QR code to see the virtual menu inside a pod tent is seen on Dec. 2, 2020, at Bien Trucha restaurant in Geneva, Illinois during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Restaurants had a rough pandemic, but customers were understanding. The industry’s struggle brought out the best in many Chicagoans. Loyal patrons went out of their way to ensure favorite venues survived, and in some cases showered workers with extra tips and gratitude.

Today, the pandemic emergency is officially over. But for many full-service local eateries, the battle for survival is emphatically not over. A period of labor shortages, iffy finances and desperate experimentation lives on.

At the same time, many customers have put the pandemic behind them and grown frustrated with aggressive

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Chicago Tribune

Chicago Tribune4 min readInternational Relations
Commentary: The Anatomy Of An Israel-Hamas Hostage Deal
In February, Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to the Middle East for meetings in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Israel and the West Bank. The central purpose of that trip was to hammer out a cease-fire and hostage release deal between Israel a
Chicago Tribune6 min readCrime & Violence
6 Months After Illinois Ended Cash Bail, Jail Populations Are Down As Courts Settle Into New Patterns
CHICAGO — In one of the most serious cases on the detention hearing call at the Leighton Criminal Court Building on a day earlier this month, a judge ordered a teen jailed pending trial after he was accused of shooting a woman in the neck during an a
Chicago Tribune2 min read
Banged-up Chicago Cubs Lose Left-hander Jordan Wicks To The 15-day Injured List With A Forearm Strain
BOSTON — Chicago Cubs left-hander Jordan Wicks knows he must be smart early in the season. It doesn’t make the current situation any less frustrating for Wicks, who was put on the 15-day injured list Sunday with a left forearm strain. Wicks becomes t

Related Books & Audiobooks