The Chicago suburbs are starting to reopen with restrictions on Friday, moving into phase three of the state’s plan. The city itself will take that step on Wednesday.
Outdoor dining at restaurants and bars is back on the menu. Hair salons and barbershops will be back styling and snipping. And shops previously deemed non-essential retail get to open their doors.
It won’t look like it did before everything shut down in mid-March, however. There’s no indoor dining, you’re limited to parties of six or fewer and tables are going to be farther apart. Stores are limited to half the usual capacity. And it’s reservations only at the salon.
Other highlights: You’ve still got to wear a mask. But you can now gather in groups of 10 or less, following social distancing guidelines.
Not everyone is headed out the door, however.
Here are the latest updates as the Chicago suburbs and Illinois begin phase three of the reopening plan:
Truffle pasta, but not many masks in Forest Park
As the sun began to set on Madison Street Friday between Harlem and Des Plaines avenues in Forest Park, loud music blared from motorcycles and cars with rolled down windows. People laughed and talking loudly from inside restaurants with open fronts. One man even smoked a cigarette, one foot on the sidewalk and one foot on the bar’s wooden floor.
Covered patios connected to restaurants seemed to be diners’ top pick, as many were full, with some drawing a modest line near the front door.
Other restaurants without their own designated beer garden or covered patio took up most of the sidewalks, using ropes to cordon off the dining space. One guest at Caffe de Luca dug into her truffle gnocchi as a German shepherd and its owner scooted by.
Despite state regulations, most people did not wear masks. Some even visited other tables without wearing one. —Grace Wong
Taking it to the streets in Park Ridge
Park Ridge allowed its restaurants to turn portions of streets into outdoor seating, creating a ton of foot traffic in downtown. At Pazzi de Pizza, orange traffic barricades created space for an additional 10 tables. Down the street at Holt’s, and at every storefront along Vine Avenue, similar setups were saturated with guests eating and drinking.
Megan Finucane came from Edison Park down the road for dinner at Pazzi de Pizza with friends. Coming out of the restaurant, she said she had felt comfortable with its safety accommodations. And, the meal experience didn’t miss a beat.
“Great service, great presentation. And really good food,” she said. —Adam Lukach
Hands-off fitness training at Western Springs gym
Eve Montesano’s return to the gym Friday was back and biceps day, a welcome change from the home workouts she has been doing when the stay-at-home order was in effect.
“It’s not the same,” the soon-to-be University of Iowa freshman said at Elite Fitness + Gym in Western Springs. “I definitely missed coming to the gym.”
Fitness centers are now allowed to have outdoor group exercise sessions — Elite Fitness has an outdoor area covered with artificial turf reserved for just that purpose — but inside, patrons must work with a trainer one-on-one during phase three.
Gym co-owner Megan Wolz was playing that role for Montesano, slipping on her mask when she had to get within 6 feet. Training is usually a hands-on job, but for now, Wolz said, she has to rely on verbal instructions and gestures.
“It’s definitely easier, if you have to spot someone, to be able to touch them,” she said. “It makes things tough, but we do what we have to do.”
The gym will get closer to normal operations in phase 4, which can begin as early as June 26 if the state’s COVID-19 numbers don’t significantly worsen. Wolz said her gym is already committed to the frequent and intense equipment cleaning that will be necessary when more clients arrive.
“It’s not really that huge of a difference for us,” she said. “My husband was previously a bodybuilder, and that was one of his pet peeves — gyms that are dirty. He hates it.” —John Keilman
Competition for patio tables as Arlington Heights opens back up
While the official launch of the new Arlington Al Fresco outdoor dining program is Wednesday, the village’s downtown was humming with a social-distance-conscious crowd of visitors Friday evening.
“I’m ready to come out and support our local businesses, to get some food and beer and see how it’s all working,” said Arlington Heights resident Jim McKay, who was waiting in line for counter service outside Beer on the Wall, a craft brew shop on Dunton Avenue.
“It’s going to be a long slog to get through this, but I don’t feel depressed,” McKay said.
Anne McGrath treated her three young children to ice cream at Kilwins on Campbell Street.
“Today was their last day of school, so some of the moms decided we’d meet up and take our kids for ice cream, because they haven’t seen each other in a long time. I’m feeling 100% more hopeful today,” the Arlington Heights resident said.
As families gathered with kids and dogs in tow around the fountain and on the lawn at Harmony Park, others queued up in line to put their names on wait lists at several downtown restaurants that offer patio service.
Despite a 90-minute wait for a table at Cortland’s Garage, Joe Keefe, the executive director of the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, said he was happy to witness downtown’s reawakening.
“It’s been a challenging time, and we’ve all shared these life altering events, but the theater industry is resilient…Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre burnt down during a performance of ‘All’s Well,’ and the actors didn’t stop performing,” said Keefe who hopes to reopen his shuttered theatre on Campbell Street in time for the opening performance of “Mama Mia” on July 14. —Karen Cullotta
Deerfield, Highland Park open back up
After more than two months of sheltering in place with their hair continually growing, Rocky Pontikes brought his four sons, aged 9 to 16, to Otero’s Barber Shop in Deerfield on Friday.
“When you’re living with four boys at home for this long it becomes a challenge,” Pontikes said.
Otero’s owner Adam Goodhart stood outside taking the temperature of each customer. One chair was removed, leaving three to assure no one inside got within 6 feet of each other.
In Highland Park, a portion of Sheridan Road north of Central Avenue and south Park Avenue was closed to allow additional outdoor dining for several restaurants on the block.
Richie Holleb, one of the owners of Norton’s Restaurant, was getting his outdoor tables ready for the dinner crowd.
“I’m really excited but a little nervous,” Holleb said. “We’re using disposable menus. We have (condiment) packets at the tables. There aren’t any bottles of catsup or mustard.” — Steve Sadin
Pandemic dining: Disposable menus, cups, cutlery
Lunch customers filled an outdoor dining area outside Bailey’s Bar & Grill in downtown Tinley Park. Servers wore masks, but hardly any of the 50 or so people sitting at tables did.
“It feels great,” said Chester Zielinski, who shared a table with Cheri Folkers, both of Frankfort Square. “It’s been a long time.”
Zielinski said they missed socializing and were enjoying Friday’s sunshine and comfortable temperatures. They did not make reservations, but didn’t have to wait to be seated and were served with disposable menus, cups and cutlery, they said.
“We started with some great wings,” Folkers said. She said she had a delicious chicken Caesar salad, while Zielinski said he enjoyed a Buffalo chicken wrap and bowl of French onion soup. —Ted Slowik
In Elmwood Park, steady business at sidewalk cafe
Black and white-striped umbrellas and bright red geraniums along North Avenue signaled the opening of patio season for Jim & Pete’s, a long-standing Italian restaurant in Elmwood Park.
Friday morning, general manager Robert Settefrati used a folding chair to shake water off the white temporary tent set up in the restaurant’s parking lot. He has received a ton of calls from customers who want to make reservations, and in the hour since the restaurant opened for lunch, he has already seen quite a few guests. With the small patio out front, larger shaded patio to the side, sidewalk tables near the street and the temporary tent, he’ll be able to seat more than 100 diners at any given time.
He plans to host a celebration Saturday night with a six-piece live band to say thank you to customers who have been supporting the restaurant through pickup and delivery orders during the shutdown.
“(The shutdown) has affected us tremendously,” he said. “It’s very hard keeping it full with just pickup and deliveries. But we did OK, it wasn’t a disaster, unlike other restaurants that don’t have outside seating or pickup and delivery. We were one of the lucky ones.” —Grace Wong
Giddiness abounds as Naperville bookstore reopens
Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville reopened Friday morning with a sense of relief and purpose, a rare suburban business that can boast of surviving both the 1918 flu pandemic and the coronavirus lockdown.
Owner Becky Anderson grew up listening to her grandmother recount how the family business — then a drug store that sold books, gifts and medicine — helped local families cope during the Spanish Flu quarantine. Those stories only steeled her resolve to keep the store afloat during the stay-at-home order, a feat she accomplished through online sales, curbside pickup and a GoFundMe page.
“Knowing that our family has gone through a lot and still stayed in business helped a lot,” she said. “I knew we would get to the other side of this, and we did. Now I know that we’re going to make it.”
With reminders about social distancing and masks posted throughout the store, customers walked slowly among the stacks and enjoyed the no-longer-forbidden act of leisurely browsing. Ruth Reynolds drove from Shorewood with a sense of giddiness over her newfound freedom.
She said she told her husband to stay home because she didn’t want anyone to rush her. For the first time since early March, she wanted to look at book jackets, read the employees’ recommendations taped to the shelves and make a book selection without involving Amazon.
“This is the biggest thing that has happened to me in two months,” said Reynolds, who was carrying an arm full of literary fiction. “I have to keep reminding myself not touch the books until I’m sure I’m going to buy them. But, other than that, I am just so happy.” —Stacy St. Clair
Fore! And four, as golf restrictions loosened
The percussion of clubs meeting golf balls could be heard for the first time in months Friday at the driving range of the Fresh Meadow Golf Club in Hillside.
Illinois’ move to phase three meant that driving ranges and putting greens could reopen at half capacity, though the courses themselves have been open with restrictions since May 1. All golfers can also rent carts if they wish — they previously were reserved for people with physical limitations — and play in foursomes instead of twosomes.
Golfers at Fresh Meadow’s driving range said they were delighted to be able to fine-tune their games once more at a local course: Some recently traveled to play in neighboring states where the rules were more lenient.
“We finally have (a driving range) close to home that’s open,” said Nate Allgood of Oak Park, who plays around 25 times a year.
Though there was plenty of space between golfers on the range, a few still wore a mask, including Jeff Matthias. He had spent the last two months taking practice swings off a mat in his South Loop condo, but was happy to return to real world golf — so glad, in fact, that he ignored his doctor’s orders to take it easy after getting surgery a few days ago.
“They told me not to do anything for two weeks but I had to get out,” he said. “It’s everything. You just feel free again.” —John Keilman
Slow start, spreading out at Northbrook Court
At Northbrook Court, security at the mall’s entrance warned shoppers that relatively few stores had reopened for in-person shopping, though several are filling curbside pickup orders.
Only a handful of people walked the corridors Friday afternoon. Margaret Knurowski, manager of Giuseppe Collection, said she was surprised many of the mall’s bigger stores remained dark.
“I’m totally not afraid, I’m just having a hard time with the mask,” she said.
Only about four customers had walked in to the women’s boutique by 2 p.m. Friday, one of whom made a purchase. A typical day before the pandemic might have brought 30 sales, she said.
At the entrances, there were kiosks with hand sanitizer, and the mall scheduled more workers to clean busy areas during the day. Some seating in the common areas has been removed. In the restrooms, every other sink has been covered in blue plastic to encourage people to spread out. Mall security will hand out masks if shoppers request one. —Lauren Zumbach
But mom, I don’t need a haircut
As soon as the governor announced plans to allow haircuts, Nancy Schwartz went online and made an appointment for her 13-year-son, William Hawkins.
“I don’t really think I need one,” Hawkins said. “I’m not sure why we have to do this today.”
His mother gave the teen – and his head of hair that hadn’t been cut since February – a look of disbelief.
Schwartz had intended to get it trimmed right before spring break, but the pandemic wreaked havoc on all best-laid plans. And there was no chance that she’d play amateur barber.
“He was already dealing with enough not being able to go to school and socialize with his friends. I didn’t want to traumatize him any more with an at-home haircut,” she said, laughing.
So she left it for Naperville barber Phillip Tyler to handle William’s taper fade.
Tyler, whose barber shop is popular with parents because swearing and crude talk is prohibited, operates a single chair in downtown salon suite. He already is booked for the next three weeks, a reflection of both the widespread need for personal grooming and the state’s reopening rules.
“I’ve spent the past two months watching YouTube videos (of cutting techniques) and dreaming about holding clippers again, so I am ready for this,” he said. “It feels like it’s my very first day on the job and I’m actually excited.” — Stacy St. Clair
Phone ringing off the hook at Elgin barber shop
Downtown Elgin slowly came alive Friday afternoon with some people eating lunch at bistro tables outside of Blue Box Café and customers gathered in what would normally be employee parking spots at Elgin Public House.
At Central Barber Shop, Jerry Newman’s phone rang constantly while he cut Jim Landon’s hair.
“I’m open, cutting hair right now. I’ve been cutting hair since 6 o’clock this morning,” Newman told one caller.
Landon, from Schaumburg, waited patiently in a vintage barbershop chair. It had been two months since his last haircut.
Newman’s been in business for 57 years and has watched the downtown Elgin’s ups and downs from his storefront window. “I love downtown Elgin. Everyone has come and gone, and I’m still here,” he said.
The last few months have been tough. The parade of customers Friday was a welcome sight.
“(The customers) are happy to see me. They want to get rid of all that hair,” he said. —Gloria Casas
Evanston retail reopens, taking ‘baby steps’
Donna Ryan, 73, walked to her nail appointment in Evanston with plenty of extra time to check out her favorite local shops on the way.
“I want to walk around, I want to see what’s open,” she said. “I haven’t bought anything in weeks.”
Ryan said she’s still cautious in grocery stores, where social distancing can be a challenge, but also was eager to get out of the house.
“I’m comfortable as long as others are wearing masks and following the rules,” she said.
She peered in the window at Lois and Company, but it hadn’t yet opened to in-store shoppers. She already had picked up a new shirt at Gracie’s, where owner John Liberty said he’s easing back into business. Initially, the store will be open five hours a day, four days a week, down from eight hours seven days a week. Customers can also book private shopping appointments if they’re more comfortable with fewer other shoppers around.
There’s a stand with hand sanitizer and wipes at the door, where Liberty takes shoppers’ temperatures before they can browse. Any apparel someone tries on is quarantined for 72 hours and steamed before going back on the sales floor.
New summer apparel is arriving, and much of the spring merchandise left from when stores closed is on sale.
“You don’t make any money, but you have to get rid of it,” he said.
Other stores also appeared to be taking cautious steps toward reopening. A florist and spice shop were only open for curbside orders, and Rachel Hershinow, owner of women’s apparel, jewelry and gifts store Stella, said she plans to initially limit the store to a single customer at a time with private appointments.
“I don’t want to be left out…but I don’t want to be pressured into opening,” she said. “This isn’t going away just because they say you can do business. Baby steps.” —Lauren Zumbach
Hitting the weights after two months away
Avery Chmelovsky is a forward on the Arizona State University women’s hockey team, and training for that bruising sport requires a robust amount of weightlifting. But since the pandemic sent her home to Lemont, she has barely touched a barbell, instead trying to stay in shape with running and calisthenics.
So on Friday, the first day suburban fitness centers were allowed to reopen, she was back lifting weights at her longtime training base of Going for Greatness, a small, warehouse-like facility in Elmhurst.
“I’ve been doing a lot of arms so far,” Chmelovsky said. “I’m just really excited to be back in the gym.”
Gym owner Rob Wienski said while he kept the business going during the shutdown with video workouts for clients to follow at home, having to close his doors has been rough. Even though he’s now allowed to resume one-on-one instruction and outdoor group classes, he said it will take a while to rebuild his operation.
“I anticipate it being very slow just because of the virus that’s out there,” he said. “It’s not going away until a vaccine comes out. I understand people’s concern during this time … but this is an opportunity for people who are looking to keep active.” —John Keilman
Salon owner survived ’80s big hair — and pandemic
Longtime Elmhurst salon owner Bozica “Betty” Kosanovic has survived every new trend, even ’80s big hair with teased bangs, perms and mullets.
On Friday, she re-opened her doors Friday to a loyal clientele that she said helped sustain her while closed with prepaid appointments, donations and encouraging words that they would be back in her chair before long.
“It’s a new way of doing business,” she said of the safety precautions she planned in anticipation of the re-opening.
Among the 20 appointments booked were Erin Quaid, 17, and her mother came in together for a cut and highlights at New Image salon. The new York High School graduate said her last haircut was around Christmas because she had planned to get it done before a prom that never happened.
“It was still the same experience because it’s Betty, who really creates the environment, she’s always so hip and social. It’s like social hour,” she said. “The only difference was we wore the masks and whenever we would get up from a chair or touch something she would disinfect it right away. I felt 100% safe.”
—Christy Gutowski
Cut your hair (and wait in line)
The pent-up demand for haircuts was on display Friday morning on Lincoln Highway in Mokena.
A scattered group of about 20 people — all wearing face masks and staying at least 6 feet apart — stood in the sunshine on a sidewalk outside Great Clips.
“I’m here because my wife was tired of my beard,” said Alex Kolesar of Frankfort. He waited outside with his daughter, Isabelle, 4, while an older son was inside getting a haircut.
“He couldn’t wait for it,” Kolesar said.
Kolesar said he’s only left his home “three or four times” since March 10. He has been doing his information technology work from home, he said. —Ted Slowik
Nail salons reopen: please wait in your car
Nail salons are reopening Friday, but there are changes.
At World Nails in Chicago Heights, customers come in, give their name and then wait in their car until a spot is open. Manager Dennis Le said they only have four or five customers inside at once, for appointments like manicures or pedicures. The table and equipment are cleaned. Everyone must wear masks after each customer.
After more than two months closed, it felt good to reopen, he said.
“We are really happy,” he said. “The customers too.” —Alison Bowen
Outdoor tables full in Wilmette
“WELCOME BACK” reads the new menu at Nick’s Neighborhood Bar and Grill in Wilmette. The restaurant was preparing for its 4 p.m. opening, the first time it would seat guests to dine onsite in months, and it rolled out a box of newly minted menu cards.
Wilmette’s downtown area bustled Friday afternoon with friends and family seeing each other. The afternoon meetups were both intentional and not: acquaintances seemed to accidentally collide every 10 minutes.
Sprawling corner patios at both Pescadero and Valley Lodge Tavern were full — as were the drinks on every table. They preferred to remain under the radar. “I’m over at my office,” said one man, holding up his hands.
Pescadero general manager Steve Milford said the restaurant, which has 10 four-top tables outside, had been busy all day: “It’s a nice day, which helps, but we’ll take it.”
At both places, dinner parties are being limited to 90 minutes as an effort to create courteous turnover times. —Adam Lukach
Oakbrook Center starts to reopen
Ziad Ghussein wasn’t too worried about being at Oakbrook Center when he pulled into a parking space about 12:30 p.m. Friday, marking his little brother’s birthday.
“Most people are wearing masks, so I’m not worried,” said the Chicago resident. “It’s a nice day, and it’s nice to get out.”
About 25-30% of the outdoor mall’s dining and retail tenants were expected to open Friday, a spokeswoman said.
Joe Reina, 38, of Elmhurst, took advantage of the outdoor dining at Perry’s Steakhouse to have lunch with two friends.
“It’s exciting to be back in a restaurant,” Reina said. “I’ve been trying to support local businesses, and it’s nice to come in and be able to sit down and be served.” —Chuck Fieldman
A shopper’s struggle: Is it safe to hit the mall?
While Illinois is taking steps toward reopening, some in the suburbs are making their own personal calculations and choosing not to partake in many of the new opportunities.
Danielle Knorrek, 32, of northwest suburban Palatine, said she had no plans to promptly return to nearby Woodfield Mall, which reopened Friday with restrictions. Knorrek noted the difference between policy and enforcement, and while she praised Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s handling of the pandemic, she said she thinks people inevitably will bend the rules.
“It’s such a complicated endeavor. How do you return without compromising safety?” she said. “I think that I might not be the only one that’s asking some of those questions.”
She described malls and some other businesses as “really something that I’m not prepared to take on at this point.”
“You have to be aware that it’s one step forward, but it can always be two steps back,” said Knorrek, who wants to be able “to be present” for her mother. —Dan Hinkel
Some malls not open yet; shopping for shoes
Just because malls and stores can reopen doesn’t mean all will, at least not right away. Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills and Fox Valley Mall in Aurora are waiting until Monday, and many chains have not announced reopening plans.
At a DSW shoe store across the street from Skokie’s Old Orchard mall, which will not reopen until June 3, shoppers said they decided to stop when they saw sale racks out front while driving by.
Erin Huening, 47, of Chicago, was taking her daughter shopping for a skirt and shoes to wear to her drive-by eighth grade graduation celebration. The family is being still being cautious and likely won’t be dining in restaurants right away. Shoes might not be a strictly necessary purchase, but Huening said she wanted to make the socially distanced event a little more special.
“It’s probably more for me than for her. She’s fine wearing sweatpants and flip flops,” Huening said.
Esmaralda Crittenden, 47, of Chicago, needed a pair of black shoes to wear to her job when she returns to the office. She’s scheduled to work remotely through the end of June.
She’s eager to return to her church when in-person services resume but is otherwise avoiding unnecessary shopping trips, she said.
“I’m definitely approaching it with caution…but shoes are hard to buy online,” she said.
At DSW, an employee stationed at the door offered shoppers gloves and explained the store’s policies. Signs surrounded by yellow tape limit traffic to one direction in each aisle, and there are boxes where shoppers can leave pairs of shoes they tried on but don’t want to purchase so they can be quarantined before going back on shelves. —Lauren Zumbach
Tennis, everyone? Elmhurst courts open
The Elmhurst Park District opened its tennis courts Friday, much to the relief of four friends who had been chomping at the bit to play.
“I woke up giddy today at the thought of playing,” said Anne Rago Hackett, who was at the courts at Eldridge Park. “Very happy to resume tennis.”
Hackett, Lisa O’Brien, Monica Anderson and Christine Juneman had been confounded by the decision to lock up the courts in the first place, saying other towns had kept theirs open. O’Brien said park district officials had told her they were concerned about non-tennis players gathering on the courts.
“We had the opportunity to go to many other towns and play when our (courts) were closed, and never once did we see people congregating,” she said. “All we saw were people from our town, who pay for our courts, going to other park districts to play.”
Jim Rogers, the district’s executive director, said tennis courts were closed along with playgrounds, basketball courts and soccer fields when a burst of mild temperatures in March brought out swarms of patrons who were heedless of social distancing.
“Nice weather and people were just all over everything,” he said.
The quartet said tennis is a sport that has built-in social distancing, and that they were taking extra steps to keep it that way. Each brought her own tennis balls to serve, and when one picked up another player’s ball, she flipped it up with her racket, never touching it with her hands. Their tennis bags were even practicing social distancing.
“It’s safe,” Anderson said. “A lot of people think it’s not safe. If you’re playing doubles correctly, you are 6 feet apart.” —John Keilman
A belated Mother’s Day, a Taste of Paris
Jenny Ross is confident in her immune system. The engineer said she’s the one in the office who doesn’t get sick when everyone else has the flu.
“I don’t get sick really often,” said the 55-year-old Mundelein resident. “I figure as long as I stay reasonably away from people who are sick, or could be, and wash my hands and that kind of stuff, then I’ll be fine.”
Once Chicago opens up next weekend, Ross plans to travel into the city to have a late Mother’s Day celebration with her daughter and son, who live three-and-a-half blocks away from each other in Lincoln Park and Lakeview, respectively.
“They’re 24 and 27 and would rather make me drive,” Ross said with a laugh. “Some of those things never change.”
This weekend, Ross plans on dinner with a friend, perhaps at Taste of Paris in Mundelein. —Christen A. Johnson
‘One step at a time’ for Waukegan restaurants
Nick Giannakis was “nervous and excited” leading up to Friday’s reopening of his family’s Anastasia’s Restaurant & Sports Lounge, purchasing large tents to expand the outdoor seating options.
About 20 people waited Friday outside the restaurant’s Waukegan location. Even with the expanded outdoor seating, the number of tables they can offer doesn’t approach normal capacity, he said.
“It’s a struggle right now, but we’re going to overcome the struggle and work together as a team to figure this out,” he said.
While Giannakis said he hopes to eke out a profit, some other Waukegan restaurant owners were less optimistic.
Bob Sobol, the owner at Green Town Tavern, doesn’t expect to make much money yet, but he said reopening is important to keep the business’ name out there, and revenue from alcohol sales will help.
“It’s a right step in getting to full capacity,” Sobol said. “One step at a time.”
—Emily Coleman
Chain stores open their doors
Kohl’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Goodwill were among the first chains to start letting shoppers back in many stores in the Chicago suburbs on Friday.
Angie Brice planned to hit about a half dozen north suburban Goodwill stores. She was one of first people in the Evanston store after it opened at 9 a.m.
“It’s therapeutic,” said Brice, of Evanston, browsing a rack of women’s pants. “It’s nice to see other people.”
Signs reminded shoppers to wear masks, stay 6 feet apart and avoid gathering in groups. Every other fitting room was closed to help shoppers keep their distance.
Brice, who recently started volunteering at a food pantry as a way to get out of the house, said she didn’t feel concerned about venturing out. “I think it’s time,” she said. —Lauren Zumbach
Oak Park toy store retools during pandemic
Even as big retail chains reopened, some smaller businesses weren’t ready to let shoppers back in.
When non-essential retailers were forced to close for in-store shopping, the owners of Geppetto’s Toy Box in Oak Park decided to renovate. As other shops open their doors, Geppetto’s will be moving its merchandise into the basement to redo the floors.
They will keep serving customers with virtual shopping appointments and use the time to figure out how to redesign the store to account for new concerns about social distancing and hygiene. A big section of stuffed animals will be more “museum-like,” with just one of each item displayed and the rest stored out of reach to keep customers from handling items they don’t intend to buy, said co-owner Brandy Masoncup.
In other areas they may set up more demo toys, taking them out of boxes so shoppers can see how they work without grabbing a box.
The earliest the store would open is mid-June, but Masoncup said she thinks it’s worth staying closed an extra week or two if it means Geppetto’s will be better prepared for its big season: the holidays.
“I don’t want to be learning in October, I want to be learning now,” she said. —Lauren Zumbach
Long, lazy afternoons are back at Oak Park restaurant
“Do you have a mask? You need masks on,” Tim Maxwell, manager, told a guest who approached the entrance to Poor Phil’s Bar and Grill in Oak Park on Friday afternoon.
The restaurant is asking all guests to keep their masks on unless they’re eating, but it’s been difficult to enforce, as many want to remove them to talk to their dining companions.
“Do you yell at them? Or what do you do?” manager Mary Murphy asked rhetorically.
At Poor Phil’s Bar, all 11 tables on the spacious patio were taken about 3 p.m. Friday, and had been since the bar opened at 11 a.m. The restaurant, located at a busy downtown corner at Marion and Pleasant, offers outdoor seating along both streets but is not seating customers at the tables closest to the sidewalk. Guests are allowed to bring dogs to sit with them under the maroon, black and white-striped awning.
Employees’ temperatures are taken at the start of their shift with a purple and white infrared thermometer. And the Louisiana-inspired restaurant was serving a limited menu of burgers, fish and jambalaya. “It’s like opening a new restaurant,” Maxwell said of the scramble to reopen for outdoor dining.
“We are so excited, we can’t even believe it!” Murphy said about reopening. “We’re so happy to be open, and get some money back in the door. We’ve had no money coming in for almost three months, and that is insane!
“Maybe we can pay some bills!” she added with a laugh. —Grace Wong
Evanston’s outdoor dining scarce at lunch
Outdoor setups were scarce in Evanston on Friday afternoon, despite the 70-degree, sunny weather. Along Howard Avenue, only Good to Go Jamaican Cuisine appeared to have opened its outdoor seating space by mid-afternoon. The patio out front hosted three parties of two-tops.
At Gulliver’s Pizza — which boasts a sizable, grotto-esque patio — is waiting until June 3 to open that area, said general manager George Gamilis.
Al fresco diners proved elusive closer to downtown as well. Sidewalks were sans tables up and down Howard and Chicago avenues. The only noticeable outdoor arrangement was at Flat Top Grill, where a sidewalk cafe offered a half-dozen four-person tables that were all occupied at about 2 p.m. The stir-fry chain had been planning its reopening since last week, said general manager Rob Pardon, and it enjoyed a “pretty decent” lunch crowd on its first day back.
The city had just contacted restaurants the night before that they would be allowed to open outdoor dining spaces.
Pardon said that the city has not come to inspect his setup, but that the restaurant is taking spacing and sanitary precautions, including putting markers on sanitized tables and other surfaces to be clear. —Adam Lukach
Outdoor dining distancing means fewer tables
Within 30 seconds of the governor’s announcement last week that bars and restaurants could soon reopen with limited outdoor seating, the Barrel Club had its first reservation.
“We have been ecstaticly overwhelmed to see and hear from some of our guests who have been supportive of us this entire time,” said Chris Schnepp, the Oak Lawn comfort food restaurant with a vast whiskey selection.
Dining out will be a different experience. Reservations are now required so staff can stagger seating. Staff will wear masks and gloves. And to meet distancing guidelines, there are 18 tables instead of more than 40.
“We’re trying to make everything as touch-less and as sanitary as we possibly can,” while still providing an experience that approximates normal restaurant dining, Schnepp said. —Zak Koeske
Reopening prep: Installing shields, disinfecting
At Simply Nails Spa in Arlington Heights, manager Lori Nguyen said they were prepping the salon ahead of opening Monday. It’s a lot of work – installing protection shields, disinfecting the entire salon, making appointments that allow for social distance. They will limit the number of people and are scheduling in two-hour blocks.
“Every two hours we shut down the salon to disinfect and sterilize for the whole day,” she said. “That’s why it’s so hard.” Each customer will have their temperature taken and will sign a consent form acknowledging the coronavirus. They’re already booked for the entire week, she said. — Alison Bowen
Burr Ridge sets up tents to help restaurants rebound
Burr Ridge set up large tents for village restaurants, and Sally Prudden was ready to claim some of the tables for La Cabanita in the County Line Square shopping center.
“I’ve got special chemicals for cleaning the tables, and I want our customers to be safe and every other restaurant should be on the same page,” she said.
Friday will be a test day. The phone hasn’t stopped ringing, she said, but no reservations are being taken this weekend.
“It’s first come, first served,” she said. —Kimberly Fornek
Some city dwellers won’t venture to ‘burbs
As the suburbs partially reopen and the city waits a few more days, some Chicagoans with ties outside the city said they would not be swayed from their cautious approach by the enticement of semi-normalcy beyond the border.
Paula Tripp, of the South Side’s Pill Hill neighborhood, said it’s “kind of good” that some people are venturing out because it will show whether or not society can move toward reopening without a wave of new infections. Tripp, however, does not plan for herself, her husband or her 13-year-old son to be part of the test group.
“Not going to the mall. Not going to the movies. Not going to restaurants. No, thank you. I really don’t want to get anybody sick and I don’t want anybody to get me sick,” she said.
Tripp, 44, who said she works in marketing research for McDonald’s, said she’s had brief, cautious contact with her parents in southwest suburban Hazel Crest and has carefully helped a friend in nearby Alsip with some tasks. She acknowledged pent up desire to get back to routine behavior but said, “I want to stay away from as many people as possible.”
Joe Doran, a 27-year-old resident of the North Side’s Lake View neighborhood, seconded Tripp’s approach. Doran, who said he’s an account manager for a technology company, has had careful interactions with his parents in north suburban Lake Villa but said he would not take the state’s move toward reopening as an invitation to leave worry behind.
“I think I probably fall in the more cautious territory. I’m definitely looking forward to that first haircut,” he said
Still, he added, “I think I’ll let others kind of, you know, figure it out first and get those early kinks worked out.” —Dan Hinkel
Masks for me, but what about masks for thee?
Tommy Bakken says he’s been following health and safety protocols, and that’s part of the reason he feels OK about going out. He’s not as confident about others, however, and wonders whether they will wear masks.
“Walking out in Lakeview, probably 66% of people aren’t wearing masks,” said Bakken, 25, who lives in the neighborhood. “Obviously I’m not taking a poll, but most people aren’t doing it so that’s my fear is that as we let more people out and about, that’s more people that are really not paying attention.”
As the restaurant manager for the Lou Malnati’s in Lincoln Square, Bakken plans to work all weekend to make sure people have pizzas for their gatherings. He also scheduled a much needed haircut for one of the earliest appointments he could get.
“Working in the restaurant, every time you touch your hair, you have to wash your hands,” he said. “And my hair has gotten so out of control that I actually have to tie it back so I’m not touching it and getting it out of my eyes all the time. It looks miserable, so I’m dying to get a haircut.” —Christen A. Johnson
No roller coasters yet in Gurnee, but changes coming
Six Flags Great America in Gurnee isn’t reopening yet, but things will look different when it does.
There’s a new reservations system to manage attendance, which will be limited and start at 25% or lower at first.
Infrared thermal imaging technology will scan the temperature of visitors and employees entering the park. Security screening will be touch-free. And face masks will be required.
Read more of Yadira Sanchez Olson’s story in the Lake County News-Sun.
Family reunion in downtown Naperville
Around 9 a.m. Friday, Cynthia Cieckiewicz texted her mother, sister and niece to tell them that Quigley’s — a popular Irish pub in downtown Naperville — was opening its patio soon.
The family, which hadn’t been all together since Christmas, immediately made lunch plans. Within two hours, they were eating and drinking together at a wrought-iron table, laughing and smiling at the novelty of it all.
“It’s a strange feeling,” said Cieckiewicz’s sister, Christine Clymer. “You know you’re allowed to be doing this, but it’s still an odd sensation. It doesn’t feel normal yet.” —Stacy St. Clair
One-way street helps Hinsdale restaurants
In Hinsdale, First Street is now one-way, and concrete barriers separate restaurant tables from the traffic.
That allowed Fuller House co-owner Sam Vlahos to have six more tables than he normally has outside during the summer. By 4:30 p.m. Friday, those tables were full.
“Hinsdale has done an incredible job” helping its businesses, Vlahos said. “They were the first to announce they were going to do something and they stuck with that. That helped other towns develop a plan.” — Kimberly Fornek
30-minute massages not profitable?
The last time Phil Pessin gave a massage was March 14, and he’s itching to get back to work. But the spa he works for is only allowed to do 30-minute massages, he said, so they won’t open just yet.
“They say we can’t make money only doing half hour massages, and I as a massage therapist can’t make money only doing half hour massages,” said the Lakeview resident.
He’s hoping for a return at the end of June. In the meantime, Pessin, 53, plans to meet up with four friends this weekend to have a socially distanced picnic in the park.
“We’re five single people who all live alone,” said Pessin, who mentioned he’s looking forward to the human connection. —Christen A. Johnson
Clarification: Massage therapist Phil Pessin’s name was misspelled in an earlier version of this story. The story has been updated to fix the error.
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