Outdoor Dining Update
On May 20, Governor Pritzker announced that restaurants could reopen outdoor dining when we reach Phase 3 of the IDPH recovery plan. It is anticipated that Illinois and Evanston will reach Phase 3 on May 29, if we continue meeting the necessary public health metrics.
As we approach this next phase of our recovery, the City is exploring options for closing sections of streets to vehicular traffic during certain hours to create more dedicated space for walking, biking, dining and other activities. The Evanston City Council will discuss this on Tuesday, May 26.
In the meantime, we are all awaiting guidelines from the Illinois Department of Public Health, which will provide restaurants with important information they must follow so that they can accommodate patrons safely outdoors. It is recommended that restaurants await these public health guidelines before investing time and money into transforming their outdoor spaces.
Please remember that practicing physical distancing and wearing face coverings in public when physical distancing is difficult to maintain is required, and will continue to be required throughout the next phases of our recovery. We must all continue to do our part to “flatten the curve” so that our community and state can recover safely.