ASH Gastropub, 6822 W. Archer, is set to receive $50,000 in state aid. --Photo by Cosmo Hadac
Small biz relief headed to SW Side
.
Restaurants, bars, motels get state grants
By Tim Hadac
The Southwest Side is pocked with vacant storefronts once home to small businesses that went belly up during the pandemic.
But newly announced state aid aims to prevent another wave of shutdowns among small restaurants, food trucks, food carts, bars, breweries and other food and beverage establishments.
The aid targeted businesses with 50 or fewer employees, which were established prior to the pandemic and have not received pandemic-related aid from other government sources.
ASH Gastropub, 6822 W. Archer, is set to receive $50,000 in state aid. –Photo by Cosmo Hadac
On the Southwest Side, restaurants and related businesses receiving Back to Business (B2B) aid this year are:
- Dunkin’/Baskin Robbins, 4302 S. Ashland, $50,000.
- China Lamp Restaurant, 4603 S. Ashland, $50,000.
- Big Tony’s Pizza II, 3732 W. 59th St., $50,000.
- La Michoacana Favorita, 6236 S. Pulaski, $5,000.
- Tacos y Salsas, 3351 W. 63rd St., $10,000.
- Taquería Mi Barrio Es Tepito, 2645 W. 63rd St., $5,000.
- Taquería Michoacán, 3332 W. 63rd St., $35,000.
- El Puerto, 3018 W. 47th St., $50,000.
- Mariscos El Puerto, 5004 S. Archer, $50,000.
- La Chapparita Taquería, 4559 S. Richmond, $30,000.
- Las Brisas Del Mar, 3207 W. 51st St., $50,000.
- Dunkin’, 4649 S. Cicero, $15,000.
- Dunkin, 4453 S. Archer, $25,000.
- Dunkin’/Baskin Robbins, 4701 S. Kedzie, $50,000.
- Piezano’s Pizza & Grinder Co., 2601 W. 47th St., $25,000.
- Polish Highlanders Restaurant, Bar & Banquet Halls, 4808 S. Archer, $50,000
- Red Barrel Restaurant, 5214 S. Archer, $50,000.
- Reyes Grill, 3903 S. Kedzie, $15,000.
- Tio Luis Tacos, 3856 S. Archer, $50,000.
- Café 63, 6411 W. 63rd St., $35,000.
- ASH Gastropub, 6822 W. Archer, $50,000.
- Vince’s Pizza, 6217 W. 63rd St., $50,000.
- Smoke Filled Room, 3359 W. 79th St., $50,000.
- Dulcería Los Antojitos, 8513 S. Pulaski, $10,000
- Subway, 8145 S. Pulaski, $50,000.
Hotels and motels also benefitted. Southwest Side businesses receiving funds are:
The Rainbow Motel, 7050 W. Archer, expects to receive $23,518 in state assistance. –Photo by Cosmo Hadac
- Carlton Inn Midway, 4944 S. Archer, $62,714.
- Cicero Hotel, 4501 S. Cicero, $55,746.
- Crossroads Hotel, 5300 S. Pulaski, $139,206.
- Rainbow Motel, 7050 W. Archer, $23,518.
- Skylark Motel, 5435 S. Archer, $47,036.
- Saratoga Motel, 7701 S. Cicero, $47,907.
The Back to Business grant program provides recovery grants for businesses in the hardest-hit industries. Through the state’s B2B and Business Interruption Grant Programs, the Illinois Department of Economic Opportunity has provided more than $535 million to more than 15,000 businesses since the start of the pandemic.
Eligible restaurants, hotels and creative arts businesses were eligible to apply for $175 million in the latest round of grant funding.
The program design for B2B Restaurants, B2B Hotels and B2B Arts, respectively, are based on state legislation that established the Restaurant Employment and Stabilization Grant Program, the Hotel Jobs Recovery Grant Program and the Illinois Creative Recovery Grant program.
Southwest Side state senators and state representatives have been supportive of the recovery aid.
“The Back to Business grants have supported our local restaurants through some of the most devastating times,” State Senator Mike Porfirio (D-11th) said. “By investing in these businesses, we are helping restaurants adapt and improve so they can continue to serve our communities to the best of their capabilities.”
Local restaurants “help to foster and promote diversity and community pride,” Porfirio added. “Helping small businesses stay open and continue to grow post-pandemic has been vital for ensuring our community needs are being met.”
Local News
New effort to aid kids with disabilities
Spread the love. From staff reports A new grant program aimed at providing financial assistance to families of children with disabilities was launched recently by Mayor Brandon Johnson, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities and Ada S. McKinley Community Services. Children with disabilities is a population disproportionately affected by the pandemic,…
Dart warns of Sheriff’s Office imposters
Spread the love. From staff reports Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart recently alerted the public of an uptick in telephone and email phishing scams in which scammers identify themselves as a Sheriff’s Office employee in an attempt to defraud victims. Scammers are using the actual names and respective titles of Sheriff’s Office employees to…
It’s ‘Batter up!’ time in West Lawn
Spread the love. Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 . It must be May because baseball season is here. I recently reported on the West Lawn Little League, whose 2024 season is now underway. Another West Lawn youth athletic association is Midway Baseball Softball Association. Their teams…
Cinco de Mayo, here we come
Spread the love. By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 517-7796 . It’s time to bring out the Corona, Tecate, Modelo or Dos Equis, along with a few limes. Heck, maybe even bring out the Patrón! It is Cinco de Mayo this Sunday, translated to…
Softball | Jocelyn Hovanec scores two runs, Ks 12 in Chicago Christian win
Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent Chicago Christian is working to find its footing in the inaugural season of the Chicagoland Christian Conference. The Knights entered this week 6-8 overall and 4-6 in the CCC, putting them in fifth place with just two conference games to play among their final seven regular-season contests. The Knights…
Boys Volleyball | Chicago Christian finishes April strong, takes second at Ridgewood Invitational
Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent A busy and largely successful final seven days of April saw Chicago Christian briefly climb back to the .500 mark after a tough first month of the season. The Knights (11-12, 4-4 Chicagoland Christian Conference) have won seven of their past 10 matches, all of which were played over…
Work moving forward at Marquette Park
Spread the love. Kathy Headley Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor 6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778 . In the March 29 edition of the Greater Southwest News-Herald, I wrote a story about a town hall meeting at Marquette Park, we learned of some of the upcoming plans the Park District has for…
Boys Volleyball | Marist hands Glenbard West first loss of season
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Marist was scary good in the first set. The RedHawks won it 25-12. Even by Marist standards, that’s pretty impressive. Complete dominance. What’s even more stunning is that it came against the second-ranked team in the nation. The RedHawks, who came into the match ranked sixth in the country…
Sophia Smith’s brace sinks Red Stars
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Home has not been that sweet lately for the Chicago Red Stars. The team lost its second straight game at SeatGeek Stadium with a 2-0 setback to Portland in front of an announced crowd of 4,443 on April 27. Portland star Sophia Smith scored in the 10th and 26th…
Nazareth Academy celebrates ‘special talent’ J.J. McCarthy in NFL Draft
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Dennis Moran has no doubts that J.J. McCarthy – the former Nazareth Academy quarterback who is now with the Minnesota Vikings – will succeed in the National Football League. Moran was among about 60 or so Nazareth Academy fans, friends and coaches who gathered Thursday night at The Stadium Club…
Neighbors
As Medicaid redeterminations restart, about 73% of state’s recipients remain enrolled
By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois draju@capitolnewsillinois.com About 73 percent of Illinois’ Medicaid recipients remain on the rolls after the first redetermination cycle following the COVID-19 pandemic, while approximately 660,000 recipients have been disenrolled. Speaking at a news conference in Chicago, Gov. JB Pritzker celebrated the fact that 2.6 million Illinoisans remained on the rolls…
Capitol Briefs: Republicans sue over law banning legislative candidate slating
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com One week after Gov. JB Pritzker signed an elections-related measure that his fellow Democrats quickly muscled through the General Assembly, Republicans sued over the new law, alleging the majority party is blocking ballot access to would-be legislative candidates. The law , passed early this month as the legislature’s…
For Many Illinoisans in Flood-Prone Areas, Buyouts Are the Only Way Out
By Laura Stewart, Illinois Answers Project April 23, 2024 DIETERICH, Ill. – Every day, Berdeena Leturno checks her email for an update on when the state of Illinois will finally pay her $80,000. It’s been over two months since she signed the paperwork to sell her flood-damaged home as part of a buyout program, and…
Capitol Briefs: Senate advances elections bill, measure targeting ‘predatory’ lending
By PETER HANCOCK & HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A bill that would put more controls on certain kinds of high-cost loans to small businesses cleared the Illinois Senate Thursday. Senate Bill 2234, known as the Small Business Financial Transparency Act, targets a relatively new kind of nontraditional lender in the credit…
Stateville may close as early as September under Pritzker’s prison plan
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Stateville Correctional Center could close as early as September under a plan laid out by Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration on Friday. Top officials with the Illinois Department of Corrections testified in front of a key panel of state lawmakers. The 12 members on the General Assembly’s…
Labor-backed bill banning ‘captive audience’ meetings awaits House action
By ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois abbeduto@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – With two weeks left before the General Assembly’s spring session is set to adjourn, negotiations continue on a labor union-backed initiative that would allow Illinoisans to skip religious and political work meetings without reprimand. Dubbed the “Worker Freedom of Speech Act,” Senate Bill 3649 advanced out…
House gives OK to new state agency focused on early childhood programs
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House gave final passage Thursday to a bill establishing a new cabinet-level state agency whose mission will be to provide a kind of one-stop shop for services focusing on early childhood development and education. By the time it’s fully operational in 2026, the new…
ANALYSIS: ‘Significant enough’ opposition to Pritzker’s revenue plan leads to call for cuts
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com When Gov. JB Pritzker proposed his budget for the upcoming fiscal year in February, he sought authority from lawmakers to raise more than $1 billion in revenue through various changes to the state tax code. Among other things, he sought to raise $526 million through extending an expiring…
State officials offer last goodbye to former Thompson Center as renovations begin
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State officials kicked off the private renovation of the building which once served as the state government’s Chicago headquarters. The James R. Thompson Center, as it was known under state ownership, was sold in 2022 to a development firm that is renovating the building for its…
Public officials seek greater oversight of prescription drug middlemen
By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois draju@capitolnewsillinois.com As state lawmakers hold hearings targeting the role of pharmacy benefit managers – an influential arm in how the health insurance industry prices prescription drugs – multiple state agencies are considering how to better regulate the industry. Often referred to as pharmaceutical “middlemen,” PBMs act as third-party intermediaries…