(Photo by Lightscape / Unsplash)
City inspectors shut down Lan’s In Old Town on Wednesday for violating COVID-19 restrictions by hosting a large maskless party Saturday, officials said.
Inspectors found 27 people in the Chinese restaurant at 1507 N. Sedgwick Ave. on the day before Valentine’s Day not wearing masks or following social distancing rules, according to a statement from the city’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection.
In addition, restaurant employees were not wearing masks and patrons were not required to stay seated at Lan’s, which are also violations of city rules.
Lan’s will be closed until the restaurant has a city-approved plan to safely reopen, officials said Thursday.
Block Club Chicago reported Jan. 11 that the restaurant has been a frequent source of complaints from neighbors for hosting large maskless parties, and owner Jack Ma acknowledged that he was captured on camera pouring liquor into the mouth of a reveler.
A day after that report was published, the restaurant posted an apology on its Instagram account, saying the decision to host the party was made “out of desperation” after being shuttered to indoor dining since Oct. 31.
A representative of the restaurant could not be reached Thursday morning by WTTW News.
Investigators conducted 72 investigations between Feb. 11 and last Sunday, officials said. Lan’s was the only business cited.
Investigators conducted 57 investigations from Feb. 4-7 and cited five businesses, including an unlicensed club at 415 E. 71st. St. for violating COVID-19 restrictions. The other businesses cited were:
- 9 Muses, 315 S. Halsted St., for failing to close at midnight and for not requiring patrons to wear face coverings.
- Etta, 1840-42 W. North Ave., for being over capacity.
- Derno's, 506 W. Diversey Parkway, for being over capacity and for not requiring patrons to wear face coverings or follow social distancing rules.
- The Sage Room, 67 E. Cermak Road, for being over capacity and for not requiring patrons to wear face coverings or follow social distancing rules.
Since March, city inspectors have conducted 8,528 investigations and cited 425 businesses for violating COVID-19 regulations, officials said.
Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]
