Chicago and the rest of Illinois will fully reopen Friday, without any capacity limits.
But that news is a double-edged sword for many in the hospitality and entertainment industry. They wonder: the crowds may be coming back, but will the labor force return?
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It was an emotional scene Thursday afternoon at the Chicago Hilton and Towers on Michigan Avenue, as the hotel opened its doors for the first time in 15 months.
It was completely shut down to guests since the beginning of the pandemic.
General manager John Wells performed a ceremonial door unlocking Thursday and welcomed back around 200 hotel staff that had been furloughed.
Nearly 200 previously furloughed staff members returned to the Chicago Hilton and Towers on Thursday, June 10, 2021, to prepare for the state’s full reopening Friday. (WTTW News)
Wells says the hotel is starting at about a quarter capacity right now, with hopes to ramp up to 100% by the time Lollapalooza happens in late July and early August — but it won’t be easy.
Meanwhile, workers like lobby porter Nelida Cruz said they were thrilled to be back after 15 months off the job
“This is a big company and they decided to reopen. If they don’t reopen, maybe I decide to stay home, because I almost retire already. But they call me, I decide to come back to work. I like to work,” Cruz said.
But this might be the exception to the rule in the local hotel industry, as officials talk about the immense challenges of hiring back workers.
There is a genuine labor shortage, with many perhaps leaving the industry for good, according to Michael Jacobson, president and CEO of the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association.
“They are hearing no, pretty often, from employees for a variety of reasons, child care or people might have left the market. We lost a lot of employees either out of our industry or out of our city,” Jacobson said.
Jacobson and the association are pushing for Mayor Lori Lightfoot to provide $75 million in relief funds strictly for hotels, as he says they did not have a dedicated bailout package from the federal government.
Official numbers from Chicago’s tourism office show occupancy is steadily rising week over week, nearing 50% now.
Over at The Dearborn restaurant in the loop, owner Clodagh Lawless says she’s surprised at the return in demand.
At The Dearborn restaurant in the Loop, owner Clodagh Lawless says she’s surprised at the return in demand. (WTTW News)
But there is a concerning labor shortage in the restaurant industry too, as restaurants like hers are struggling to make do without a full staff.
“The labor pool really has been decimated for the hospitality industry by COVID-19,” Lawless said. “The labor force has been forced to stay at home because they can’t get child care … it’s also just the shock, the complete shellshock, where, especially veterans who have given 20 years of their life to this industry, they’ve decided ‘I’m out, changing jobs, changing careers.’”
Another cog in Chicago’s tourism business is theater and performance arts.
The League of Chicago Theaters says that most venues will be back in business by August, staging plays they had planned to put on last year.
And they say they’re confident that, if actors and other workers moved away during the pandemic, they’ll be coming back.
“Certain people relocated for various reasons, but there’s work here, and that’s what’s always made Chicago thrive,” said John Collins, general manager of the Goodman Theater. “Chicago supports an enormous theater scene, but also there’s a strong burgeoning film and television scene, so the actors will go where the work is … and we have work to offer now for the first time in a long time.”
“Certain people relocated for various reasons, but there’s work here, and that’s what’s always made Chicago thrive,” said John Collins, general manager of the Goodman Theater, June 10, 2021. (WTTW News)
Collins says the Goodman announced their season Wednesday and tickets are selling fast. They expect demand to eventually be right back where it was.
Video: Watch our interview with Laura Decker of Shoreline Sightseeing tours.
“Chicago Tonight” is expanding its community reporting. We’re hitting the streets to speak with your neighbors, local businesses, agencies and leaders about COVID-19, the economy, racial justice, education and more. See where we’ve been and what we’ve learned by using the map below. Or select a community using the drop-down menu. Points in red represent our series COVID-19 Across Chicago; blue marks our series “Chicago Tonight” in Your Neighborhood.Community Reporting Series
