Chicago has been named the best city to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day twice in the last three years. But without the hoopla of the annual parade and pub crawls, Saturday was fairly tame, and the city found that many places adhered to COVID-19 regulations.
After conducting 40 investigations and observing an additional 49 businesses, city inspectors cited only one place — Clutch Bar, located in River North — on Saturday for violating COVID-19 restrictions, according to Chicago’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection.
Clutch Bar was issued two citations Saturday for operating over capacity, allowing more than six people to a table and having tables within six-feet of one another, BACP said Sunday.
The two citations can lead to fines of up to $10,500 in total.
Overall, though, BACP said it found a “very high level” of compliance in regards to establishments following COVID-19 regulations.
Last week, Chicago’s liquor control commission put bars and restaurants on notice heading into the usually wild weekend, reminding them of their responsibilities to prevent crowds from gathering and violating capacity restrictions and COVID safety protocols.
In 2020, throngs of people stood shoulder-to-shoulder in crowded bars and many businesses had long lines stretching the sidewalks outside. The weekend resulted in the state’s first crack down on the restaurant industry as the coronavirus continued to spread.
Many business owners said they didn’t dare bend the rules after the hardships they weathered over the last year. Temperature checks at the door have become common practice at restaurants, and some places required reservations for Saturday’s festivities.
As of last Monday, BACP had conducted 8,809 COVID-19 investigations and cited 462 businesses since last March.
