Broken Promises, Boarded Windows

Illinois Restaurant Association survey reveals soaring closures, falling tips, and communities left behind. Small businesses say Pritzker’s policies have pushed them to the brink.

By Staff Writer | February 13, 2025

EDITOR'S NOTE:
Illinois small businesses are being crushed under the weight of rising wages, new mandates, and unchecked crime. What was promised as progress has instead left workers, owners, and customers struggling to survive. This report exposes the cycle of failure and calls for urgent reform before more doors close for good.

A Friday Night in Illinois

On a chilly Friday evening in Springfield, the neon lights of a once-bustling diner flicker weakly over empty tables. A server leans against the counter, scanning a half-full room that used to be packed wall-to-wall.

“Fridays were our best nights. I used to leave with $150 in tips,” she said quietly. “Now it’s more like $70—if I’m lucky. People just don’t go out as much anymore, and when they do, they don’t tip.”

Outside, across the street, a darkened storefront tells the same story. A family-owned café that had survived two recessions and the COVID pandemic shut down last month, unable to survive the squeeze of higher wages, fewer customers, and soaring crime.

This isn’t just one block in Springfield. From Chicago’s River North to Decatur’s main street, the Illinois Restaurant Association survey confirms what many residents already feel: Illinois’ small business culture is collapsing.

A Statewide Warning From Restaurant Owners

When the Illinois Restaurant Association (IRA) released its 2025 survey of Chicago’s full-service restaurants, the results were more than alarming—they were a flashing red warning sign of a sector on the brink.

• 84% raised menu prices.

• 69% cut employee hours.

• 62% reduced staff altogether.

• 51% froze all new hiring.

With the tipped wage increasing again on July 1, 2025, to $12.62 an hour, 97% of operators say they’ll raise prices again, while 91% plan to cut hours—and a staggering 34% say they may permanently close their doors.

One weary Chicago restaurateur explained:

“We want to pay our employees fairly, but every time the government adds another cost, we’re forced to cut back somewhere else. It’s not sustainable. This is a vicious cycle, and it’s pushing us closer to shutting down.”

The Forgotten Player: The Customer

Lost in the debate over wages and regulations is the voice of the customer—the very lifeblood of restaurants. With menu prices climbing and automatic service charges being added to bills, fewer Illinoisans are choosing to dine out.

The IRA survey revealed that 72% of operators reported customer traffic was lower than normal over the past 12 months. Diners are cutting back, not because they don’t want to support local businesses, but because they simply can’t afford it.

One Springfield family told us they used to eat out every Friday. Now it’s once a month:

“We want to support our neighborhood spots, but when a family dinner for four runs $120 with service charges, it’s just not possible anymore.”

Even when customers do go out, they are tipping less. Servers—who were promised stability under new wage laws—are now making less in gratuities, with some reporting tips down by 20–30%. In effect, the wage hike meant to help them has backfired, eroding their income.

As one server in Decatur lamented:

“Customers are frustrated by the higher prices, so they tip less. We get blamed for a system we didn’t create. At the end of the night, I take home less money than I did two years ago.”

The cruel irony is clear: servers, once able to thrive on tips, are now finding themselves worse off. Not only are tips falling, but hours are being cut, shifts eliminated, and opportunities for advancement frozen. The increase in wages—meant to be a gift—has turned into a burden, leaving many restaurant workers struggling more today than they were before.

🔹 Quote Highlights

“We want to pay our employees fairly, but every time the government adds another cost, we’re forced to cut back somewhere else. It’s not sustainable.” – Chicago Restaurateur

“Customers are frustrated by the higher prices, so they tip less. We get blamed for a system we didn’t create. At the end of the night, I take home less money than I did two years ago.” – Server in Decatur

“I love the idea of paying people more, but at what cost to the business owner? There’s only so much the state can squeeze before there’s nothing left.” – Small Business Owner, Peoria

“It all backfired. We thought this would make life better. Instead, I work fewer hours, make fewer tips, and see fewer customers. Everyone’s losing.” – Chicago Bartender

“The city is not safe. For the mayor and the governor to use us as statistics—we’re human beings, we’re talking about real time, real lives.” – Sam Sanchez, Moe’s Cantina

“We’re not just losing restaurants. We’re losing memories, paychecks, and communities. Every closed sign is another broken promise.” – Springfield Café Owner

The $15 Minimum Wage: A Double-Edged Sword

On January 1, 2025, Illinois’ statewide minimum wage rose to $15 per hour, one of the highest in the Midwest. While heralded by Governor JB Pritzker as a “win for working families,” business owners and workers alike tell a different story.

A small business owner in Peoria captured the dilemma:

“I love the idea of paying people more, but at what cost to the business owner? There’s only so much the state can squeeze before there’s nothing left.”

She emphasized that she has always paid her staff well and believes in rewarding hard work. But with Illinois’ soaring taxes, mounting fees, skyrocketing utility bills, and a flood of new mandates, she says there is no room left to absorb additional costs. When sales are already down because customers are dining out less, she simply cannot continue raising wages without jeopardizing the survival of her business.

But it’s not just owners feeling the squeeze. Servers and tipped workers are experiencing a devastating reversal: higher wages on paper, but less income in reality. Customers balk at rising prices and tip less, employers slash hours to balance payroll, and expansion plans are shelved. For many workers, the take-home pay is lower now than it was before the wage hike.

“It all backfired,” one Chicago bartender told us. “We thought this would make life better. Instead, I work fewer hours, make fewer tips, and see fewer customers. Everyone’s losing.”

SIDEBAR: Promises vs. Reality

📌 Governor JB Pritzker’s Promises vs. What Illinois Got

• Promise: “Raise wages to give working families a fair shot.”
  Reality: Servers take home less due to fewer tips, shorter shifts, and declining customer traffic.

• Promise: “Make Illinois a more affordable and equitable place to live.”
  Reality: Menu prices soar, automatic service charges rise, and families eat out less.

• Promise: “The SAFE-T Act will make our communities safer.”
  Reality: Chicago and downstate cities report weekend violence, shoplifting spikes, and repeat offenders back on the streets.

• Promise: “Support small businesses through tax relief and grants.”
  Reality: Illinois still ranks with one of the highest corporate income taxes in the nation; small businesses say grants are too little, too late.

Crime and the SAFE-T Act Fallout

Economic pressures are only half the story. Business owners across Illinois are sounding the alarm over crime, which they say has reached epidemic levels. Many point directly to Pritzker’s controversial SAFE-T Act, which eliminated cash bail and restricted police authority.

Sam Sanchez, a lifelong Democrat and owner of Moe’s Cantina in Chicago, put it bluntly:

“The city is not safe. For the mayor and the governor to use us as statistics—we’re human beings, we’re talking about real time, real lives.”

Weekend shootings in Chicago routinely leave dozens injured and several dead, including children. In Springfield and Peoria, rising theft and assaults have forced restaurants and small shops to hire private security—or shut down entirely.

“The request for detention to keep criminals incarcerated keeps getting ignored. They’re released, and we’re headed in the wrong direction. If the SAFE-T Act can’t be fixed, it should be repealed,” Sanchez warned.

For restaurants already squeezed by labor costs and taxes, the added expense of security is often the final straw. Customers are scared to dine out, workers fear late-night shifts, and communities are left with empty storefronts and shuttered gathering places.

A Timeline of Policies That Dug the Hole Deeper

• 2019: Pritzker signed the law raising Illinois’ minimum wage from $8.25 to $15 in annual increments.

• 2021: The SAFE-T Act passed, eliminating cash bail and limiting police authority.

• 2023–2024: Inflation and pandemic debt compounded pressures. Pritzker also signed the “Paid Leave for All Workers Act.”

• 2024: Illinois ranked as having the second-highest corporate income tax in the U.S., according to the Tax Foundation.

• 2025: Minimum wage officially hit $15 an hour. At the same time, the tipped wage rose again in Chicago, triggering warnings from the Illinois Restaurant Association.

Legal Fallout: The SAFE-T Act Under Fire

The SAFE-T Act remains one of the most polarizing laws in Illinois history. Legal experts note that its elimination of cash bail triggered lawsuits from prosecutors and county governments who argued it violated constitutional protections.

The Illinois Supreme Court upheld the law in 2023, but dissenting opinions warned it could endanger public safety by forcing judges to release dangerous individuals who previously would have been held on bail.

One former Cook County prosecutor told us privately:

“The SAFE-T Act tied our hands. We had repeat gun offenders out on the streets before trial. The idea was to reform the system, but the reality is we’re seeing revolving doors at our jails.”

Voter and Business Voices from Across Illinois

• Springfield: A family-owned diner near the Capitol closed last fall after 47 years in business.

• Peoria: A small business owner explained, “Many things have come out in the past years that have impacted small businesses… There’s only so much that the state or city can squeeze from a small business owner before there’s nothing left.”

• Bloomington: A women’s boutique reported cutting staff for the first time in its 20-year history, blaming both wage hikes and rising shoplifting.

• Decatur: A neighborhood bar that had been a gathering place since the 1970s shut down in December, citing both wage pressures and violent crime.

• Jacksonville: Restaurant operators warn that even one bad month of traffic could tip them into closure, with downtown already pocked by boarded-up storefronts.

Illinois vs. Its Neighbors

• Iowa’s minimum wage remains at $7.25.

• Indiana also maintains $7.25, with lower crime rates than Chicago.

• Wisconsin and Missouri retain lower wage floors, drawing investment away from Illinois.

One business leader in Bloomington put it simply:

“If you’re an entrepreneur, why would you start in Illinois? You can cross a state line and cut your costs in half.”

A Vicious Cycle of Decline

Illinois finds itself trapped in a cycle of policy-induced decline:

• Higher wages lead to higher operating costs.

• Higher costs lead to fewer jobs, fewer hours, and fewer businesses.

• Fewer businesses lead to weaker communities and declining neighborhoods.

• Declining neighborhoods see rising crime.

• Higher prices drive customers away, which reduces tips for workers.

• Servers, once promised stability, now face smaller paychecks than before the law.

The Final Reckoning

From Chicago’s West Loop to Springfield’s historic downtown, from Peoria’s Riverfront to Decatur’s neighborhood diners, Illinois is witnessing the slow-motion unraveling of its small business fabric. The Illinois Restaurant Association’s survey is more than a snapshot—it’s a prophecy of collapse unless change comes quickly.

As one Springfield café owner told us:

“We’re not just losing restaurants. We’re losing memories, paychecks, and communities. Every closed sign is another broken promise.”

Governor JB Pritzker promised fairness, opportunity, and safety. Instead, Illinois is sinking deeper into a dark hole of shuttered doors, broken livelihoods, and rising violence.

Until leadership reverses course, the boarded-up windows of Springfield, Peoria, Bloomington, Decatur, Jacksonville, and Chicago will stand as monuments to broken promises and failed leadership.

A Path Forward: What Illinois Must Do

The failures are clear, but solutions are possible. Business owners, workers, and community leaders point to several reforms that could stop Illinois’ downward spiral:

• Restore the Tip Credit: Reinstate the traditional tipping system that rewarded good service and kept costs balanced.

• Freeze Future Wage Hikes: Tie increases to regional economic realities, not political deadlines.

• Targeted Small Business Relief: Deliver lasting tax credits and utility relief, not one-time grants.

• Amend or Repeal the SAFE-T Act: Restore judicial discretion and equip law enforcement to protect communities.

• Rebalance Taxes: Lower Illinois’ punishing corporate and property taxes to prevent flight across state lines.

• Prioritize Public Safety Investment: Fund policing, prosecution, and community safety rather than costly programs that fail to deliver results.

Illinois doesn’t need more promises—it needs accountability, reform, and leadership grounded in reality.

EDITOR'S NOTE:
The evidence is overwhelming: Governor JB Pritzker’s policies have backfired on the very people they were meant to help. Restaurants are closing, servers are making less, customers are staying home, and communities are growing weaker by the day. This is not just about economics—it is about the survival of neighborhood life across Illinois.

Change is not optional; it is essential. Without a course correction, the boarded-up storefronts spreading across Springfield, Peoria, Bloomington, Decatur, Jacksonville, and Chicago will become the permanent landmarks of failed leadership. Illinois deserves better. Its families, workers, and small business owners deserve better.

Sources

• Illinois Restaurant Association – 2025 Restaurant Survey Data

• Illinois Department of Labor – Minimum Wage Increase Timeline (2019–2025)

• Illinois General Assembly – SAFE-T Act Legislative Text (Public Act 101-0652)

• Illinois Supreme Court – Ruling on SAFE-T Act Constitutionality (2023)

• Tax Foundation – 2024 State Corporate Income Tax Rankings

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – Consumer Spending & Employment Data, Midwest Region

• U.S. Small Business Administration – Illinois Small Business Profiles

• National Restaurant Association – Economic Impact Reports on Tipped Wages