Like just about everything else, party supply sales are way back. The party packs for 50 people are still full on the shelves at Doolin’s Party Supply.
“These days are typically our busiest days of the year and we usually do over 6,000 balloons. We’re going crazy, we don’t know which way is going,” said owner Nicholas Doolin. “This is much more of a bleak time. We’re just looking forward to getting over by 2020.”
And with colder temperatures and no eating indoors, people count on restaurants heating things up on their patios.
At the Greek-inspired restaurant Avli, bookings come in quickly, as do to-go orders, with 60 already filled for Thursday evening.
Many restaurants are pushing their New Year’s Eve specials to provide some extra support during an already extremely challenging fiscal year.
“Everyone is trying, everyone is trying to be safe, follow the rules and have our job as much as possible,” said Avli chief Dimitris Dib.
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And Chicago officials are reminding people to celebrate safely.
In fact, the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection warns that they have plans to enforce the city’s rules on New Year’s Eve and weekends, not just citing citations but also shutting down businesses when needed.
In fact, a party with over 150 people was closed on Saturday at the 5400 block of North Avenue, so agents will be on the lookout Thursday.
At Avli they make optimal use of their large terrace space that can accommodate 80 people. With a number of places still available for New Years Eve, the chef is on hand to serve as many people as he can safely.
“The owner has spent a lot of money buying heaters to make the patio feel indoors,” said Dib.
Typically on New Year’s Eve, the city offers free CTA rides, but Chicago officials said it won’t be this year.
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In a statement, a CTA spokesperson said: As we continue to grapple with the consequences of an unprecedented global health crisis, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is encouraging Chicago residents to follow health guidelines set by the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Illinois Department of Health. Public Health (IDPH), and celebrate the New Year responsibly this year from the comfort and safety of home, which is why no free rides will be offered on CTA buses or trains on New Years Eve or New Years morning.
“This decision was made with the best interests of our passengers and employees in mind, and is in line with what other peer transit agencies are doing this year in response to the pandemic, including those in the cities of Dallas, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Toronto. And Vancouver. . ”
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