This week's top 10: Chicago closes indoor dining; California restaurants ask for fee refunds

This week, Chicago re-closed indoor dining across the city due to rising coronavirus cases.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker in a statement said the region that includes Chicago is averaging more than twice as many COVID-related hospital admissions per day as it was a month ago, with a positivity rate that has almost doubled since the beginning of October.

The city's indoor dining was officially closed on Oct. 30. For the restrictions to be relaxed again, the region’s average positivity rate must be 6.5% or less over a three-day period. But, after 14 days, the rate grows beyond 8%, even stricter restrictions could be applied, according to the state’s Restore Illinois Plan.

In California, where most counties remain completely closed to indoor dining, some independent restaurants are demanding refunds totaling tens of millions of dollars. Claims were filed Monday in California’s largest counties: Orange, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento and Monterey County.

Restaurant owners say they should not be paying fees in full when the state is restricting restaurant operations. 

See what else was trending on Restaurant Hospitality this week including highlights from Restaurants Rise powered by MUFSO.