Chicago family-owned restaurants continue to fight for COVID-19 funding

CHICAGO - The owners of smaller restaurants in Chicago say they are still fighting for COVID-19 funding.

The Chicago Restaurants Coalition says that only 36 percent of restaurants that applied for COVID grants received money last summer. 

The coalition said that 8,000 Illinois restaurant owners received no money. 

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"Then when it came time to reimburse for a year's loss of revenue and employees having drifted off that we can't get back due to government edict and regulation and basically we become the bald-headed stepchildren of the package," said Len DeFranco of Hawkeye's Bar and Grill.

The restaurant owners say they want Sens. Durbin and Duckworth to do more to help out Illinois small business owners.