When it became clear that the coronavirus was going to have a devastating impact on restaurant employees, chef Erick Williams sprang into action, raising over $39,000 to pay Virtue’s team members while the restaurant was shut down. Once that goal was met, the restaurant pivoted to raising money for first responders, for whom Williams also had been preparing meals while Virtue was closed to the public. “I don’t want to sound like we were trying to be some heroes,” he said. “We were doing these things out of necessity. Restaurants, at their core, need to feed people.” Now that Virtue is back to offering its Southern-inspired menu of classics, like gizzards with dirty rice and gravy, Williams continues to support his community through events like benefit dinners supporting racial justice and Instagram Live panels on the future of African American foodways. 

When it opened in 2017, the regional Mexican cuisine at Mi Tocaya struck an immediate chord with the neighborhood. Dishes like Yucatan-style roast pork and San Luis Potosi-style tacos, which are pan-fried, have won chef Daniela Dávila countless accolades, and Mi Tocaya has been in the spotlight recently for its advocacy work, too. In addition to crowdfunding support from their loyal customers to help ensure financial stability for the staff, Mi Tocaya partnered with The Power of 10, a restaurant-relief organization that helps re-employ industry staff and distribute meals to families in need.

Middle Brow beer was a local favorite for years before the opening of Middle Brow Bungalow, a restaurant and taproom featuring some of Chicago’s best house-made pizza and bread. But feeding carbs to hungry Logan Square residents isn’t the only way that Middle Brow is taking care of its people: They’ve also eliminated tipping, instead adding on a set service charge, to ensure more equitable, consistent pay for staff. And for the past three months they’ve been working on their “community-supported fermentation” program. Those who buy in receive freshly baked bread or beer weekly, and each subscription includes the donation of a bread loaf to a family in need. 

Big Star is a beloved taco spot for good reason. And over the past few months, the restaurant has been giving back to its neighborhood in multiple ways, like providing boxed meals to unemployed service industry workers, and participating in the Save Chicago’s Taquerias campaign. Every week, Big Star uses its huge social platform to highlight a menu item from one of the city’s many neighborhood taquerias; a portion of proceeds then go directly to that taco shop for pandemic support. 

Who knew marshmallows could be so tough? In response to the nationwide protests against police brutality sparked by the death of George Floyd, business owners Kat Connor and Lindzi Shanks made a goal to use their platform — and their recipes — to inspire change. They’ve been active in the #amplifymelanatedvoices campaign, which asks people to use their influence to highlight the work of Black creators. They also produced a limited-edition “Difficult Conversations” marshmallow, intended to spark conversations between friends and family about race and privilege; proceeds went toward Black Girl Ventures, which supports Black women entrepreneurs. “When you give back to your community, your community gives back to you,” they explain.

As a hugely popular restaurant and performance space in Hyde Park, The Promontory was hit doubly hard by the pandemic. But managing partner Bruce Finkelman and a group of more than a dozen owners from other Chicago event venues are doing everything they can to support each other. In 2018, they formed CIVL (Chicago Independent Venue League), which advocates on behalf of Chicago’s indie performance spots. During the pandemic, the group has put on livestream performances and teamed up with local breweries to raise money for affected venues. The Promontory is even helping struggling neighborhood eateries, letting other food trucks and vendors serve out of their parking lot.

Since opening in 2017, owners Thai and Danielle Dang have been passionate about contributing to their majority-Latinx neighborhood of Pilsen, and since the start of the pandemic, that passion has only gotten deeper. Besides serving up signature dishes like papaya salad, pho, and bún chả, the Dangs have been actively seeking out ways to support their staff and community. That includes everything from Instagram posts helping people navigate the tricky waters of insurance and rent relief, to helping organize trash cleanup and meal donations in the neighborhood. HaiSous has also launched a custom PPE line in collaboration with family in Vietnam; for every mask or face shield purchased, another is donated to a community member in need.