Despite Official Okay To Reopen Patios And Sidewalk Cafes, Some Downtown Restaurants Still Waiting To Reopen

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The forecast calls for rain on Tuesday, and that could really put a damper on dining al fresco, less than a week after Chicago restaurants were allowed to reopen for outdoor dining. Patio seating is finally allowed at all Illinois restaurants, but as CBS 2 Morning Insider Lauren Victory reports, opening up at some places is more dark and stormy than you'd expect.

Downtown might be buzzing, but it's not busy yet. Signs of life in the Loop are hit or miss.

Reopening for outdoor dining is a shot that Chris Bisaillon, co-founder of Bottleneck Management is not going to take at his restaurants.

"This would normally be bustling at lunch, you know, with a view of the river, and we've got our outdoor bar," he said.

Despite an ease in restrictions that allows customers to be seated outdoors, South Branch Tavern and Grille – located on Wacker Drive in the Financial District – remains closed. So does Old Town Pourhouse and other Bottleneck Management restaurants.

It's a numbers game, and Bisaillon said patio dining doesn't add up.

"These buildings, we're surrounded by office towers. They're very sparsely populated right now, much like the hotel industry. So we really need to make sure that there's enough volume to come back to," he said.

An ongoing Bottleneck survey only furthers that fear. More than 50% of respondents said they'll dine out less than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Those results surprised Bisaillon.

"I feel like people were ready to go back to work, and people are ready to be social," he said.

Of course, fewer customers means less revenue.

"You do have to understand what the overall costs of running a restaurant are. So you have to start up DirecTV, and you have to start up OpenTable, and you've got to get all the insurance back online," Bisaillon said.

And then there's something even more fickle than finances.

"What happens when it rains? What happens when it's windy? What happens when it's lightning? What happens when it's too hot?" he said.

Current state and city guidelines don't allow outdoor diners inside restaurants except to use the restroom.

The Illinois Restaurant Association put out an advisory on Friday, saying patio food needs to be packaged to-go if it rains, and customers should not be seated if inclement weather is forecasted.

"Being able to come in, and be in the air [conditioning], and socially distanced, that would be really important, and it would be a game-changer for restaurants. We would open right away," Bisaillon said.

Instead, Bisaillon said, "we're kind of just waiting" for permission to book to their booths for indoor dining, waiting for the Loop to look alive again.

Bottleneck's survey also asked guests for their thoughts on the most important precaution for dining in restaurants. The highest rated answer was sanitizing high-traffic areas often. At least 10% of customers said they won't go out for a meal until a vaccine is available.