Chicago Sun-Times: All posts by Amy Yee

Argyle Night Market boosts hard-hit Uptown ahead of Argyle Street L station's reopening

2025-07-15T05:30:00-05:00

On a hot July night, red lanterns hung along an Uptown street crowded with visitors to the Argyle Night Market. They sampled banh mi sandwiches, sipped bubble tea, bought crocheted flowers made by Thai artisans and danced to a hip-hop band.

The Argyle Night Market kicked off July 3 and runs every Thursday night through Aug. 28 on Argyle Street, the neighborhood’s main commercial corridor dubbed “Asia on Argyle.”

The free outdoor event is styled after an Asian night market. It launched in 2013 to boost Uptown, home to a large Asian community, particularly people from Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

Since then, the night market has grown to draw about 5,000 people each week, said Sarah Wilson, executive director of nonprofit Uptown United and Uptown Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the event. It’s Chicago’s only permitted weekly street festival.

People come from across the city to sample local food, shop, enjoy live entertainment and meet exhibitors. This summer, approximately 50 vendors will participate in a line-up that changes every week, said Wilson.

The night market is held on a plaza-like section of Argyle Street designed for pedestrians. It was the city’s first “shared street,” spearheaded by the Chicago Department of Transportation in 2016 to support Uptown’s economic development and street life that included events such as annual Lunar New Year celebrations and the night market.

Meggie Doyle of Lake View visited Argyle Night Market on July 3, in her first trip to Uptown. “It gets people out here and spending money,” she said. Market-goers “meet the people they’re buying from and are all the more excited to support somebody. It’s not Amazon.”

The event has a big impact for some nearby businesses like Immm Rice and Beyond. Because of it, Thursday nights are “super busy. It’s like a weekend night,” owner Dew Suriyawan said of his Thai restaurant, at 4949 N. Broadway.

Dew Suriyawan, owner of Immm Rice and Beyond, with his wife at Argyle Night Market.

Amy Yee/Sun-Times

Barriers in Uptown

Argyle Night Market is even more important in light of the many challenges that have hit Uptown in recent years.

Across the U.S. and in Chicago, businesses in Asian neighborhoods like Chinatown and Uptown were hit harder during the COVID-19 pandemic because they received less government aid and were targets of anti-Asian racism. Now, higher costs due to tariffs add to their ongoing battle with inflation.

In Uptown, construction is another barrier — literally. From 2021, L stations at Argyle Street and three other Red Line stops closed or shifted during the Chicago Transit Authority’s most expensive infrastructure project. A temporary L station is located a few blocks north of Argyle Street.

“It was a rough couple of years with the pandemic. Construction has been devastating for local businesses,” said Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (48th), who represents Uptown.

Leaving the station? Asia on Argyle sign and pagoda come down with Red Line renovations

The neighborhood is eagerly anticipating the opening of the new Argyle L station on Sunday. During the Red and Purple line renovations, CTA’s Open for Business program offered help to affected businesses through marketing on buses, trains and social media, said Jeff Wilson, CTA government and community relations officer.

Uptown needs all the support it can get. Before the pandemic, the neighborhood was bustling, said Chettha Saetia, economic development director at the Chinese Mutual Aid Association in Uptown. Now, more storefronts are empty, especially on, or near, Argyle Street. He estimated that 30% of stores are closed in Uptown.

The neighborhood seems quiet on weekdays but Argyle Street is packed during the night market.

“We make every effort to bring it because this community has been hit so hard,” said Wilson, of the Uptown Chamber.

But the event’s costs have nearly doubled in the last four years and pandemic-era government funding is no longer available.

“Ultimately, we raised vendor fees a little, but they remain significantly lower than other street festivals,” said Wilson. “This was a conscious decision to ensure our local businesses could participate.”

Crochet figurines and flowers by craftsmaker Polmula for sale at Argyle Night Market.

Amy Yee/Sun-Times

The health of Uptown’s businesses runs the spectrum. “Some are thriving and some are really struggling,” said Wilson. “Cost of goods remain expensive as are operating expenses, like rent, wages, utilities. Businesses are trying hard to not raise prices on customers. It’s a real challenge.”

But many must pass higher costs along to customers. “We have to make enough to survive,” Suriyawan said. Immm Rice raised prices a month ago on some items, like a popular beef dish that went up a dollar to $14.50. In an example of swelling expenses, Suriyawan said a 50-pound bag of rice from China or Thailand cost about $40 last year and is now about $68.

Ultimately, tariffs and higher costs will affect customers. “Who pays?” Suriyawan said. “You.”

‘Taking back the streets’

Various factors are contributing to Uptown’s storefront vacancies. Some are being used as storage and are not available for rent, said Wilson. Older storefronts “may need a lot of work on the inside and renovation costs might be prohibitive for a future tenant.”

There are also spaces in new buildings that were never built-out because of high costs. Many small businesses can’t afford higher rents or the build-out costs, added Wilson.

Running a small business is not easy, especially for immigrants with additional language and cultural barriers like some in Uptown, said Manaa-Hoppenworth. Tariffs only add to their burden. Uptown’s grocers that sell Asian goods must constantly change prices, said Manaa-Hoppenworth. “It’s wrong.”

In spite of new challenges, Uptown has come a long way over the decades in the face of socio-economic inequity. In the 1970s, the neighborhood saw an influx of former mental health patients displaced by state deinstitutionalization, according to a Loyola University Chicago report.

In 1990, more than 25% of families in the neighborhood lived below the poverty line. In 2024, that share was about 20%, according to DePaul University’s Institute for Housing Studies.

The idea for Argyle Night Market came from a 2008 report by the Urban Land Institute. It suggested the event and other initiatives to address public safety issues and revitalize Uptown. It was an example of “‘positive loitering’ and taking back the streets,” said Manaa-Hoppenworth.

Thien Ly owns Tank Noodle, a Vietnamese restaurant that his mother opened in 1996. During a recent night market, he and family members served a long queue of customers from their stand. The event “brings awareness to Uptown and new clientele. It’s good marketing for the community,” he said.

Ly grew up in Uptown and has seen the neighborhood change over the years. Locals like him who stay in the community work hard to keep it going, he said.

Warren Parnell has been coming to Argyle Night Market since it started in 2013, except for 2020 when the event paused during the pandemic.

“I love it because of the diversity and to be a supporter of this community,” said Parnell, who previously lived in Uptown but now lives in Edgewater.

He recalled that Argyle Night Market drew a small crowd its first year and marveled at how it has blossomed. “I’m amazed it has been 11 years and how it remains,” said Parnell.

Carol and Warren Parnell at Argyle Night Market.

Amy Yee/Sun-Times

Rockford, Peoria and Carbondale give early signs of economic health, survey says

2025-07-11T07:30:00-05:00

Rockford, Peoria and Carbondale are bellwether cities in Illinois that give early signs of the broader economy’s health, according to a recent survey.

“Just as swing states help predict political outcomes, certain U.S. towns act as early warning systems for the economy,” according to MarketBeat, a financial media company. “These 'signal cities' are so attuned to local shifts in hiring, consumer behavior or supply chains that their tremors often ripple across the entire state.”

The survey was released last month during a time of economic uncertainty and anxiety in light of tariffs, layoffs, government funding cuts and stricter immigration policies under a new administration.

In June, consumer sentiment was down 20%, compared with December 2024, according to the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index. In May, the index fell to the second-lowest level in the nearly 75-year history of the survey.

MarketBeat surveyed 3,021 business leaders across the U.S., asking which cities reflect economic shifts first. In Illinois, Rockford ranked first because its mix of tool-and-die shops, logistics firms and health care providers makes it a bellwether for working-class Illinois, said MarketBeat. The city is nearly two hours northwest of Chicago.

“When job postings dry up or foot traffic in service businesses slows, Rockford usually reflects growing economic caution,” MarketBeat said in a news release.

Peoria, nearly three hours southwest of Chicago, ranked second. The city has longstanding ties to Caterpillar, which moved its headquarters from Deerfield to Texas in 2022. But the tractor maker still has facilities in Illinois, including close to Peoria. The city sheds light on the larger industrial economy when factory hours decline or demand for heavy equipment drops.

“Because many downstate communities depend on similar sectors, shifts in Peoria are often the opening act of wider economic slowdowns across central Illinois,” said MarketBeat.

Carbondale, five hours south of Chicago, is home to Southern Illinois University, which has seen rising enrollment in recent years.

“The town remains sensitive to shifts in education funding and student-driven spending trends that often echo across other rural college towns in the Midwest,” according to MarketBeat.

William Lo, executive director of the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce, said, "As a town with deep roots with SIU, we have seen ups and downs with enrollment, which are affected by state budgets, enrollment and ultimately, the national economy.”

William Lo, executive director of the Carbondale Chamber of CommerceCarbondale Chamber of Commerce

Carbondale Chamber of Commerce

Anecdotally, some Carbondale businesses have expressed that this summer is slower than usual, said Lo. “Business ebbs and flows whenever SIU is in session. Some have expressed the cost of goods increasing with market instability as well.”

Besides SIU, other major employers in the area include Southern Illinois Healthcare with more than 4,000 employees and Crucial MRO, an aircraft maintenance company.

Across the U.S., Rust Belt towns such as Rockford, Utica, New York, and Mansfield, Ohio, show disruptions in industrial demand or blue-collar employment before it shows up in broader state data, said MarketBeat.

Other bellwether cities highlighted in the survey included Fredericksburg, Virginia, and Jeffersonville, Indiana — commuter-dependent cities with strong links to larger metros.

Signal cities also included college towns and government seats such as Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Columbia, Tennessee; and Jefferson City, Missouri. They “offer a blend of state employment, education, and health care sectors that react quickly to budget changes and public sentiment,” according to MarketBeat.

Contributing: AP

Battery maker Pure Lithium moving to Chicago, investing $46M

2025-07-10T16:54:58.407-05:00

Battery startup Pure Lithium will relocate from Boston to Chicago and invest $46 million to expand in the city’s growing tech hub, the company announced on Thursday.

The maker of lithium metal batteries will launch in Fulton Market this fall and create at least 50 new jobs. As part of its Chicago move, Pure Lithium plans to eventually produce batteries used for consumer electronics, electric vehicles, drones, grid-scale energy storage and defense technology.

“I am excited to welcome the team at Pure Lithium to our state, where they'll be an excellent addition to the business landscape and burgeoning clean energy ecosystem,” Gov. JB Pritzker said in a news release. "Their investment will not only create jobs and economic opportunity for our people but help power the green revolution right here in Illinois."

Founded in 2020, Pure Lithium will have a corporate office and “prototyping facility” in Fulton Market and will eventually build a manufacturing facility in Illinois.

Pure Lithium’s batteries will be made in North America with locally sourced materials and eliminate dependence on China, according to the company.

It was lured to Chicago by tax incentives from the Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois program through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, which seeks to bring manufacturers related to electric vehicles and renewable energy to Illinois.

The move also brings Pure Lithium closer to Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, near Chicago. Pure Lithium and Argonne are collaborating on a project to grow lithium metal anode production using recycled lithium metal with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Pure Lithium’s relocation to Chicago “is a decisive step in the company’s transition from pure R&D to scaling up for commercial production,” Pure Lithium founder and CEO Emilie Bodoin said in a news release.

“This move allows us to construct a semi-automated battery pilot line vertically integrating our lithium metal reactor, and the incentives assist in funding critical pilot equipment, accelerating our timeline to market.”

The West Loop is fast becoming a tech hub. Early last year, NanoGraf, maker of advanced lithium-ion batteries for the U.S. military, announced plans to open a manufacturing and research facility. MHub, the nonprofit high-tech incubator, also opened a new space in the West Loop in December 2023.

A tribute to newsstand owner as he closes up shop

2025-07-04T06:00:00-05:00

Sweltering heat didn’t stop crowds from gathering in Edison Park last week as Mike Kaage closed his newsstand for the last time. Rain or shine, the local landmark was open every day since 1943.

Kaage’s newsstand shuttered June 29 — what would have been his grandfather’s 126th birthday.

"It’s a bittersweet day," said Kaage, 68, who started working at his family's stall when he was 5.

Under a blazing sun, customers, business owners, neighbors and family members — from toddlers to nonagenarians — stopped by to say goodbye.

A television crew arrived. Cars honked. Drivers offered dollar bills to Kaage through their car windows. Customers hugged him after buying their Sun-Times, Tribunes and other newspapers.

When I wrote about Kaage’s retirement announcement last month, I was struck by how this unassuming kiosk had witnessed so much history through the countless newspapers it sold.

Columnist

Sales spiked after 9/11 and when the Cubs won the World Series in 2016, Kaage recalled. One can only imagine how many newspapers sold after watershed moments like the end of World War II or the assassination of President John Kennedy.

The tiny newsstand was a touchstone with an outsize impact. It was literally at a crossroads where people paused to buy a paper, talk to Kaage and remember their humanity for a moment.

In this digital age, news is fleeting. Physical manifestations — whether a newspaper or newsstand — are fast disappearing like a once-ubiquitous endangered species. That made Kaage’s last hurrah all the more precious.

As Kaage’s older brother Irvin III noted, the newsstand "is not just a place to buy a newspaper. It’s a cornerstone of the community."

When I stopped by last week, I spoke to well-wishers who shared a kaleidoscope of memories. John Jaros, who grew up nearby, recalled when his father sent him to the newsstand to buy the paper in the 1960s and 1970s.

"Even when I was young, this place was old," said Jaros, who lives in Aurora. "It’s really an institution."

Men in their 60s and 50s who worked at the newsstand as boys also came to pay tribute to Kaage and reminisce about selling papers in subfreezing temperatures.

Frank Chambers, 63, started working as a Kaage newsboy when he was 9. He made 75 cents an hour to hawk newspapers, sell horse racing forms and assemble once-massive Sunday editions. "After church let out, everyone would dash for the Sunday paper," said Chambers, now living near Schaumburg.

Mike Kaage gets a hug before closing Kaage’s newsstand on June 29. The business had been open in Edison Park for 82 years,

Amy Yee/Sun-Times

Former newsboy Sean Wolford, 55, made the trip from Florida. He recalled the popularity of the Polish newspaper when it first came out, as well as selling horse racing forms to "high-roller guys with fancy cars."

Every morning, Kaage or his father Irvin Jr. were at the newsstand before 5 a.m., said Maria Dalmazio, the longtime owner of Tony’s Deli around the corner. If she needed change, they always helped.

Sue Rose, who used to own the nearby coffee shop Morning Grind, said the Kaages were there if doughnuts needed to be dropped off predawn, before her cafe opened.

Ed Sturm lives a block away and took photos of Kaage with his 13-year-old son. Sturm bought a newspaper every day on his way to the train just to talk to Kaage.

"It was more about the person than the paper," said Sturm, who is not interested in home delivery.

A sign about the closing of Kaage’s newsstand hangs on the stall. The business had been open in Edison Park for 82 years,

Kaage is "a staple of the community," said Dennis Gancarz, owner of Edison Park Inn, who has purchased newspapers for the bar since the 1980s. But with the newsstand closing, "This is probably the last day we get a paper," he admitted.

Since 1987, neighbor Tom Needham bought a Sunday paper from the newsstand. "It feels more personal. It’s part of the small town feel of this neighborhood," he said.

Kaage’s constant presence could easily be taken for granted.

"People really underestimate businesses and how hard they work," Needham said.

Maureen Carney was a customer for roughly 40 years. When she went on vacation, the Kaages saved her two weeks' worth of newspapers. "I guess I can’t go on vacation anymore," she said.

Over the years, the newsstand had survived a fire, a car crash and rowdy adolescent antics. Marty Furlong, sheepishly admitted he vandalized the newsstand decades ago. But Furlong, now about 50, glowed when he recalled how Kaage’s father kindly greeted him when they saw each other around 2003 — even though their last meeting was at the police station.

Pat Iaconetti, a customer since the mid-1990s, underscored Kaage’s empathy and human connection.

"He’s the best of us," said Iaconetti.

As the newsstand’s 10:30 a.m closing time neared, the crowd swelled. A Chicago police officer prepared a balloon-festooned gift bag for Kaage.

Before closing, Kaage addressed the crowd and paid tribute to his parents’ legacy: "Thank you to the community and customers. It’s been a pleasure. I will miss everyone," he said.

Kaage then invited the crowd to the Firewater Saloon across the street and offered to buy the first round. After that, they were on their own, he joked. "I’m on a fixed income."

Now Kaage no longer has to open the newsstand at 4 a.m., but he guessed he would still wake up at 3 a.m.

"I’m probably going to do that for a long time," Kaage said of his daily workday ritual. "I’m going to miss it."

The Edison Park community and others will miss him, too.

Amy Yee is a business and economy reporter for the Sun-Times.

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Downtown Chicago businesses have mixed feelings about NASCAR again

2025-07-03T17:31:58.715-05:00

The third NASCAR Chicago Street Race revs up this weekend, once again sparking mixed feelings about the event’s economic impact and who benefits.

For the past two years, the event has brought tens of thousands to downtown Chicago and was televised to millions of viewers. But some locals and business owners near the Loop racecourse say disruptive street closures, blockades and noise drive customers away during what should be a bustling holiday weekend.

Some businesses benefit. This year, Chicago-based sports caterer Levy is bringing 20 local eateries to a festival for NASCAR ticketholders in Grant Park over the weekend. They include Mr. Beef, Josephine's Southern Cooking, Bronzeville Winery and Cloud Cookie, as well as two Levy restaurants, Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap and River Roast.

This weekend, NASCAR is also partnering with the Chicago Loop Alliance to bring free live music, puppets and other entertainment to Monroe Street.

The race “has been a highly successful addition to our city's dynamic summer programming, and we anticipate millions of dollars in direct economic impact to the Loop,” said Ariella Gibson, marketing director of Loop Alliance.

Last year’s Chicago Street Race generated an estimated $128 million in local economic impact — a 17% increase compared to 2023. Last year, more than 53,000 unique visitors attended, up from 47,405 in 2023, thanks partly to the introduction of single-day tickets.

But after the first race weekend in 2023, critics pointed out that the city shouldered more costs than NASCAR was paying. Expenses included an estimated $3.5 million in police overtime and road construction. Meanwhile, NASCAR paid $620,000 to the Chicago Park District. For the 2024 race, the city negotiated with NASCAR, which paid $2 million to cover extra costs.

Miller’s Pub in the Loop is among the businesses that welcome the NASCAR race.

Susie An/WBEZ

Some local businesses welcome NASCAR. Miller’s Pub, 134 S. Wabash Ave. in the Loop, is used to the city hosting many large events throughout the year, said co-owner Andrew Gallios. “We believe the inconveniences they may cause are more than worth it for the financial value and exposure they provide for the businesses and the city itself.”

Mindworks, 224 S. Michigan Ave., a science exhibition space located along the racecourse, also welcomes the race. “We are interested in bringing different audiences to Mindworks, and NASCAR engages new groups to explore the Loop,” said Amy Boonstra, Mindworks executive director.

But other businesses near the heart of the racecourse lose out. Exile in Bookville, 410 S. Michigan Ave. in the Fine Arts Building, will close Saturday and Sunday, as it did last year. Again, the bookstore is not holding any author events the week before or after the race during teardown.

“Navigating downtown with street closures presents too many challenges for both authors and customers alike,” said co-owner Kristin Gilbert. “It is very unfortunate that we have to close, as the Fourth of July weekend is a big tourist weekend for Chicago as a whole, and Exile in particular.”

Next door, Osaka Sushi & Fresh Fruit Smoothies at 400 S. Michigan Ave. will close for the third year for NASCAR from Friday to Monday. Much of its business is delivery, and Michigan Avenue will be blocked off to Uber Eats drivers and customers during the race, said manager Barry Cheung. But he added that his daughter likes the closure because he takes time off from his long workdays.

Osaka Sushi and Fresh Fruit Smoothies, 400 S. Michigan Ave., will close from Friday to Monday due to the NASCAR race in Grant Park.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times file

Surrounding street closures began in late June earlier than scheduled because pavement near Grant Park buckled during the recent heat wave.

This year could be the last Chicago Street Race as NASCAR’s three-year deal with the city expires after this season. However, the deal includes options to continue the event.

Gilbert hopes this is the last year. “Every day counts for small businesses, and bookstores in particular rely on certain parts of the year to carry them through slower times,” she said.

“I can appreciate the city trying to bring in new demographics of tourists, to bring something ‘unique’ to downtown, but I just don't think NASCAR is the right fit.”

Social venture Mona helps microlender Kiva distribute $200,000 in loans to Chicago entrepreneurs

2025-07-01T15:35:41.348-05:00

Social venture Mona and the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation have helped 23 Chicago-area entrepreneurs get $200,000 worth of zero-interest loans from Kiva, a global microloan platform.

Mona and the Polsky Center collaborated with Kiva, which has distributed the loans to mostly South Side businesses in the past year. The loans of up to $15,000 also have no fees. Applications are still open on Mona’s website.

Borrowers include healthy snack brand Ms. P’s Gluten Free; Ecodunia, maker of bags and accessories from Kenya; and Ilava, which makes clothing in Tanzania.

Mona’s model connects underserved small business owners to capital through community lenders and corporate, philanthropic and government grants and loans. Its collaboration with Kiva is just one financing option.

Business owners complete a simple common application on Mona’s website, and its staff give personalized support to find suitable financing. Any business can apply for Mona coaching, but it focuses on under-banked entrepreneurs such as refugees and immigrants.

Overall, 80% of Mona’s funded entrepreneurs “could not get funding anywhere else, and about 50% said they may have had to close if it were not for the funding,” said Mona co-founder Andrew Leon Hanna, adjunct professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. “This is in large part due to the lack of awareness, trust barriers and dearth of support for underserved entrepreneurs.”

Mona piloted its Chicago initiative with Kiva and the Polsky Center in May 2024. But since winter 2020, Mona has worked with Kiva to distribute more than $1 million in loans across the U.S.

In Chicago, the Polsky Center flagged Mona’s collaboration with Kiva to its small business clients and network. For example, Ms. P’s Gluten Free previously participated in an e-commerce program at Polsky.

After candidates completed an online application, Mona’s staff of five, including Hanna and co-founder Anny Dow, vetted candidates and helped them refine loan plans and business overviews. Profiles of the applicants were then posted to Kiva’s website. Mona and Polsky promoted the entrepreneurs to their networks to help crowdsource loans that anyone can contribute to.

Repayment rate for Mona-supported Kiva borrowers in Chicago is about 89%, Hanna said.

Mona is funded by Alpine Social Ventures and grants from Stanford's Center for Social Innovation.

Access to capital

Like many small businesses, Ms. P’s Gluten Free needs capital for growth. Last year, founder Lisa Marsh used her $10,500 Mona-supported Kiva loan to upgrade her company’s website, switch to e-commerce site Shopify, run ads and work with a marketing firm. She also bought ingredients and paid staff and commercial kitchen fees.

Ms. P’s Gluten Free has mostly received grants but the few loans it has taken out “took a while to fund, required loads of paperwork and the interest rates were not at 0%,” Marsh said.

In her experience, conventional loan applications require “[revenue] projections, collateral and — many times — take a long time to fund. Not to mention the interest rates now are well into the double digits.”

Accessory maker Ecodunia got a Mona-supported Kiva loan of $7,000 in October 2024 and has 36 months to repay it. The funds help the company add a second booth at local artisan festivals, where it sells products from Kenya.

The loan also helped Ecodunia founder Cera Muchiri start designing jewelry with her sister. They recently put together a small collective of jeweler-artisans in a Nairobi slum.

Ecodunia founder Cera Muchiri | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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Brass jewelry by Ecodunia | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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Ecodunia bags on display at founder Cera Muchiri’s home in North Park. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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Muchiri was born on a subsistence farm in Kenya and moved to a Nairobi slum, after her grandmother’s farm was burned down during civil unrest. She launched Ecodunia in 2019 with a mission to help lift people out of poverty. But access to capital has been one of her biggest challenges.

“So many business loans are extremely hard to get,” Muchiri said. “You have to have enough revenue and profit to qualify but can’t get the capital to grow effectively. And the fees and interest take a big portion of loan money.”

Mona’s application “felt thorough and rigorous, but not a burden. And as an interest-free and fee-free loan, it means more money goes back to growing the business and more into the communities I’m serving,” Muchiri said.

Ilava, which makes clothing in Tanzania, got a $12,000 loan in 2024. Co-owner Rahel Mwitula Williams used the funds for production, inventory, equipment and marketing, including paying for a social media manager. The loan also helped launch its MITC Studio retail space in Kenwood with Tabby’s Closets in August 2024.

Mona did not treat her company “as just another small business,” Williams said. “They recognized the social impact of our work and understood that our primary goal was not profit, but ensuring that our foundational needs were met.”

Mona-supported Kiva loans give local businesses a boost, but challenges constantly emerge. For example, Ms. P’s Gluten Free’s ingredient costs have recently jumped as much as 30% due to tariffs. The company can’t afford to buy some products anymore, such as recyclable packaging from China.

“Business is very challenging currently,” Marsh said.

Job search group CareerBuilder + Monster files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

2025-06-24T16:33:31.786-05:00

Online job search group CareerBuilder + Monster filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the Chicago-based company said on Tuesday, weeks after it announced mass layoffs and plans to close its Loop headquarters.

CareerBuilder + Monster also announced plans to sell its career listings boards to JobGet, a Boston-based job search app, according to its bankruptcy filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware.

It also plans to sell Monster Government Services, provider of human resources software for state and federal governments, to Valsoft Corp., a Canadian software company. Monster Media Properties, including websites military.com and fastweb.com, will be sold to Valnet, a Canadian publishing and media investment firm.

CareerBuilder + Monster will cut 390 jobs by August 4, according to a June 5 filing under the Illinois Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. It will close its office at 200 N. La Salle St., CEO Jeff Furman said in a June 5 letter to employees.

The company has helped job seekers and employers connect for more than 25 years, Furman said in a news release on Tuesday. “However, like many others in the industry, our business has been affected by a challenging and uncertain macroeconomic environment … this court-supervised sale process is the best path toward maximizing the value of our businesses and preserving jobs."

CareerBuilder + Monster is finalizing $20 million in financing from Blue Torch Capital to keep running under bankruptcy protection, according to the news release.

"We are making difficult but necessary decisions to reduce costs and help ensure a seamless transition of our businesses,” Furman said. “As a company in the business of people and talent management, reducing our workforce is always a painful step to take.”

CareerBuilder + Monster is seeking court authorization to continue operations, including paying employee wages and providing benefits.

CareerBuilder, based in Chicago, merged with Massachusetts-based Monster in September 2024. CareerBuilder is owned by funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, the private equity firm.

In Chicago, mahjong, knitting, baking not just for grannies anymore

2025-06-24T14:28:34.928-05:00

On a recent evening in Chicago, the loud clacking of shuffling mahjong tiles didn’t come from a Chinatown home or senior center. Instead, the game traditionally associated with Chinese elders was being played by younger patrons at Dovetail Brewery’s taproom in North Center.

It’s part of a growing trend of events focused on granny-inspired activities such as mahjong, knitting and baking across the U.S., especially among younger people who seek hands-on, screen-free interaction, according to Eventbrite. The online invitation company said mahjong and baking events in Chicago grew especially robustly last year.

Gen Z is “finding meaning in the analog world their grandparents inhabited — learning valuable skills and discovering the profound satisfaction of creating something with their hands,” Eventbrite said in a blog post this month.

“This shift goes beyond simple nostalgia — it’s about building connections through shared, in-person experiences,” Roseli Ilano, Eventbrite’s trends expert, said in the blog.

Granny-inspired activities on Eventbrite include traditional gatherings such as knitting circles and baking classes. But the company is also seeing “mahjong nights in cocktail bars, embroidery circles in coffee shops and sourdough workshops that feel more like social events than cooking classes,” Ilano said.

‘Mahjong is booming in Chicago’

Nationwide, searches for mahjong were up 365% on Eventbrite in 2024, compared to the previous year. In Chicago, the number of Eventbrite’s 2024 mahjong events rocketed 233% year over year. That growth ranked Chicago second in the U.S. compared to Houston (867%) and San Francisco (146%), which ranked first and third respectively. In Chicago, the number of Eventbrite's baking events jumped 119%, behind Miami and Houston, which showed growth of 750% and 207%, respectively.

Across the U.S., needlework events are also popular. They grew 239% in Washington, D.C., and 76% in Los Angeles last year. Eventbrite doesn't disclose the number of events, only their growth.

Jenny Pfafflin, brewer and marketing manager at Dovetail Brewery, began holding mahjong events this winter in collaboration with the Mahjong Society, which teaches the game in Chicago.

“Being a taproom in January is tough — people are stretched thin from the holidays,” she said. Cold weather also keeps them indoors, so Dovetail launched learning-based events.

This year, Dovetail, at 1800 W. Belle Plaine Ave., has held three mahjong events, including one June 18, a Wednesday night.

Pfafflin played mahjong as a child with her sister but had thought of it as a game for older women until she recently noticed friends in their 30s and 40s playing in Chicago.

A player reaches for a mahjong tile during an event by The Mahjong Society at Dovetail Brewery.

Zubaer Khan/Sun-Times

“It made sense. It's a low-key and fun way to socialize, and you get to learn a new game. And it's kind of aesthetic. I think after the [pandemic] shutdown, people were looking for ways to reconnect,” Pfafflin said.

Alyssa Gross, 33, founded the Mahjong Society in 2023. The group has taught nearly 1,500 people at bars, restaurants, birthday and bachelorette parties. It has an event Wednesday at Pilates studio Namastate of Mind, near Lincoln Park.

Players are not just Gen Z, but range in age from late-20s to mid-60s, Gross said. The majority are not Asian.

“Mahjong is booming in Chicago,” Gross said. “The slow-paced, screen-free, nostalgic nature is a big part of the appeal.”

She hadn’t planned to start a mahjong business, but requests kept pouring in. Now, the Mahjong Society has four instructors and is hiring more.

“We constantly hear people referring to the mahjong scene in ‘Crazy Rich Asians,’” said Gross, referring to the 2018 movie based on Kevin Kwan’s novel. “The tiles drew them in. In a world where many of us have computer-based jobs, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that many of us have an itch to get hands-on with something.”

Mahjong originated in China in the mid-1800s and became popular among Jewish American women in the 1950s. Tiles are engraved with Chinese characters, flowers, dragons and bamboo. The small blocks are aesthetically pleasing. Traditional green tiles are reminiscent of jade; some high-end sets are made of the gem.

Lake View resident Karen Cornelius, 44, first played the game with the Mahjong Society in January and regularly attends its meetups.

“Mahjong is the perfect mix of social and game play,” she said. It “has been a great addition to my life because it makes me feel like a kid again, having a fun activity to look forward to.”

Cornelius added, “I think of 2025 as the year of the hobby — everyone is looking to add more to their lives, whether it's mahjong, needlepoint or pickleball. It's a great option for a girls' night or a way to expand one's community. Mahjong is the new book club.”

Nostalgia brings comfort in stressful times

Jessica Woodburn, founder of Round Two Upcycled Craft Parties, hosted a class last week on needle felting at Old Irving Brewing, near Mayfair. She taught students how to make wool cactus-shaped scent diffusers.

She focuses on eco-friendly crafts and also teaches at Eco Flamingo, a zero-waste general store near Ravenswood.

Woodburn started Round Two in 2019 and taught at arts centers in Chicago. In 2023, she expanded to Old Irving Brewing to reach people who don’t normally craft.

A finished needle felted succulent made by a student at Old Irving Brewing Co., 4419 W. Montrose Ave.

Zubaer Khan/Sun-Times

Attendees are typically women ages 25 to 65.

“Some are crafters, but most say they haven't made anything with their hands in years,” Woodburn said. The response has been overwhelmingly positive.

“People often say ‘I am not creative, but this was so fun!’” Woodburn said. “I am a firm believer that everyone is creative, and we should all be using our creativity more often.”

She noted rising interest in throwback activities, such as her classes to make Shrinky Dinks out of recycled plastic.

“I am a millennial, and we grew up in a time of huge shifts in cultural norms. Many of us are drawn to nostalgia because it makes us feel more comfortable and brings us back to a time before life was complicated,” Woodburn said.

Jessica Woodburn teaches a class on making needle felted succulents at Old Irving Brewing Co.

Zubaer Khan/Sun-Times

“There is very little that we collectively have control over in the current state of our country. Being able to focus on something that is tied to a time before we felt that sense of helplessness distracts from the stress and sorrow that comes with living in modern times,” she said.

Kristin Hoffman is owner and head chef instructor of Bettie’s Chicago, a recreational cooking school in River North that looks like a 1950s diner.

She held her first class in 2018 out of her home kitchen and expanded after a strong response.

“Business has been strong, especially with people looking for more meaningful social experiences that don’t revolve around just sitting and watching,” Hoffman said. The nostalgic diner setting “makes people feel more like you're baking in a friend’s kitchen than taking a formal class.”

For Bettie’s Chicago, the biggest draw for attendees “is definitely the hands-on experience,” said Hoffman. “People are eager to learn something and walk away with a new skill. It gives a huge sense of empowerment.”

A student works on making a needle felted succulent at Old Irving Brewing Co.

Zubaer Khan/Sun-Times

Mayor Brandon Johnson credits tipped minimum wage law with fueling growth in Chicago

2025-06-23T16:31:05.428-05:00

Mayor Brandon Johnson, local leaders and advocates on Monday said a Chicago law that raises the minimum wage of tipped workers, such as restaurant servers, has fueled economic growth in the city, though industry groups claim it hurts businesses and employees.

A city ordinance that went into effect last July “has transformed the lives of so many people. It re-affirms that everyone in Chicago gets to earn a fair wage,” Johnson said at a news conference at TNT Rooftop Restaurant in Austin. “We’re not going to turn back. We’re going to continue to raise the wage of workers.”

The law requires Chicago restaurants to pay tipped workers 8% more annually, until their hourly wage reaches parity with the city’s standard minimum wage in 2028. On July 1, tipped workers' hourly wages will rise again from $11.02 to $12.62.

Clock has started on 5-year plan that’ll raise wages for Chicago’s tipped workers

The ordinance has sharply divided supporters of the law and the restaurant industry. Labor advocates say tipped workers need higher wages. Restaurant associations say that federal law already ensures a base minimum wage and Chicago’s ordinance will reduce earnings for tipped workers at a time when eateries haven’t recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Samoora Williams, an organizer with advocacy group One Fair Wage, bartended in Chicago from 2019 to 2022. She made a base pay of $10 an hour; additional tips did not bring her up to minimum wage, she said on Monday. Williams wasn’t aware of the federal law mandating employers pay minimum wage if tips don’t bring workers to that baseline.

One Fair Wage organizer James Rodriguez worked as a host at a Lincoln Park Italian restaurant for two years. He said the eatery paid tipped workers minimum wage if they didn’t reach that threshold with tips. But “a lot of workers don’t know they’re supposed to be making that,” said Rodriguez. “There are so many cases of abuse of the law. The city doesn’t have the manpower to go after those restaurants.”

Workers deserve livable salaries, “not wages that keep you in survival mode,” Ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th) said at Monday’s news conference. Business in Chicago is “thriving” and hundreds of new food businesses have opened, said Fuentes, who sponsored the ordinance. “The rhetoric that [the law] is killing the industry is not holding up.”

But industry groups, some restaurateurs and city officials are fighting Chicago’s policy. In May, Ald. Bennett Lawson (44th) proposed an ordinance that would halt the tipped minimum wage law. The proposal is waiting in committee.

“We can no longer deny what the data is telling us — this policy is hurting hard-working restaurant employees and further harming our neighborhood establishments,” Lawson said in a statement on Monday.

In a report released Monday, One Fair Wage said Chicago has issued 856 new retail food licenses since July 2024 and 50% fewer licenses were canceled in 2024, compared to 2023.

But the Illinois Restaurant Association said the industry has lost 5,200 jobs in Chicago from July 1, 2024 through Dec. 1, 2024, citing data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

More than 100 restaurants across the city have closed since 2024. Some Chicago restaurateurs say the ordinance was a factor that forced them to cut jobs.

December 2024 marked the lowest level of full-service restaurant employment since February 2023, said Protect Illinois Hospitality, a coalition of tipped workers and business owners, citing BLS data.

Sam Toia, CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association, said in a statement on Monday, “It is an incredibly difficult time for restaurants. Many are struggling to stay open. The policy is pushing independent restaurants to the brink, driving up prices for consumers and putting thousands of tipped employees out of jobs. ”

Toia added, “We strongly urge the Chicago City Council to pause and assess the real harm of the tip credit elimination before more damage is done by considering the ordinance recently introduced by Alder Bennett Lawson.”

Fuentes acknowledged that some restaurant owners have raised concerns to her about the tipped minimum wage law and said, “I will help you find resources to make sure you’re successful.”

Chicago restaurateurs push for repeal of law raising tipped wages; supporters want to expand it statewide

Chinatown, Uptown business owners worry about tariffs as Trump's trade war continues

2025-06-20T08:00:00-05:00

The turmoil of tariffs has been painful for Chicago businesses that rely on China, which is the main target of President Trump’s trade wars. The businesses who are especially hurting include those in Chinatown and Uptown, two neighborhoods with large Asian communities.

Spencer Ng owns Triple Crown, a 200-seat restaurant in Chinatown that his mother founded in 1996.

In April, after Trump ordered 145% tariffs on China, some of Ng’s vendors raised prices on ingredients from China such as Sichuan peppercorns and red chili. The price for a case of canned water chestnuts jumped to $55 in May, compared to $35 the previous year. Costs for canned bamboo shoots and green tea have also shot up.

Takeout containers, commonly made in China, have increased from $25 per case last year to $32, Ng estimated. Plastic table cloths used to cost 25 cents each last year but are now 45 cents.

But Ng hasn’t raised menu prices because loyal customers of the family-owned restaurant are price sensitive. And it would also cost $6,000 to re-print menus, at a time when costs are volatile due to tariffs.

After U.S.-China trade talks in London last week, Trump said the U.S. will get a “total of 55% tariffs, China is getting 10%.” But details of the terms remain scarce.

Across the U.S. and in Chicago, Chinatown businesses were hit harder during the pandemic because they received less government aid and were targets of anti-Asian racism. Older immigrant owners with limited English language skills were less equipped to pivot to new technologies such as apps and social media. Now, tariffs are their latest challenge.

Spencer Ng, owner of Triple Crown, said some of the spices and green tea he uses at his restaurant have gone up by about 25% following President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times

Ng is part of the newer generation of owners. But for Triple Crown, at 2217 S. Wentworth Ave., the latest cost spikes are part of the ongoing challenge of high inflation since the COVID-19 pandemic.

He estimated the overall cost of most ingredients and supplies have increased 10%-25%, or more. Monthly bills from his meat distributor were about $14,000 last year but are now about $22,000.

In May, the U.S. and China announced a 90-day truce. The U.S. lowered most tariffs on imports from China from a sky-high 145% to 30%.

But the reprieve wasn’t a complete relief for Ng. “The crazy thing is uncertainty. We don’t know what to expect anymore,” he said.

Ng isn’t stocking up on goods during the 90-day pause because he lacks storage space and doesn’t want to disrupt cash flow. In addition, some items from China take several months to ship to Chicago, and tariffs can change any time.

Ng had been readying to expand next door in a new space spanning three floors. He had ordered furniture, light fixtures, tiles and other materials from China. But because of tariffs, he paused the expansion.

Sea cucumber from China

At Sea Cucumber City, an herbal medicine and snacks store in Chinatown, 80% of products come from China, said manager Aina Lei. Bins and jars are filled with dried lotus seeds, salted fish, ginseng, sea cucumber and other items.

The store at 247 W. Cermak Road has raised prices of some goods from China in recent months, Lei said. For example, dried lotus seeds were $13 per pound in April but rose to $16.50 per pound last month.

In April, customers were stocking up on products, but purchases slowed down by May, Lei said. Before Trump took office, she had no idea that tariffs would affect Sea Cucumber City, which opened three years ago.

Lei also said the 90-day truce between the U.S. and China doesn’t give much relief to the business. Every day she is unsure what will happen next.

Sea Cucumber City at 247 W. Cermak Road. | Amy Yee/Sun-Times

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Aina Lei, manager of Sea Cucumber City | Amy Yee/Sun-Times

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Herbal medicine for sale at Sea Cucumber City in Chinatown. | Amy Yee/Sun-Times

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Products such as coffee and herbal medicine for sale at Sea Cucumber City. | Amy Yee/Sun-Times

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Clayton Xu, policy manager at nonprofit Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community | Amy Yee/Sun-Times

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Clayton Xu, policy manager at nonprofit Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community based in Chinatown, said neighborhood shops that sell sundries from China such as housewares are especially vulnerable to tariffs. They cater to price-sensitive Chinatown residents, especially senior citizens. Tariffs are causing confusion among Chinatown business owners and customers, Xu said.

That’s especially so for shops in the older part of Chinatown along Wentworth Avenue, where business owners face more language, cultural and technology barriers.

Newer businesses closer to Chinatown Square include more franchises with tech savvy, networked owners, Xu said. They have more resources, while mom-and-pop shops with older owners tend to struggle more.

Chinatown was already seeing unbalanced growth between its older and newer parts, Xu said. The added pressure of tariffs could widen the divide.

The coalition's forthcoming survey of Chinatown businesses found that many lack trust in government agencies and nonprofits, so they don’t use those resources when facing hardship. It can be harder to know if they need help, and sometimes they wait until it’s too late.

Uptown’s latest challenge

In Uptown, many Asian-owned businesses have been struggling since the pandemic. The neighborhood is known for its Southeast Asian community, whose main street is dubbed “Asia on Argyle.”

Tariffs add to their burden, said Chettha Saetia, economic development director at the Chinese Mutual Aid Association based in Uptown.

Before the pandemic, the neighborhood was bustling and it was hard to find parking, Saetia said. Now, more storefronts are empty, especially near Argyle Street. He estimated that 30% of stores are closed in Uptown.

For businesses that import ingredients and supplies from China, tariffs have raised costs by as much as 25%, Saetia said. In recent months, he has advised them to diversify sourcing away from China to Vietnam and Thailand, even though both are among some 60 countries Trump slapped with tariffs in April. A separate 90-day pause lowered most tariffs to 10% through July.

Customers browse the pastries and baked goods at La Patisserie P in Uptown.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

In recent years, the mutual aid association has helped local business owners by connecting them to grants and government assistance. But many are still grappling with multiple challenges, including inflation, less foot traffic and gentrification.

“It’s one thing after another,” Saetia said, adding people can support Uptown by going out to eat and shopping at local businesses.

Peter Yuen, owner of La Patisserie P at 1050-52 W. Argyle St., said tariffs have been a wake-up call. Costs have rocketed for red bean paste and melon cake ingredients that only come from China, for example. Sacks of flour from China made from U.S. wheat costs $75, compared to $35 a year ago.

Yuen said business has been slower in Uptown in recent years. But La Patisserie P — known for croissants and Asian-French fusion pastries — is still doing well. Yuen credits his bakery’s reasonable prices on high-quality items, such as its barbecue pork buns for $3.75.

But the many vacant storefronts in Uptown are a “major concern.”

He's trying to adapt by coming up with distinctive pastries and looking for more storage space to stock up on supplies.

Yet his bakery remains steadfast in spite of the challenges. “We have been here since 1982,” Yuen said of his second-generation family business. “Surviving and striving is what we do, as Chinese Americans do through the centuries.”

Contributing: AP

Peter Yuen, owner of La Patisserie P, holds a tray of sesame balls, melon hopia and red bean hopia at his Uptown bakery.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times