'Itasca Bucks' restaurant voucher program extended

The “Itasca Bucks” voucher program to help provide financial assistance to local restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic will be extended until January, village officials announced during Tuesday's village board meeting.

The program, which was created by the village board, was set to end July 31. According to the village, new vouchers will be printed and mailed with a Dec. 31 expiration date, giving businesses until Jan. 31, 2021 to submit final reimbursement requests to the village.

The village does not plan to provide more money for the program, officials said, but they will monitor reimbursement requests and providing report outs

approximately twice per month and will advise the Village Board if additional funding may be required later in the year.

The program was extended based on its success and because of the COVID-19 pandemic's long-term economic effect on local businesses that have been longer than anticipated.

“This is challenging and we want to help as best we can,” he said. "The biggest businesses that are struggling right now are hotels and entertainment. We need to help them get back into the swing of things.”

The program works by providing each household in the village with $50 in total vouchers -- four $10 vouchers and two $5 vouchers. Only one voucher can be used at a time and it can't be combined with other discounts. Residents must mention the voucher when placing the order. The vouchers work for dine-in, takeout and deliveries of food.

Residents who don't want to use their Itasca Bucks can mail them back to the village or put them in the drop box at village hall and the vouchers will be donated to the Itasca Food Pantry.

Approximately $215,624.80 was the total direct cost of the vouchers that were distributed. The village does not plan to provide more money for the program. Participating businesses have sought reimbursements totaling $27,965 thus far.

While originally just five restaurants opted in, more have since joined. Currently, a total of 12 businesses are in the program: Antonio's Ristorante, Buenos Dias Burritos, Church Street Brewing Company, Cucina Casale, Daddy O's Diner, Fox & Turtle, Grando's Hot Dogs, Itasca Brewing Company, Kean's Bakery, Naxos Restaurant, Prairie River, and Tree Guys Pizza.

Gus Deoudes, the manager of Naxos A Greek Island, said the village program has been helpful to the eatery's 20 to 25 person staff.

“We were doing okay with just takeout but every little bit helps,” Deoudes said. “It was good for the people in the village to even do this.”