Restaurants in Illinois
Chicago tipped pay rose again. Spend staff time wisely.
Chicago pays $17.05 ($12.96 tipped) and Illinois signed a junk-fee ban. AI answers calls; your site shows one honest price.
- 23,334restaurants in Illinois
- 9,928sit-down (full-service)
- 18restaurants per 10,000 people
- #20of 51 by number of restaurants
What Illinois owners are up against
The pressures, and how we take them off you.
- 1
Labour costs keep rising
Chicago's minimum wage is $17.05 and the tipped cash wage $12.96. Every staff hour spent answering phones costs more.
Source · 2026-11-05
- 2
Junk-fee ban signed
Illinois' Junk Fee Ban Act, signed June 2026, requires advertised prices to include mandatory fees and covers restaurants and food delivery platforms.
Source · 2026-06
- 3
Chicago's delivery cap expired
Chicago's 15% delivery fee cap expired October 31, 2021, so app commissions are back to plan rates of 15-30%.
Source · 2021-11
Lead with:Maya, the AI phone hostOnline orderingReservationsKitchen display
Law watch
What’s changing for Illinois restaurants.
Chicago One Fair Wage ordinance (tip credit phase-out, paused May 2026)
Tipped wage $12.96 from July 1, 2026; next step delayed two years, full phase-out pushed to about 2030 for larger employers.
From 2026-07-01 · Source
Illinois Junk Fee Ban Act
All-in advertised prices incl. mandatory fees; restaurant-specific compliance rules; AG enforces. Effective date: confirm in public act.
Interchange Fee Prohibition Act (no swipe fees on tax/tips)
Delayed to July 1, 2027 and enjoined for national banks and card networks; litigation continues.
From 2027-07-01 · Source
Wages in 2026
Minimum wage $15.00; tipped minimum $9.00. Maya answering the phone frees paid hours for cooking and serving.
For information only, not legal advice. Check the source for your city.
Markets in Illinois
Pick your city.
Does WhatsTable work for restaurants in Illinois?
Yes. WhatsTable works for any restaurant on Clover, in any cuisine, anywhere in Illinois. We set it up with you on a call.
What is the minimum wage for restaurant staff in Illinois in 2026?
The state minimum wage is $15.00 and the tipped minimum is $9.00. Some cities set higher rates. Check the official source for your city.
Are delivery app fees capped in Illinois?
In Chicago (15% (expired)). Orders on your own WhatsTable site pay no delivery-app commission; WhatsTable's fee is 5–10% of sales through it, and nothing is added to the guest's bill.
What does it cost?
There is no monthly fee, no setup fee and no contract. WhatsTable takes 5–10% of the sales that come through it. Walk-in sales cost you nothing.
Restaurant owners in Illinois are represented by Illinois Restaurant Association.
You cook. We’ll bring the orders, in Illinois.
We take care of marketing and sales, so you can take care of the kitchen and good food. 20 minutes on a call.
$0 a month · No setup fee · No contract · Nothing added to your guests' bill