A bar in Chicago is offering thousands of dollars total in gift cards to patrons who've been vaccinated against COVID-19 in an effort to encourage inoculations.
Village Tap, located at 2055 W Roscoe St. in the city's Roscoe Village neighborhood, posted on social media that it will be giving out 1,000 gift cards of $10 each to customers who show proof that they've been vaccinated.
"Thank you first responders and everyone doing their part to help stem the devastation caused by COVID-19," the craft beer bar posted on Facebook Thursday.
"We care deeply about our staff, our guests, as well as the safety of our community," the post continues. "By getting vaccinated, you are showing you care about us and you are doing your part to help all of of us move one step closer to normal."
The bar, which has been open since 1990, said the gift cards are limited to one per person and will be given "as a token of our gratitude for being vaccinated."
"All you need to do is come in, show proof of vaccination, and a gift card will be emailed to you the following day for use on your next visit," the post says.
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As of Friday, vaccinations in Chicago and Illinois have been limited strictly to health care workers since they began last month. Chicago officials announced Thursday that health care providers can begin giving vaccines to people over age 65 who live or work in Chicago in a modified next phase of the city's vaccination rollout.
The Village Tap's promotion comes as restaurants and bars in Chicago and across the state continue to weather economic devastation brought on by shutdowns of indoor dining that were implemented last year to slow the spread of the pandemic.
While Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker was slated to announce Friday that some of the state's 11 regions can begin to lift their Tier 3 restrictions for the first time since November, the easing of those mitigations will not include the return of indoor service.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Thursday that she wants to reopen Chicago restaurants and bars "as quickly as possible" and that she planned to have a conversation with the governor on that topic.
