Key Takeaways
- Developed in collaboration with the Illinois Restaurant Association and supported by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, Airbnb’s Chicago restaurant guide highlights local restaurants and nearby stays across the city.
- Travelers will be encouraged to taste their way through the flavors of Pilson, Hyde Park, Andersonville, Logan Square, Bronzeville, and Chinatown.
Airbnb and the Illinois Restaurant Association, with the support of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, announced the launch of Airbnb’s Chicago Restaurant Guide, an online hub for locals and visitors that highlights stays nearby some of the best food that Chicago has to offer. The guide features restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, bars, and more, all recommended by local Chicago Hosts who open up their homes in some of the city’s most unique and vibrant neighborhoods.
The restaurant industry has been impacted by the pandemic, and Airbnb is proud to support recovery by spotlighting local favorites in Pilson, Hyde Park, Andersonville, Logan Square, Bronzeville, and Chinatown. The guide will target potential travelers and local Hosts across Illinois and will include a curated list of restaurants nearby other attractions and small businesses, including shops, museums, cultural landmarks, parks, art installations, and more.
This partnership is part of a collaborative effort to support Chicago’s visitor economy and local small businesses. In 2021, tourism in the Windy City generated an estimated $9.83 billion in total economic impact and supported more than 95,400 jobs in 2021 according to the Choose Chicago 2021 Annual Report. Airbnb helps keep more of the economics of travel in the communities where it happens because Hosts keep the vast majority of what they charge and guests spend locally at restaurants, coffee shops, and other small businesses.
We are thrilled to partner with Airbnb in support of our local Chicago restaurants and small businesses. This guide will help remind locals and visitors of what makes Chicago’s food scene so unique during a critical time of recovery. Sam Toia, Illinois Restaurant Association President and CEO
Chicago’s restaurant scene is second to none, and as the independent voice of the Chicago business community, the Chicagoland Chamber is proud to partner with Airbnb to highlight our world-class restaurants. Our members in the restaurant and hospitality industry are a critical part of what makes our city so unique and are helping to put Chicago front-and-center as a top global culinary destination. Jack Lavin, President and CEO of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
In 2021, Hosts in Chicago welcomed nearly 435,000 guests, including to neighborhoods not traditionally served by hotels. Many Hosts often serve as local tour guides for guests. In a recent survey,1 58 percent of US guests reported their Hosts recommended restaurants and cafes, with 52 percent of guests saying those recommendations were within the local neighborhood of the stay.
By opening up their homes to travelers from around the world, Airbnb Hosts support the local economy and small businesses. We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Illinois Restaurant Association and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce to help travelers discover and explore Chicago’s incredible and diverse food scene. Viviana Jordan, Airbnb’s Midwest Public Policy Lead
Airbnb is proud to help keep more of the returns of tourism in the communities and neighborhoods where it takes place, creating economic opportunity for families and bringing new customers to small businesses. Hosts keep the vast majority of what they charge for their listing and more than half of what guests spend during their US trips – 51 percent in 2021* – occurs in neighborhoods where they stay, supporting local small businesses like the ones featured in this recent Chicago guide.2
- 1. Based on a survey of 20,900 Airbnb guests in the US who booked between June 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021 and were surveyed between February 17, 2022 – March 31, 2022.
- 2. Based on a survey of 30,790 Airbnb guests in the US who booked between June 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021 and were surveyed between February 17, 2022 – March 31, 2022.
About the Illinois Restaurant Association
Founded in 1914, the Illinois Restaurant Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, protecting, educating and improving the restaurant industry in Illinois. To learn more visit www.illinoisrestaurants.org.
About the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit organization that represents more than 1,000 member companies, which collectively employ 400,000 employees and generate $24 billion in revenue. The Chamber combines the power of membership with its legacy of leadership and business advocacy to drive a dynamic economy. To learn more, visit www.chicagolandchamber.org.
About Airbnb
Airbnb was born in 2007 when two Hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 4 million Hosts who have welcomed more than 1 billion guest arrivals across over 220 countries and regions. Travel on Airbnb keeps more of the financial benefits of tourism with the people and places that make it happen. Airbnb has generated billions of dollars in earnings for Hosts, most of whom are individuals listing the homes in which they live. Among Hosts who report their gender, more than half are women, and one in five employed Hosts are either teachers or healthcare workers. Travel on Airbnb also has generated more than $4 billion in tax revenue around the world. Airbnb has helped advance more than 1,000 regulatory frameworks for short-term rentals, including in 80% of our top 200 geographies. In late 2020, to support our continued expansion and diversification, we launched the City Portal to provide governments with a one-stop shop that supports data sharing and compliance with local registration rules. We continue to invest in innovations and tools to support our ongoing work with governments around the world to advance travel that best serves communities.
About Airbnb.org
Airbnb.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating temporary stays for people in times of crisis around the world. Airbnb.org operates independently and leverages Airbnb, Inc.”s technology, services, and other resources at no charge to carry out Airbnb.org”s charitable purpose. The inspiration for Airbnb.org began in 2012 with a single host named Shell who opened up her home to people impacted by Hurricane Sandy. This sparked a movement and marked the beginning of a program that allows Hosts on Airbnb to provide stays for people in times of need. Since then, the program has evolved to focus on emergency response and to help provide stays to evacuees, relief workers, refugees, asylum seekers, and frontline workers fighting the spread of COVID-19. Since then, Hosts have offered to open up their homes and helped provide accommodations to 100,000 people in times of need. Airbnb.org is a separate and independent entity from Airbnb, Inc. Airbnb, Inc. does not charge service fees for Airbnb.org supported stays on its platform.
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