A popular Chicago restaurant owner is suing the city, alleging that his business license was not renewed because of his race.
The owner of Beat Kitchen, Robert Gomez, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit claiming the city favored a Black-owned business for a spot on the Riverwalk.
For three years, Beat Kitchen operated profitably on the Chicago Riverwalk, generating an estimated $3 million a year in sales.
Gomez says he followed all city rules and was the most qualified vendor to continue operating, even submitting his full application on time.
The Allegations
Gomez’s lawsuit claims that city officials “tilted the scales” to ensure an African American-owned business replaced Beat Kitchen.
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Discrimination Claimed: The lawsuit states that city officials privately invited a late and incomplete proposal from the race-favored vendor.
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Rules Allegedly Broken: It is also alleged that mandatory evaluation rules were manipulated and undisclosed racial considerations were used to benefit the competitor.
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Legal Stance: Gomez asserts that while he supports genuine equity based on transparent, consistent rules, the city’s actions substituted “race-influenced directives” for the lawful evaluation process. This is claimed to violate both city ordinance and federal law.
Gomez reported putting $600,000 into the Riverwalk space over four years. “It’s crushing,” he said, noting the music industry’s struggles since COVID-19.
The Beat Kitchen location was ultimately given to another local company, Haire’s Gulf Shrimp.
The lawsuit seeks to void that new license and asks for financial damages for the lost revenue.
City Response
The agency overseeing the Riverwalk, Chicago’s Fleet and Facility Management Department, has not commented on the pending lawsuit, which is standard practice for litigation.
However, they did confirm in April that the panel chose a different vendor.
This suit comes after the Trump Justice Department announced in May that it was investigating alleged racial discrimination within the Johnson administration regarding hiring and job decisions.
