32nd Ward Business Newsletter - July 2026

Hello John,

We hope you are having a great summer so far with plenty of great days ahead. Just a few reminders in the email below and see some more city and neighborhood business resources at the bottom of the email.

If you are operating a sidewalk cafe, please make sure all of your permits are up to date and the cafe is properly set up. Please make sure all areas around your business are clean, especially alleys and dumpsters. These are areas both businesses and residents use, so please keep them clean.

Join our friends at the North Branch Works for a bike tour on July 25th from 10 a.m. to noon. Sign up below! And, the Small Business Advocacy Council is hosting a fun event next week at DePaul in Lincoln Park with local legislators.

Have a great week,

Alderman Scott Waguespack

32nd Ward

Sidewalk Cafés

Chicagoans LOVE a sidewalk café! Just a reminder to make sure that your café permits are valid and posted to your window to avoid any issues. If your café is not up to date, you can renew here.

A few reminders:

• Your café map must look the same as the actual café with listed hours
• String lights on cafés are not allowed per the café guidelines. (Unfortunately, we've had some 32nd ward cafés hit with violations for this)
• It is your responsibility to ensure that there is enough clearance on the curbside so cars can open their doors and to maintain a 6' clearance at all times for pedestrians
• Please make sure to have a staffer clean tables and pick up food/bottle debris
• No recorded or amplified sound is allowed on the cafés

If you want to know more, click here. Have a safe and happy sidewalk café season!

Street Sweeping

Street sweeping runs through November, weather permitting. Please make sure that employees and customers are aware of the bright orange signs announcing temporary parking restrictions and avoid blocking the street sweepers when making deliveries.

Pick up a copy of the schedule from our office or just click here to print one! You can also track the City’s street sweeping fleet in real time through the Sweeper Tracker online tool.

You can assist the trucks by collecting and bagging yard leaves and landscaping debris and clearing catch basins or drains of debris.

Blowing leaves and landscaping onto City streets is illegal. Landscapers should be containing all debris from parkways and yards they are maintaining.

This is also a good opportunity for business owners to sweep, power wash, and collect trash from their storefronts and parkway. Alleys and dumpsters must be kept clean at all times, and grease bins should be thoroughly cleaned. Unfortunately, we are aware that some customers may drink on their way to bars, so anything bars and restaurants can do to clean up bottles and cups is greatly appreciated by neighbors and other customers.

Thank you in advance!

Upcoming Events

Make sure to sign up for the last Chicago Small Biz Expo in August! Register now.

Bike the North Branch: Blues & Brews Tour on July 25 - North Branch Works

Please join North Branch Works for our bike tour on July 25th from 10 a.m. to noon. To register, please go here.  

This 5-mile tour will highlight businesses from the music industry and the brewing and distilling world, that keep the city singing and dancing! 

The ride will start near famed Chicago venues, The Hideout and The Salt Shed, and follow the Elston separated bike lanes to Rockwell. We will make our first stop at Rockwell on the River for coffee and pastries at Dolce Arte (3057 N Rockwell St). 

After gathering refreshments, they will make a short jaunt to the outer walls of Electrical Audio (2621 W Belmont Ave) and visit Steve Albini Way to tell the story of an incredible audio engineer who worked with bands such as Nirvana, The Pixies, and PJ Harvey.  

The journey continues on the 312 River Run Trail, which includes the breathtaking Riverview Bridge (pictured below) that provides a safe connection across the Chicago River. While taking in the beautiful scenery and riding along the North Branch, we will discuss its designation as a "working" river with recreational benefits as well as collective efforts to revitalize the natural habitat. 

At Irving Park Road, we will leave the trail and stop into Delmark Records (4121 N Rockwell St) to discuss blues recordings at, "the oldest continuously operating jazz and blues independent record label in the United States." 

The ride concludes at Burning Bush Brewery (4014 N Rockwell St). Pizza will be provided at no extra cost! 

Graffiti Removal Services

The City of Chicago provides graffiti removal services for Chicago businesses. It is very disheartening to come to your place of business only to find it tagged with large spray paint. The City's Graffiti Removal Program employs "blast" trucks that use baking soda under high water pressure to remove painted graffiti from brick, stone and other mineral surfaces. The program also deploys paint trucks to cover graffiti on surfaces such as metal or wood. Please bear in mind that the City CANNOT match the paint to yours.

If you're hit with graffiti, you can either call our office at 773-248-1330 or 311. You can also enter a request online here. If you are a developer with a vacant or under construction property, you are encouraged to maintain a clean fence free of graffiti.

BUT WAIT! WHAT ABOUT GLASS ETCHING?

Sadly, the city does not have any services to address etchings in glass. Some of the SSA's provide anti-graffiti support, so it is worth reaching out to your local SSA to see if they have the program. You can also search for graffiti shield or anti-graffiti protective wrap for glass online.

Small Business Resources

32nd Ward Chambers of Commerce

Lakeview Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce

Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce

North Branch Works

Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce



Other Chicago Organizations

Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce

Hospitality Business Association of Chicago

Small Business Administration

Women's Business Development Center

Small Business Advisory Council -IL

Neighborhood Business Development Centers (NBDCs)

The Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) provides hyper-local support to entrepreneurs and business owners through the Neighborhood Business Development Centers (NBDC) Program, a network of Chicago-based nonprofit business service organizations providing free business development assistance and located throughout the City. NBDCs have a strong neighborhood network and can help start-up entrepreneurs, and existing business owners, with connecting businesses to financial resources, business-to-business networking opportunities, employment and workforce development assistance, and more. Find your local NBDC by visiting Chicago.gov/NBDC.

Regional Business Centers

Chicago Business Centers (CBC) are eight Chicago-based business service organizations located in neighborhoods to serve as regional hubs providing business licensing assistance and other resources for small businesses. The eight centers fill the current gap of local business resources, particularly for entrepreneurs in historically under served locations and populations.

To learn more about the Chicago Business Center and to set up a consultation with your local CBC, visit Chicago.gov/CBC.

Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit SBA.gov. 

BACP Business Education Webinars:

• To view upcoming webinars, visit Chicago.gov/BusinessEducation
• To view past webinars, visit YouTube.com/ChicagoBACP

City Business Related News Links


• Mayor’s Team Rejects Alderman’s Alternatives to Corporate Head Tax in Proposed Chicago Budget
• Chicago Lawmakers Vote to Freeze Tip Credit Elimination
• Chicago City Council Votes 33-15 to Reject Ban on ‘Sweepstakes’ Machines
• As State Approves 1st Video Gambling Licenses in Chicago, Mayor Asks City Council to Reverse Course
• Cocktails-To-Go, New State Agency Among Illinois Laws Taking Effect July 1
• Gov. Pritzker Signs Illinois Law Banning Sale of Intoxicating Hemp Products to Anyone Under 21
• I-Team Quick Tip: Job scams exploding