Custom Merch for Restaurants and Bars in Chicago, IL
Merch Mob makes kitchen shirts, front-of-house uniforms, and staff hats for restaurants and bars in Chicago, IL, at its shop in Montclair, CA, and ships them to Chicago. Chicago has more young adults than Illinois as a whole, with 29% of residents aged 18 to 34 against 23% statewide and 23% nationally (Census ACS, 2020-2024), so a retail tee with a bold design should find buyers among regulars.
Chicago by the numbers
Chicago's population has held steady since 2020, at 2,731,585 residents (Census estimates).
Cook County has 4,330 full-service restaurants with paid employees (Census County Business Patterns, 2023). That is 8.3 for every 10,000 residents, slightly above the national figure of 7.6. 47% of them employ fewer than 10 people; the rest are larger operations. The count is about where it was in 2018 (4,256).
It also has 901 bars and other drinking places with paid employees. That is 1.7 for every 10,000 residents, above the national figure of 1.2. 64% of them employ fewer than 10 people. The count is about where it was in 2018 (897).
Cook County as a whole has 5,194,625 residents, down 1.6% since 2020. Cook County has one full-service restaurant for every 1,200 residents.
- Population, 2025
- 2,731,585
- Since 2020
- −0.6%
- County
- Cook County
- Full-service restaurants in Cook County, 2023
- 4,330
- Per 10,000 county residents
- 8.3 (US 7.6)
- Bars and other drinking places in Cook County, 2023
- 901
- Per 10,000 county residents
- 1.7 (US 1.2)
- Time zone
- Central
- Median age
- 35.8 (US 38.9)
- Residents aged 18 to 34
- 29% (US 23%)
- Warmest month, average high
- July, 85°F
- Coldest month, average low
- January, 19°F
- Days at 90°F or hotter, a year
- 20
- Nights at 32°F or colder, a year
- 106
- Rain and melted snow, a year
- 34 in
- Snow, a year
- 39 in
- USPS zone from the shop
- 7
Weather: Chicago Midway Airport station, 5 mi from Chicago's center (NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals); snow from the Chicago Midway Airport 3SW station. People: Census ACS 2020-2024. Counts: CBP 2023, by county, paid-employee establishments. Population: Census, July 2025.
What Chicago's weather means for restaurants and bars
Summer can still turn hot, with about 20 days a year at 90°F or above, so patio season, May to September, calls for a light staff tee, and the summer retail design should be a tee rather than a crewneck. December to February brings average highs under 45°F, so staff need a logo hoodie or jacket for the walk in and out, and beanies and fleece fill the retail shelf through the holidays. With average highs under 65°F from October to April, half the year or more, a long-sleeve staff tee and a hoodie get more wear than the short-sleeve version, and the retail shelf can lean on fleece. Around 39 inches of snow a year means staff often arrive cold and wet in winter, so order staff hoodies in a dark color that hides salt and slush stains. Closing staff step into freezing air on about 106 nights a year, so a lined hoodie or jacket with the logo makes a practical staff gift for the holidays.
| Month in Chicago | Average high | Average low | Rain and melted snow (in) | What staff and regulars wear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33°F | 19°F | 1.5 | Beanies and gift-ready hoodies |
| February | 37°F | 23°F | 1.5 | Beanies and gift-ready hoodies |
| March | 48°F | 32°F | 1.9 | Staff hoodies and retail fleece |
| April | 60°F | 41°F | 3.6 | Staff hoodies and retail fleece |
| May | 71°F | 52°F | 4.1 | Staff tees and retail tees |
| June | 81°F | 62°F | 4 | Staff tees and retail tees |
| July | 85°F | 68°F | 3.6 | Light blended staff tees and caps |
| August | 83°F | 66°F | 4 | Staff tees and retail tees |
| September | 76°F | 59°F | 2.8 | Staff tees and retail tees |
| October | 63°F | 47°F | 3.5 | Staff hoodies and retail fleece |
| November | 49°F | 35°F | 2.4 | Staff hoodies and retail fleece |
| December | 38°F | 25°F | 1.8 | Beanies and gift-ready hoodies |
Made in So Cal, shipped to Chicago.
Orders ship to Chicago from the shop; there is no office or pickup point in Illinois.
Chicago is about 1,711 miles from Merch Mob's shop in Montclair, CA, a straight-line distance. From the shop's ZIP code, Chicago is USPS zone 7. Chicago is on Central time, 2 hours ahead of the shop's Pacific time.
From the production floor
Merch Mob production in Southern California.
Ordering from Chicago
When do patio staff in Chicago need a warmer layer?
For most of the year: average highs stay under 65°F from October to April, so patio staff should have a hoodie or jacket on hand from October on, and a short sleeve is the exception.
More for Chicago
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