Last month when Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced his streamlining of city business licensing procedures, he chose Logan Square Kitchen as the location to herald this new day in better relations between the city and small businesses.

And so it’s more than a little ironic that today LSK owner Zina Murray annouced on her website that her shared kitchen is closing at the end of June due to continued red tape from the city. The city’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

Here’s an excerpt from and link to her full post:

It’s a sad time when our government kills the very things that can heal our City. Logan Square Kitchen was designed to heal the local economy, environment and food system all at once. It was an innovative, bold idea that never had its chance. The Dept of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) began hammering nails in its coffin before we even opened our doors in 2009 and hasn’t stopped. Unfortunately, we see no end to regulatory burdens, which will continue to block our ability to grow a healthy business.

Murray says that the 20 businesses operating in her shared kitchen–which rents hourly cooking space to artisanal food entrepreneurs–will have to find new kithens by June 28.

via Chicago Tribune.

Very sad.

A government overrun with power.  Harassing the very people who create jobs and pay the bills.  This is why Illinois is doing poorly and other states (Wisconsin, Indiana) are recovering.