Tourists have returned to Chicago’s downtown this summer, and anyone looking at the crowds thronging Millennium Park, the Riverwalk and stores on Michigan Avenue might think the city’s pandemic crisis is past. But “For Rent” signs still cover many downtown storefronts, and office workers remain scarce, which means fewer customers for Loop retailers. “Our customers are primarily people working for financial institutions and law firms, and you no longer see a lot of our customers, guys walking around with briefcases,” said Scott Shapiro, the owner of Syd Jerome, a luxury men’s clothing shop in t…
