meetinchicago.com CATERERS Black woman-owned Nicole Jordan Catering can do everything from boxed lunches to snacking spreads and full buffets. Expect thoughtful menus with dishes like shrimp and grits and fresh summer salads. Family-owned West Loop restaurant Saigon Sisters caters authentic Southeast Asian dishes. Savor Vietnamese and Thai fare like bánh mì sandwiches, pho, and curries — plus French macarons for dessert. Food For Thought has been feeding Chicago since 1991. The specialized workplace solutions at this woman-owned business include drop-off food delivery, full-service catering, and creative culinary experiences that incorporate your event branding. Atzimba Catering & Events specializes in authentic Mexican and pre-Hispanic dishes, like sweet mole short ribs and Michoacáno corundas (a type of tamale). Owner Atzimba Perez has worked as the chef for the Mexican consulate in Chicago. Marina’s Bistro & Rum Bar brings Puerto Rican flavors to the Uptown neighborhood. Choose menu items like slow-roasted pork sandwiches on sweet pan sobao (a soft bread) and arroz con gandules from this LGBTQ+-owned restaurant. Justice of the Pies offers delectable dishes and desserts from James Beard Award finalist Maya Camille-Broussard. Treat your team to the Black-and woman-owned bakery’s lemon chicken-and-leek pot pie or smoked gouda-spinach quiche, plus dessert pies that include bourbon-pecan and salted caramel-peach. The women-and Asian Pacific-owned 2d Restaurant in Lakeview offers unique catering options. Signature items include Japanese mochi doughnuts, a Taiwanese fried chicken sandwich lunch box, and a teriyaki tofu rice bento box. A variety of dining options are offered by chef Mychael Bonner’s CMB Catering . Choices on the extensive catering menu include grazing stations with cheeses and sushi; continental, classic, and biscuit bar breakfasts; and meat and seafood entrees. U.S. Army veteran Quinton McNair’s Strugglebeard Bakery offers delicious baked goods while advocating for mental health awareness. Treat your attendees to cookies, muffins, chocolate-dipped strawberries, and cupcakes in flavors like red velvet, strawberry lemonade, and pineapple-coconut. Or opt to give baskets of the sweet treats as gifts. Let Ida’s Artisan Ice Cream & Treats create a cool experience for your guests. The woman-and Black-owned business in Garfield Park offers prepackaged 8-ounce servings and gallon buckets of ice cream flavors like pineapple-passion fruit, banana pudding, and Mexican vanilla. They’ll also set up and serve ice cream dipped in hot chocolate. GIFTS The candies at Chocolat Uzma highlight the flavors of chef Uzma Sharif’s South Asian heritage. Wow event guests with sweet bites boasting notes of Kashmiri chai and Lapsang tea. Share delicious artisanal foods curated by Here Here Market . Their mission-based gift baskets are packed with goodies from female founders, AAPI creators, and Black-owned brands from the Chicago area. Love Cork Screw is a women of color-owned wine brand that aims to make wine fun and inclusive. Their approachable bottles from Michigan and California are crowd pleasers for oenophiles and casual sippers alike. The themed gifts from woman-owned BasketWorks make ideal event or hotel welcome gifts, ranging from chocolate to charcuterie and Chicago sports. They can even create custom packages to fit your brand. Outfit your guests in hip merch from Latino-owned CHICAGOMIDWESTMADE , with hoodies and tees that rep Chicago pride. Get custom apparel with your logo or branding in colorful screen prints or embroidery. Bitoy’s Sweet Treats handcrafts its goodies and delivers them right to your venue. Try savory popcorn, fudge brownies, cupcake cookies, hand-dipped caramel apples, or pecan turtles. Beautifully wrapped VIP gift boxes are also available from this woman-and Black-owned business. For a carefully curated collection of home goods and gifts, look to Blacklion . This luxurious woman-owned store is packed with thoughtful pieces for colleagues and clients that show off your good taste. BeeLove ’s products are created with 100% raw, urban honey sourced from local wildflowers and fruit trees. Select from items like natural honey, lip balm, body lotion, and shower gel. The Black-owned business trains and employs people post-incarceration. Choose from eclectic jewelry, art, and apparel from around the world at The Silver Room . The Black-owned Hyde Park showroom promotes global community and culture via its artisan goods. Gift ideas include books by Black authors, incense, soy candles, soaps, and chakra bracelets. Candyality ’s gifts can be tailor-made with hand-selected candies, and can be designed to reflect a specific theme. Candy styles at the woman-owned Streeterville shop include chewy, colorful, crunchy, sour, retro, and more. Ready-made options include boxes of gourmet chocolates and cotton candy towers.
Chicago Meeting Professionals Guide 2026: Page 35
