Northern Fork
Northern Fork is a privately held Chicagoland catering and event-services company offering drop-off catering, full-service wedding and corporate catering, pharmaceutical/medical office catering, and film production catering, serving consumers and businesses across the Chicago metropolitan area since 2003.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersArlington Heights, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Northern Fork does
Northern Fork is a privately held catering and event-services company founded in 2003 and headquartered at 2420 East Oakton Street, Mount Prospect, Illinois, serving the Chicagoland market. The company operates multiple service lines under the Northern Fork Catering & Events brand: (i) drop-off catering for breakfast, lunch, grazing boxes, appetizers, and events, delivered to customer locations; (ii) full-service catering for weddings and corporate events, offered in plated, family-style, or buffet formats at customer or partner venues; (iii) pharmaceutical and medical office catering with recurring-order mechanics for Lunch & Learn meetings; (iv) film and production catering with flexible scheduling including overnight shoots; and (v) life-events and milestones catering for showers, birthdays, anniversaries, and similar celebrations.
The company generates revenue primarily through event-based, one-time pricing per order or per event, with a subscription/recurring component in its pharmaceutical vertical. Pricing is unit-based across menu items ($1.99–$39.99), with grazing boxes priced $69.99–$174.99 serving 8–12 guests, and gift cards offered in $10–$500 denominations as an add-on retail stream. Drop-off catering requires 48-hour advance notice and is fulfilled via direct delivery. Wedding and corporate full-service catering is sold through an inquiry/consultation process with a dedicated events team. Distribution combines self-serve online ordering via a third-party BentoBox commerce platform, phone and email intake, on-site execution, wedding marketplace listings (Wedding Wire, The Knot), wedding expo presence, and a network of 10+ preferred Chicago event-venue partnerships.
Northern Fork operates from a single facility that underwent a major renovation completed in June 2024, doubling kitchen space, expanding the expo area, adding a tasting room, and increasing office space for sales and operations. Headcount is reported at 51–100 employees. The company is led by owner and President Stephen Slayton. There is no proprietary technology platform, no AI or ML capabilities disclosed, no patents, and no institutional investors or parent company identified. Customer logos and named accounts are not disclosed.
Northern Fork firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Northern Fork
- Legal name
- Northern Fork
- Website
- https://northernfork.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Northern Fork is a privately held Chicagoland catering and event-services company offering drop-off catering, full-service wedding and corporate catering, pharmaceutical/medical office catering, and film production catering, serving consumers and businesses across the Chicago metropolitan area since 2003.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Northern Fork industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Catering Services
- NAICS
- Caterers (722320), Food Service Contractors (722310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wedding & Social Event Catering (THAHAKAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Event Catering (Weddings, Social, Private Parties) (THAFAIAB), Full-Service Catering (Off-Premise) (HSACAGAA)
Keywords
Where Northern Fork is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Arlington Heights
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Northern Fork business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Drop-Off Catering: One-time transactional catering orders for breakfast, lunch, appetizers, and events delivered to customer locations. Orders range from individual items to full grazing boxes and themed stations.
- Full-Service Wedding Catering: Custom catering services for weddings including plated, family-style, or buffet service. Revenue generated through event-based pricing with consultation and custom menu development.
- Corporate Events Catering: Catering services for corporate events, meetings, and office lunches. May include bar service with craft cocktails and local beers.
- Pharmaceutical/Medical Office Catering: Recurring catering for pharmaceutical representatives, medical offices, and Lunch & Learn meetings. Designed for repeat ordering with simple reordering for busy schedules.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual Breakfast Items |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sandwich/Wrap Box Lunch |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Hot Entrées |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Grazing Boxes (Serves 8-12) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Appetizer Bites (Per Dozen) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Desserts |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Beverages |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Cards |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Northern Fork product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Northern Fork Catering & Events is a Chicagoland-based catering company that prepares made-from-scratch, seasonal food and delivers it through drop-off catering, full-service event catering for weddings and corporate functions, and specialized pharmaceutical/medical office and film production catering. The company operates from a renovated commercial kitchen in Mount Prospect, IL and serves customers across the greater Chicago metropolitan area.
Product overview
Northern Fork Catering & Events operates as a catering company offering multiple service lines unified under its brand. The core offerings consist of Drop-Off Catering (with comprehensive menus spanning Breakfast & Brunch, Appetizers, Grazing Boxes, Sandwiches, Power Bowls, Salads, Hot Entrées, and Desserts), Full Service Catering for weddings and corporate events, and specialized Pharmaceutical & Medical Office Catering. The company also provides Film & Production Catering, Life Events catering for celebrations, and Gift Cards as an add-on product. Preferred venue partnerships complement the full-service wedding and corporate catering offerings. All services emphasize made-from-scratch, seasonal menus with dietary accommodations including gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Northern Fork
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Northern Fork technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Northern Fork partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The Grove Redfield EstatecoreHistoric estate venue in Glenview, IL (1421 Milwaukee Ave) suitable for weddings, rehearsal dinners, and celebrations for 2-125 guests. Features Great Room with fireplace, cathedral ceilings, and outdoor covered pavilion.
- Loft on LakecoreAward-winning Chicago loft space in the West Loop/Fulton Market District (1366 W Lake St). Features exposed brick, 20ft tall oak timber ceilings, and 65ft skylight. Celebrating 11th year of hosting events.
- Ignite Glass StudioscoreEvent space at 401 N Armour St, Chicago, suitable for corporate parties, holiday events, fundraisers, team-building, weddings, and social celebrations.
- Ovation ChicagocoreAvant-garde event space at 2324 W Fulton St designed by Brininstool + Lynch architects, emphasizing classic design elements.
- The JoineryminorHandcrafted, light-filled venue at 2533 W Homer St on the south edge of Logan Square, suitable for celebrations, photo studios, and production.
- V.Collective PenthousecoreLuxury penthouse venue at 820 West Jackson in Chicago's West Loop with panoramic skyline views and boutique oasis atmosphere.
- Paris 312minorParisian-themed venue at 2116 N Halsted St featuring cherry blossom trees, floral wall, and elegant furnishings for romantic events.
- Arcana Vintage RentalsminorVintage rental company with Pilsen studio (2018 South Ashland) including CV Atelier, an intimate event venue ideal for showers, dinners, and photo shoots.
- Salvage Onecore60,000 square foot vintage warehouse at 1840 W Hubbard St featuring exposed brick, large windows, eclectic furniture mix for unique events.
- FairliecoreVersatile space in Chicago's Kinzie Industrial Corridor suitable for weddings, private events, meetings, and production.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Northern Fork competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Blue Plate Chicago: Established Chicago multi-service catering company serving corporate events, weddings, and private parties. Comparable because it competes in the same Chicago event-catering space with overlapping service lines and customer segments.
- Jewell Events Catering: Chicago luxury wedding and social-events caterer with multiple service styles (plated, family-style, buffet). Comparable because it competes directly in the same premium-wedding vertical with similar preferred-venue partnerships.
- Tasty Catering: Chicago-area corporate and event caterer offering drop-off, buffet, and full-service options. Comparable because it targets the same corporate-event and office-lunch segment with comparable scale and service model.
- Big Delicious Planet: Chicago-based caterer serving corporate events, weddings, and social gatherings with a similar full-service and drop-off mix. Comparable because it competes head-to-head for the same Chicago-area corporate and wedding customers.
- Food For Thought: Chicago event caterer focused on corporate meetings, social events, and weddings. Comparable because it operates the same model (full-service + drop-off) in the same Chicagoland market with similar venue-partner and corporate-account dynamics.
- Hearty Boys Catering: Chicago corporate and social-event caterer with a strong wedding and private-event focus. Comparable because it serves the same Chicagoland corporate and social-event customers with a similar full-service catering approach.
Broad incumbents
- Aramark: Global food-service and facility-services company with substantial event and institutional catering operations. Comparable as a broad incumbent that competes for the same corporate-event and institutional food-service contracts at national scale.
- Compass Group: Global food-service contractor that includes large-scale event and corporate catering in its portfolio. Comparable as a broad incumbent operating in the same special-food-services category, though at much larger scale and breadth.
- Sodexo: Global food-services and facilities-management company with event catering and corporate dining offerings. Comparable as a broad incumbent in special food services, operating at much larger scale but serving overlapping customer segments.
- ezCater: National corporate-catering marketplace serving the same office-lunch and corporate-event buyer that Northern Fork targets via drop-off catering. Comparable because it competes for the same customer wallet and increasingly offers direct-caterer fulfillment in Chicago.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Northern Fork social profiles
Digital presenceNorthern Fork financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Northern Fork leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Northern Fork funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Northern Fork M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Northern Fork
What does Northern Fork do?
Northern Fork Catering & Events is a Chicagoland-based catering company that prepares made-from-scratch, seasonal food and delivers it through drop-off catering, full-service event catering for weddings and corporate functions, and specialized pharmaceutical/medical office and film production catering. The company operates from a renovated commercial kitchen in Mount Prospect, IL and serves customers across the greater Chicago metropolitan area.
Is Northern Fork a public or private company?
Northern Fork is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Northern Fork founded?
Northern Fork was founded in 2003. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Northern Fork based?
Northern Fork is headquartered in Arlington Heights, United States, in the North America region.
How does Northern Fork make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Drop-Off Catering is the primary driver. The others are full-Service Wedding Catering, corporate Events Catering and pharmaceutical/Medical Office Catering.
Who are Northern Fork's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Blue Plate Chicago, Jewell Events Catering, Tasty Catering, Big Delicious Planet, Food For Thought and Hearty Boys Catering. Broad incumbents are Aramark, Compass Group, Sodexo and ezCater.
Does Northern Fork have an API?
No public API is recorded for Northern Fork.
What industry is Northern Fork in?
Northern Fork's product category is Catering Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHAKAE, Wedding & Social Event Catering, with a secondary code of THAFAIAB, Event Catering (Weddings, Social, Private Parties). Its NAICS code is 722320.