Blue Plate Catering

What Blue Plate Catering does

Blue Plate Catering is a Chicago-based, privately held catering and food services company founded in 1983 by Jim Horan, operating from an 80,000 sq ft purpose-built facility in the Fulton Market district since 2016. The company offers three core service lines: full-service Catered Events (weddings, corporate events, social gatherings, and galas for 10 to 10,000 guests), recurring Workplace Dining programs for organizations (anchored by exclusive contracts at LinkedIn's Chicago office since 2017 and McDonald's West Loop headquarters since 2018), and a transactional Delivery/Drop-off Catering offering distributed through the GoTab online ordering platform under the gotab.io storefront. Its operations are supported by an 80,000 sq ft production facility, a culinary team led by Executive Chef Charles Haracz, and a deeply tenured event operations staff organized by venue specialization (e.g., Field Museum, Chicago Cultural Center, Old Post Office, Symphony Center).

The underlying platform is operational rather than technology-driven: preferred-caterer relationships at 85+ iconic Chicago venues (including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Millennium Park/Park Grill, Old Post Office, and Field Museum) form a distribution backbone that combines channel access with venue-exclusive contracts. Ancillary product lines include the Allium restaurant sub-brand at the Fulton Market facility and complementary partnerships with HMR Designs and Kehoe Designs (event production), Black Dog Gelato, and Intelligentsia Coffee.

The business model blends professional services (full-service event catering with equipment, staffing, and beverage), subscription/recurring revenue (workplace dining contracts), and transactional revenue (delivery with a $250 minimum subtotal and pay-as-you-go cadence). Customer segments span three primary use cases: Social Events and Weddings, Corporate Events, and Workplace Dining. Go-to-market is sales-led for events and workplace dining, with self-serve online ordering for the SMB/consumer delivery segment. The company is entirely domestic, operating solely in the Chicago metropolitan area, and was certified as Chicago's first Green-Certified caterer by the Green Restaurant Association in 2010.

Name

Blue Plate Catering

Legal name

Blue Plate Catering, Ltd.

Website

https://blueplatechicago.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Blue Plate Catering is a Chicago-based full-service catering and food services company serving weddings, corporate events, workplace dining programs, and delivery customers from an 80,000 sq ft facility. Founded in 1983, it operates as preferred caterer at 85+ Chicago venues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Catering Services

NAICS

Caterers (722320), Caterers (72232), Food Service Contractors (72231)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate & Business Event Catering (THAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wedding & Social Event Catering (THAHAKAE), Corporate & Office Catering (THAFAIAA), Venue & Banquet Hall Catering (THAFAIAC)

Keywords

• Full-service catering
• Event catering services
• Workplace dining programs
• Corporate event catering
• Wedding catering services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Catered Events: Full-service catering for weddings, corporate events, social gatherings, and galas. Includes food, beverage, service, and equipment such as china, silverware, glassware, tables, chairs, and linens. Events range from 10 to 10,000 guests.
2. Workplace Dining Programs: Customized daily food service programs for organizations providing employees with breakfast, lunch, and dining options. Tailored menus and sustainable practices integrated into workplace environments.
3. Delivery/Drop-off Catering: Quality food dropped off fresh to offices or homes. Orders placed online or via email with a $250 subtotal minimum. Includes disposables and serving equipment. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Blue Plate Catering is a Chicago-based full-service catering and food service company that provides catered events (weddings, corporate events, social gatherings, and galas for 10 to 10,000 guests), customized workplace dining programs for corporate organizations, and drop-off delivery catering for offices and homes. The company operates from an 80,000-square-foot facility in Chicago's Fulton Market district and is a preferred partner at more than 85 iconic Chicago venues.

Product overview

Blue Plate Catering is a catering and food service company offering three core service lines: Catered Events (weddings, corporate events, and social gatherings), Workplace Dining (customized daily food programs for organizations), and Delivery (drop-off catering for breakfast, lunch, and dinner). The company operates from an 80,000 square-foot facility in Chicago's Fulton Market district and is a preferred partner at over 85 iconic Chicago venues. Additional offerings include the Allium restaurant brand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Catered Events Full-service catering for weddings, corporate events, social gatherings, and galas, including food, beverage, service staff, and equipment (china, silverware, glassware, tables, chairs, and linens). Blue Plate serves as a preferred partner at more than 85 iconic Chicago venues and accommodates events ranging from 10 to 10,000 guests.
• Workplace Dining Customized, contracted daily food service programs for corporate workplaces providing breakfast, lunch, and ongoing dining solutions. Tailored menus integrate sustainable practices and dietary accommodations to support employee retention, recruiting, and on-site productivity.
• Delivery Drop-off catering delivering chef-crafted, handmade food directly to offices or homes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks. Orders include disposables and serving equipment and are delivered fresh ready-to-serve with professional driver setup.
• Weddings Wedding catering services including creative menus, presentations, and venue partnerships for wedding celebrations at Chicago's iconic venues.
• Corporate Events Corporate event catering including conferences, company celebrations, holiday parties, and charity galas for Chicago's top organizations.
• Social Gatherings Catering for birthdays, anniversaries, bar and bat mitzvahs, and other personal celebrations hosted at Chicago venues.
• Allium Restaurant brand featured at Blue Plate's Fulton Market facility, operated as a sub-brand of the catering company.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 3,800+ Hearty Midwestern Breakfasts per year
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 85+ Chicago VenuescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlue Plate is a preferred caterer at over 85 iconic Chicago venues including historic landmarks, private event spaces, downtown galleries, museums, and cultural institutions. These partnerships enable the company to serve as a one-stop venue resource for clients while securing preferred catering access at high-profile locations.
• Four Star MushroomsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal mushroom supplier located eight blocks from Blue Plate's facility. Blue Plate sources specialty mushrooms including Lion's Mane for innovative culinary dishes. Partnership supports local sourcing and farm-to-table initiatives.
• Intelligentsia CoffeeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoffee service partner featured at events including weddings and corporate functions. Intelligentsia provides regular and decaffeinated coffee and tea service for catering events.
• HMR DesignscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongtime partner and collaborator for event design and production. HMR Designs and Blue Plate co-host events and collaborate on creative outdoor events. The partnership exemplifies integrated event execution combining food and décor.
• Kehoe DesignsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvent design and production partner. Collaborated on magenta-themed events with Kehoe Designs handling design and production while Blue Plate provided catering.
• Black Dog GelatominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGelato cart partner for wedding dessert options. Black Dog Gelato provides gelato service as an alternative to traditional wedding cake at catering events.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sodexo: Global food services and facilities management giant. Competes with Blue Plate for high-profile workplace dining and event contracts at scale, especially with large corporate occupiers in Chicago.
• Aramark: Major food service, facilities, and uniform services provider with corporate dining and large-event capabilities. Competes for similar contracts at sports venues, cultural institutions, and corporate headquarters.
• Bon Appétit Management Company: Large corporate café and catering operator with strong workplace dining presence. Competitor for the same corporate workplace dining contracts (like LinkedIn, McDonald's HQ) that anchor Blue Plate's recurring revenue.
• Compass Group (Chartwells / Eurest): World's largest contract food service group, with units like Chartwells and Eurest serving corporate and institutional dining. Comparable to Blue Plate's workplace dining segment and a likely competitor for enterprise RFPs.

Direct peers

• Entertaining Company: Chicago-based full-service catering and event production company serving weddings, corporate, and social events. Direct competitor to Blue Plate across Chicago's premium event segment with overlapping venue relationships and customer profiles.
• Jewell Events Catering: Chicago-based full-service event caterer offering weddings, corporate events, and social gatherings. Directly competes with Blue Plate in the same Chicago market and venue ecosystem, including social and corporate segments.
• Fig Catering: Chicago boutique caterer serving events from intimate gatherings to larger corporate functions. Comparable in event catering scope and Chicago market focus, with similar wedding and corporate customer base.
• Annabelle's Catering & Event Design: Chicago-area full-service caterer focused on weddings, private events, and corporate gatherings. Operates in the same Chicago market with overlapping customer profiles and venue ecosystem.
• Beyond Catering & Events: Chicago caterer previously known as Something Cool, serving weddings, corporate, and social events. Comparable in service model and target market to Blue Plate with Chicago venue partnerships.

Others

• ezCater: Online marketplace for corporate catering connecting businesses with local caterers (including those in Chicago). Relevant as an aggregator/complementary channel rather than direct competitor; useful comparable for delivery and drop-off catering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/blueplatecater

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Blue Plate Catering