Delicious! Catering Competitors

Blue Plate was founded in 1983 by Jim Horan, a social worker who spent his weekends cooking for friends’ parties - driven by a passion for bringing people together through food. What began with a grill and a big heart has grown into one of Chicago’s most trusted catering companies. Today, over 40 years later, Blue Plate is an award-winning hospitality leader known for delivering exceptional experiences across weddings, corporate events, and social celebrations. Our philosophy, “We Care More,” is at the heart of everything we do - brought to life by a team of dedicated culinary and service professionals who bring creativity, warmth, and precision to every event. Our chef-driven menus are made fresh from scratch at our USDA-certified facility in Fulton Market and fully customized to reflect your style and needs. Whether you're hosting an intimate gathering or a large-scale gala, we offer full-service catering, staffing, and event coordination, ensuring every detail is thoughtfully handled. With preferred status at over 100 of Chicago’s most iconic venues, and the distinction of being the city’s first Green Restaurant Association-certified caterer, Blue Plate is proud to lead with purpose, passion, and a commitment to making every event unforgettable.

To strive for a sustainable future for our children by providing local and organic school lunches and healthier eating options. We are committed to working with community partners to provide solid nutrition for all children in order to help them learn and grow. Collaborating within regional food systems around the Chicago food shed, Gourmet Gorilla works with food hubs, rural farmers, urban agriculturalists, dietitians, nutritionists, talented chefs, and organic food manufacturers. We provide quality ingredients as well as connections and partnerships to educational resources on healthy food curriculum, the value of fresh sustainable and organic food, garden projects, and ecological awareness.

Catered By Design's mission is to bring your events to life with sumptuous food and refreshing beverages presented in spectacular fashion. This also includes being a good steward of the environment. Our goal is to continually improve our sustainability practices by working closely with our vendors and partners to minimize the impact on the environment. Sam Gray, the President of Catered by design, started in his grandmother's kitchen as just a young kid, working up into Executive Chef positions at multiple restaurants and opening a few of his own, Sam has a lifetime of experience under his belt. Deciding to settle down over 20 years ago and began his journey with launching Catered by Design. In those 20+ years, we have built a loyal team to create and serve thousands of food & events seeking clients in Chicago and the greater area.