Founded in 1982, Olive Garden is owned by Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE:DRI), the world's largest company-owned and operated full-service restaurant company. With more than 800 restaurants, more than 92,000 employees and more than $3.5 billion in annual sales, Olive Garden is the leading restaurant in the Italian casual dining segment.
Italy serves as the inspiration for the brand, from its menus to its award-winning wine list to the Tuscan farmhouse design of its restaurants. Most of all, Olive Garden is inspired by the warmth and genuine hospitality of the Italian people, as well as the importance of family in their culture.
This passion for Italy led to the establishment of Olive Garden's Culinary Institute of Tuscany in 1999. More than 1,200 Olive Garden managers and team members have been welcomed to the CIT as part of an internal cultural immersion program designed to inspire, motivate and educate team members. To learn more, visit www.olivegarden.com
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.
The Eli’s Cheesecake Company is a family owned business dedicated to baking the highest quality, natural dairy cheesecake and desserts, while supporting our community, local farmers and small businesses.
We are proud of our Chicago roots that date back over 75 years when Eli Schulman opened his first restaurant on Chicago’s west-side. It was at Eli’s the Place for Steak, his award winning restaurant on Chicago‘s Magnificent Mile, where Eli developed the recipe for his signature cheesecake.
We have grown over the past 40 years but still take our time to create the highest quality desserts by slow-baking in small batches and allowing the finest ingredients to develop to their optimum flavors...the key to achieving Eli's unique taste and texture. All our desserts are handmade and decorated at Eli's Cheesecake World, our bakery located on Chicago's northwest side.