Best of
Best catering in the West Loop, Chicago
The West Loop is the catering capital of Chicago — Blue Plate, Boka, DineAmic, and several smaller operators all run their commissary kitchens out of Fulton Market and the surrounding blocks. Below is a curated guide to catering companies and corporate-dining operators in the neighborhood, with every pick linking to its full business listing.
Full-service catering companies
Wedding, corporate, and event catering with dedicated commissary kitchens in the West Loop.
- Blue Plate Catering Open now Chicago's leading caterer since 1983, headquartered in the 80,000-square-foot Larkin Hall on West Fulton. Three divisions — Catered Events, Workplace Dining, and Direct delivery — plus the city's first Green-Certified catering operation.110 N Carpenter St 9, Chicago, IL, 60607
- Blue Plate Catering Ltd. Open now Blue Plate's second registered entity — same 40-year-old company, second license at 333 N Ogden. Runs the Allium event venue on the same building's roof.333 N Ogden Ave 1, Chicago, IL, 60607
- Boka Catering Group Catering arm of the Boka Restaurant Group, founded 2007 and led by Michelin-starred Chef Giuseppe Tentori. Weddings, corporate events, in-home dinners, and chef-led interactive events.624 W Lake St 1, Chicago, IL, 60661
- Dineamic Catering, LLC Catering and events arm of DineAmic Hospitality, the Chicago restaurant group behind Bar Siena, Siena Tavern, Bandit, Bodega, Fioretta, and La Serre.841-843 W Randolph St Ll-1, Chicago, IL, 60607
- Butter + Vine Open now Chicago catering and events company on West Washington run by Rich Levy. Operates the kitchen used by sister delivery-only brands Butterclaw, Cluckson's, and GuacDog.1709 W Washington Blvd, Chicago, IL, 60612Near the West Loop
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- Jewell Events Catering Half-century-old Chicago catering company founded in 1976, operated by Wood Enterprises. Corporate, philanthropic, social, and arts clientele plus weddings, contract dining, and "Jewell To Go" boxed lunches.1930-1932 W Lake St Floors 1-2, Chicago, IL, 60612Near the West Loop
- Real Kitchen at Walden Open now Production kitchen and in-house catering partner for Walden's West Town event venue. Founded in 2011 by Charlie Trotter–trained chefs.2145 W Walnut St 1-2, Chicago, IL, 60612Near the West Loop
- Apple Spice Box Lunch Delivery and Catering CO. Open now Chicago franchise of the national Apple Spice box-lunch and corporate catering chain — boxed lunches, sandwich platters, hot food, and breakfast catering.610 W Roosevelt Rd 1st, Chicago, IL, 60607Near the West Loop
Restaurants with catering arms
Sit-down restaurants whose catering is a major side of the business.
- Wishbone Restaurant Open now A Jefferson Street Southern restaurant — brunch, lunch, and dinner service plus a substantial catering and picnic menu.161 N Jefferson St, Chicago, IL, 60661
- Fresco Delicioso Open now Mexican French Market stall specializing in authentic tamales plus side dishes, beverages, and desserts. Catering available for special events.131 N Clinton St 1st 12, Chicago, IL, 60661
Corporate dining and tenant cafés
Cafeterias and office-tower cafés operated by national hospitality groups — primarily tenant-only, included here for full directory coverage.
- Bon Appetit @ Pinterest Bon Appétit Management Company operates the employee café at Pinterest's office at 120 S Riverside Plaza.120 S Riverside Plz 500, Chicago, IL, 60606
- Bon Appetit @ Uber Bon Appétit Management Company operates the employee café at Uber's Chicago office inside the Old Post Office at 433 W Van Buren.433 W Van Buren St 8 & 9, Chicago, IL, 60607
- Aramark @ Harris Bank Aramark-operated employee cafeteria inside the BMO/Harris Bank tower at 320 S Canal — tenant-only.320 S Canal St 16-17, Chicago, IL, 60606
- Compass Group USA, Inc. Compass Group corporate cafeteria — national hospitality operator.800 W Fulton Market 17, Chicago, IL, 60607
- Compass Group USA, Inc. at Kimberly Clark Chicago Compass Group cafeteria inside the Kimberly-Clark Chicago office — tenant-only.1155 W Fulton Market 1 and 4, Chicago, IL, 60607
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- Eurest Dining at Accenture Eurest Dining-operated corporate cafeteria inside Accenture's office — tenant-only.500 W Madison St 24 & 25, Chicago, IL, 60661
- Eurest Dining Services @ USG Eurest Dining-operated corporate cafeteria inside the USG office — tenant-only.550 W Adams St 14, Chicago, IL, 60661
- Sodexo America, LLC Sodexo America corporate cafeteria — national hospitality operator.555 W Adams St, Chicago, IL, 60661
- Cache 310 Open now Tenant-only café at 320 S Canal Suite 0111 inside the 320 South Canal office tower.320 S Canal St 1 Space 0111, Chicago, IL, 60606
- Fare - Riverside Open now Tenant-only café at Riverside Plaza.150 N Riverside Plz 2 201, Chicago, IL, 60606
- Arturo Express Open now Tenant-only food service at 130 S Canal (Citigroup Center) under the Arturo Express trade name.130 S Canal St, Chicago, IL, 60606
- Blame Butter Tenant-only food service at 130 S Canal Suite 9Q (Citigroup Center) under the Blame Butter trade name.130 S Canal St 9q, Chicago, IL, 60606
- The Nook at 111 Open now Lobby-level café inside the 111 North Canal office tower — breakfast, lunch, and catering.111 N Canal St L030-Ne, Chicago, IL, 60606
- Flik Hospitality Flik Hospitality — corporate hospitality and dining operator.433 W Van Buren St 3, Chicago, IL, 60607
- Flik International Corp @ Chapman and Cutler LLP Flik International corporate dining inside the Chapman and Cutler LLP office.320 S Canal St 25-27, Chicago, IL, 60606
Frequently asked questions
- Who is the biggest caterer in the West Loop?
- Blue Plate Catering, founded 1983, is the largest by headcount and revenue — operating from an 80,000-square-foot facility called Larkin Hall on West Fulton. Boka Catering Group (Boka Restaurant Group) and DineAmic Catering (DineAmic Hospitality) are the two major restaurant-group-affiliated competitors.
- Why are so many catering companies based in the West Loop?
- The West Loop's history as Chicago's wholesale meatpacking district left it with industrial buildings well-suited to commissary kitchens — large floor plates, freight access, and proximity to downtown. The Fulton Market District in particular concentrates several large catering kitchens within a few blocks.
- Are these caterers also event venues?
- Some are. Blue Plate operates the Allium event venue on the roof of its Ogden Avenue facility. Walden in West Town pairs Real Kitchen catering with its own 19,000-square-foot venue. For dedicated event venues without an in-house catering operation, see the Event Spaces page.
- What about the corporate cafeterias on this list?
- The corporate-dining operators (Bon Appétit, Aramark, Compass, Eurest, Sodexo, Flik) run private cafeterias and cafés inside specific office buildings — Pinterest, Uber, BMO/Harris Bank, Accenture, Kimberly-Clark, USG. These are generally tenant-only and aren't open to the general public, but they're included here for complete directory coverage of West Loop food-service licenses.
Most recent pick verified 5 days ago. Some picks may be older — the date reflects whichever pick on this page was checked most recently.