While we don’t do what we do for industry awards, we do love when our fiercely dedicated team gets recognition for all their hard work and creativity.

It was our honor to be awarded International Caterers Association’s prestigious CATIE Award for Best Buffet Presentation & Menu. We’re humbled to be among a group that includes some of the best caterers we know.

[It’s not the first CATIE award we’ve won—we’ve also been recognized for innovation and green initiatives in catering.]

It’s always a pleasure when our clients love to be as creative as we do, making the Bondy’s 300 person bar mitzvah one of our favorite events of 2017! The Bondy’s wanted to take their son’s favorite American pastime of baseball and create an over the top sports extravaganza.

We ended up creating three life-size food truck facades with three different themes – American, Asian and Mexican, amidst an explosion of baseball themed décor, in order to bring the client’s vision to life.

Though our buffet food trucks really carried this event, it really came together thanks to a high level of detail to Parker’s baseball theme.

Here are some highlights:

All photos provided courtesy of Jai Girard Photography. Read More…

It seems like not a week goes by without something exciting happening in the sports world. Whether it’s a new season, an exciting play, or even a little drama—it’s certainly never boring!

Sports fans are starting to think about their brackets for March Madness (also known as the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament), where the best of the best in college basketball (68 teams to be exact) go head to head for a shot at winning it all and becoming national champions. 

Let the insanity begin!

At Catering by Michaels, we’re just as excited (ok, if not more…) for the opportunity to relax our diets a bit in the name of the game. While the Super Bowl may be the single day of the year where Americans, on average, consume the most calories in one sitting (yes, even more than Thanksgiving!), we’re willing to bet that the series of events that make up March Madness could give it a run for its money!

[But don’t feel too bad—January is for dieting. March is for basketball and time with friends!]

Catering by Michaels Game Time Catering Menu

Alongside our many delicious catering menu options, we’re excited to announce our Game Time menu. It’s stuffed to the brim with delectable (and yes, indulgent) treats to satisfy any basketball fan. 

Score a game worthy spread while you cheer on your favorite teams. Here are some of the highlights, including many favorite game-time foods:

• Pregame festivities: Dips, wings, and other totally snackable appetizers. You can even order a Bloody Mary bar kit. We’re just warming up!

• Sideline salads: Though watching March Madness games offers the perfect excuse to indulge, our salads offer a great balance so you don’t have to feel too guilty at the end of the day. The Fajita Steak salad is a nice mix of healthy and tasty.

• And the final score is…: It’s all about dessert! Options like our Bourbon Pecan Pie Bread Pudding Muffins will be enjoyed most by partygoers with a more mature palate (though there’s plenty there for the kids, as well).

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Jody Birnbaum is brand new to the Catering by Michaels family but we’ve known her for many years! Her culinary and catering accomplishments precede her.

As of her recent hire, Jody added a new job title to her already decorated dossier—Director of Sales and Marketing! Today on the blog, she goes through her past, her new role at Catering by Michaels, and some fun facts you might not know about her.

Let’s get started then, shall we?

What did you do before working at Catering by Michaels?

It was kind of an unusual situation because I used to own a catering company of my own.

My company and Catering by Michaels were friendly competitors in the market. I sold my company 11 years ago (after owning it for 25 years!) and since then, I’ve been a business management consultant to the food industry. I help caterers, restaurants, food trucks, personal chefs—you name it—either start up or grow their businesses.

At this point, I feel like the reason I accepted this opportunity as Catering by Michaels’ Director of Sales and Marketing is because at this time in my career, I’m passionate about teaching, training, mentoring, leading, and inspiring.

The current sales team is made up of 11 people—I hope to dip into my skill set as a former catering business owner, consultant, leader, and inspirer.

Fun fact: When she was consulting, Jody also taught at Kendall College for 11 years. It was an entrepreneurial class attended by culinary, hospitality, and even business students. The class was all about the business of being in food service.

I’m excited about working with this great company. I think we can accomplish a lot together.

Tell us about your position: what does that day look like on a daily basis, and in general?

I started January 8, 2018, so I’m still very fresh to this role!

When I first came in, it was a study of Catering by Michael’s operations. This took awhile because it’s such a big company. We dug deep into warehousing, the kitchen, sales, and operations. It was an onboarding round robin with a lot of observation.

In the last few weeks, I’ve taken a deeper dive into sales, getting to know everyone. It’s going to be my job to help some of the newer/younger team members understand the industry and fill in some of the blanks regarding why things are done certain ways.

I’ll be helping them meet and exceed their goals for the year. Everyone seems very passionate about the industry— it’s heartwarming! And everyone’s been very receptive to me. No one has had this position for awhile and it’s time to build a group that works well together.

I have a lot of contacts in the industry and in general and I hope to be able to call upon my network to benefit my team.

What’s the best part of your job?

Knowing that I’m working for a company with some great food and very solid operations. In terms of having the support anyone would need to handle a wide range of events and things, there’s a solid team, amazing kitchen, and a lot of delighted clients.

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In celebration of Valentine’s Day, we’re giving you an inside look at Patricia and Fidencio’s vibrant Mexican fiesta themed wedding at Catalyst Ranch. The use of bold, vivid colors were inspired by the couples Mexican heritage and flawlessly carried out through every detail of their special day.

Catalyst Ranch served as the perfect backdrop, bringing the pops of color and festive decor to life! What we really loved about this wedding (besides the very sweet couple) was that is was so different from most of the weddings we typically cater. It’s unique, more casual and energetic vibe was not only fun for all the guests, but for the couple as well. 

As a little treat for anybody feeling the love this Valentine’s Day, let’s wander through all the Mexican fiesta themed elements in the photos captured by the very talented Cage + Aquarium. 

Our frozen margarita push pops — aways a guest favorite!

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We’re lucky to have so many amazing venues in our network, giving you direct access to a variety of unique backdrops to complement any type of event.

As part of our ongoing “Chicago Venues We Love” blog series, we recently spoke to Jazmine Gonzalez, Owner and President of Loft 21, to get the lowdown on Chicago’s newest and most awe-inspiring event space that can be transformed time and time again.

What kinds of events typically take place at your venue?

We have seen clients use Loft 21 for many different events this first year. From mitzvahs and weddings, to corporate and charity galas. We have even done baby showers, 1st birthdays and 50th birthdays. It is incredible seeing how each client transforms the space to fit their vision.

What are your favorite types of events to host at Loft 21?

My personal favorite is an event where the client comes in excited to be creative. There are so many amenities with Loft 21 — from the divisible space, tables & chairs and my favorite feature, the technology. It really allows the client to put their personal stamp on their event.

What are your favorite features of the space?

We have built the 31,000 sq ft venue to be an event space with a distinct blend of industrial and ultra-modern design. With state-of-the-art sound, lighting, 11 giant screens, and 15 mechanical walls, a client can truly transform the space to be personalized every time. There are so many amenities including; tables, ghost chairs, linens, lounge furniture and more. We have a VIP suites, 4 outdoor terraces, private parking and are surrounded by a nature preserve and trails. With 4 trap doors in the ceiling, guests are in awe when aerialists come down to serve drinks and sweets. Truly a dream venue allowing the client to design their event to fit their style.

Read More…