Summer is the perfect time for a picnic! Picnics are a great way for corporate businesses to give back to their employees and show their gratitude for all their steadfast hard work. If you’ve been chosen to plan your company’s annual picnic, then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve put together the below tips to help you save time, money, and unnecessary headaches.

Here’s how to plan a company picnic with as little stress as possible.

Plan ahead as much as possible.

Easier said than done, right? We understand that it’s not always realistic to carve out extra time to plan a company-wide event when you still have your regular job duties to attend to. That’s why we strongly recommend putting together a schedule that realistically addresses the complexity of putting together such a large-scale event. This will ideally go back 5-6 months before your planned picnic date to give you enough time to secure a venue, hire a rock star caterer, and give employees enough notice to clear their schedules.

The trick here is to find a caterer who has the experience needed to take this off your plate. And it’s a bonus if they have partnerships with picnic venues — that way you can scratch two important to-dos off your list right away, and then breathe a sigh of relief!

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We’re pretty notorious for our ability to cater many Jewish holidays in style, with respect to traditional foods and their cultural significance. While we take pride in the menus we put together specifically for holidays like Passover, Hanukkah, Yom Kippur, and Rosh Hashanah, there’s something special about being asked to take part in the Jewish coming of age celebrations for boys and girls: bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs.

We recently catered perhaps the coolest bar mitzvah, ever. The whole event revolved around a baseball theme, and was over the top in the best possible way.

All photos provided courtesy of Jai Girard Photography.

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Summers are made for salads! We’re talking big, green, leafy deliciousness filled with all the great fruits and vegetables the season has to offer. It’s the perfect strategic combination of these yummy seasonal ingredients that result in light salads with BIG flavor. 

With summer officially kicking off, we asked Chef Mike to share his top 10 favorite salads he’s whipping up this season, along with a recipe for one of his personal favorites that you can make at home on your own. These light and fresh salads are the perfect sides for grilled main dishes at picnics and potlucks, and are always a standout at backyard barbecues.

WATERMELON & FETA SALAD

Served on a bed of arugula, garnished with sliced almonds and fresh mint.

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In the case of Chris and Daniella, it was their professional involvements that brought them together. After quitting her job at a rival company, Daniella became a client of Chris’, and a networking event turned into love at first sight. From there, they became coworkers, friends, and the rest is history. 

Since both Chris and Daniella have connections in the hospitality industry, they were extremely easy to work with, and had an intimate knowledge of the wedding planning process. This helped make the process so much more fun! We worked closely to find the perfect venue to fit the romantic, city vibe they were looking for, and eventually settled on Harold Washington Library.

To complement the urban feel of their wedding, they wanted to serve a menu that was delicious, fun, and a bit different than what guests might expect. Since the couple love Gene & Jude’s hotdogs, we brought them in for a surprise late night snack, which was a huge hit! And if one Chicago favorite wasn’t enough, Chris & Daniella followed the theme of their wedding through to the guest favors and included Garrett’s popcorn (yum!). Needless to say, the wedding was a Chicago foodie’s dream and we had a blast putting it all together!

Photographer Jill Tiongco matched the vibe of the wedding seamlessly and captured these magical images of the day:

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Summer in Chicago is truly a sight to be seen. It’s the only full 2 months of nice weather we get each year, so we all try our best to make the most of it. In an effort to enjoy the outdoors while the sun is hot enough to allow for cute maxi dresses, shorts, and tank tops, we’ve put together a quick guide to summer outdoor entertaining.

Pick an Occasion

Summertime provides the perfect backdrop for so many different occasions, including:

• Graduation parties
• Picnics
• 4th of July
• BBQs
• Weddings

So whether it’s an official gathering (think wedding or graduation) or just an excuse to bring your favorite people together for a fun time, make an occasion out of it! Pick your theme and hit up the local party store to collect themed plates, utensils, centerpieces, and other fun party pieces. And since it’s summer, we recommend infusing bright, vibrant pops of color if you can make it work with your theme. A little effort goes a long way — and makes for great Instagram photos!

Pick a Location

It might be safe to assume that your summer party will most likely take place at your house, but just remember that you’ll have to plan accordingly if you want to host guests outdoors. Besides needing the obvious chairs and tables, you might also want to consider a tent if the weather is looking iffy. Don’t forget tons of ice to keep drinks cool (most people underestimate this need), and citronella candles/bug spray so guests can fend off any unwelcome additions to the party. And always good to keep sunscreen and water closeby so nobody leaves the party feeling dehydrated or sunburned!

If you’re planning to host a large-scale event, you may want to consider a bigger venue than your own backyard. Take a few moments to browse through our venue partners for some ideas (there are so many amazing options!), and feel free to reach out regarding those that pique your interest! 

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