Discover the wealth of Black-owned businesses that thrive in Chicago and have experience working with meeting and event planners. Whether it’s a venue, restaurant, caterer, or specialty service, events in Chicago run smoother with their skilled help. Check out some of the city’s leading Black-owned businesses and support diverse vendors during your next Chicago meeting or event.

Event venues

The impressive works of local and international artists who specialize in the African diaspora make for a vibrant event backdrop at Gallery Guichard in Bronzeville, one of the country’s largest African American art districts. The fine art exhibits feature mediums that include painting, sculpture, furniture, and more. The space can be rented for events of up to 299 people reception style or 170 seated guests. The goal of owners Andre Guichard, Frances Guichard, and Stephen Mitchell is to expose people to multicultural artists and their artwork. If you love what you see, buy a piece for one of your VIPs.

The Quarry Event Center, a South Shore community center, is owned by Yvette Moyo’s Real Men Charities nonprofit. Two rooms — one that accommodates 150 people and the other with a capacity for 85 — are offered for meetings or events. ETC Wellness Café and Imani Original Pies are the in-house catering options, or a commercial kitchen is available for use. Other amenities include parking, a DJ, security, and A/V equipment. The nonprofit’s mission is to focus on health and wellness, in addition to preserving Afro American arts, culture, and heritage.

The Little Black Pearl cultural arts center offers diverse youth education programs and events that feature live poetry, musical performances, and artist exhibits. Spaces at the Bronzeville nonprofit are available to rent for corporate and business events. The elegant 2,747-square-foot Atrium can accommodate 300 people reception style or 220 seated. Little Black Pearl memberships include access to the C47 Work and Experiment Lounge, a coworking and studio space designed to inspire collaboration.

Host a meeting in the country’s first independent museum dedicated to the history of African and African American culture. Guests can explore over 15,000 photos, artworks, and artifacts at The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center in Hyde Park. The historic collections make a fabulous backdrop for your event. Glimpse into the past by viewing exhibits like Freedom: Origin and Journey. Consult with the museum staff to customize your attendees’ experience.

Private dining

Wine, food, music, and art make Bronzeville Winery a lively place to host private dinners and cocktail parties. The space was designed to encourage socializing and networking. The wine list includes several women-, minority-, and African American-owned labels, including Brown Estate, Michael Lavelle, and Parés Balta. Bronzeville Winery nurtures produce innovation and urban agriculture in its partnership with the local Olive-Harvey College Grow Operation. Taste the locally grown results in menu items such as whole-leaf Caeser salad and wild mushroom pappardelle.

Also in the Bronzeville neighborhood, Norman’s Bistro offers dining and indoor-outdoor space for up to 80 in the dining room and 70 on its patio. The welcoming restaurant offers a Cajun Creole-inspired menu with a focus on fresh ingredients. Specialties include gumbo, jerk chicken, and blackened catfish. Catering services are available for 15 to 300 guests.

Enjoy refined Southern hospitality at Virtue Restaurant & Bar in Hyde Park. Led by two James Beard Award winners — chef/owner Erick Williams and chef de cuisine Damarr Brown — Virtue offers elevated versions of traditional Southern recipes. Chicken liver mousse with bacon and pomegranate, short ribs with creamed spinach, and sides like collard greens and buttered grits are delectable menu offerings. Options for private dining and meetings include a seated dinner for 70 people, a standing reception for up to 150, or a standing reception in the bar for 70 guests.

Lexington Betty Smokehouse in Pullman, helmed by pitmaster Dominique Leach and her wife, Tanisha Griffin Leach, is known for cooking up some of the best barbecue in Chicago. In fact, chef Leach recently won Food Network’s BBQ Brawl and was named Master of ‘Cue. Pick a combination of meats like smoked chicken, pulled pork, juicy brisket, and Waygu steak hot dogs. Complete your menu with soulful sides like collard greens, gouda mac ’n’ cheese, and candy yams. The restaurant’s event space can accommodate up to 100 people. Private catering options include Betty Boxes and the Betty Food Truck, which can roll right up to your event.

At Luella’s Southern Kitchen in Lincoln Square, chef/owner Darnell Reed’s cuisine reflects recipes created by his great-grandmother, who came to Chicago in the 1940s from Mississippi. Known for its double-brined fried chicken, Luella’s pairs the bird with waffles or smoked honey and collard greens. Other entree choices include Nashville hot chicken, salmon cakes, and baked shrimp with andouille mac ’n’ cheese. The Southern menu also features traditional sides like beignets, buttermilk biscuits, cheese grits, and skillet cornbread. Catering services are offered.

Catering

Book your event with Two Sisters Catering at its Chicago Avenue restaurant, or arrange for a customized meal or boxed lunches to be delivered to your location. The restaurant features chef/owner Veah Larde’s signature wraps, such as the turkey club and jerk chicken, as well as salads and desserts. She also makes lighter versions of Southern favorites, including homemade buttermilk cornbread, ground turkey meatloaf, and herb-baked chicken. For dessert, don’t skip the Louisiana crunch cake, a family recipe topped with evaporated milk frosting, coconut flakes, and chopped pecans.

Kikwetu Kenya Coffee Company offers flavorful, ethically sourced specialty coffee, in addition to sweet treats. The company’s catering services include supplying hot or cold brew coffees and an assortment of pastries, such as cardamom or coconut mandazi, a Kenyan-style doughnut. Catering packages with an elevated presentation, which can include the addition of a Kikwetu server, are available.

Surprise your attendees with sweet and savory pies, quiches, tarts, and other tasty treats from Justice of the Pies in Avalon Park. Whole quiches, pot pies, and sandwiches can be arranged for your event. For dessert, order an assortment of the bakery’s pies — flavors include salted caramel-peach, sweet potato, bourbon-pecan, and bleu cheese-praline-pear. Justice of the Pies ships nationwide.

Savor vegan cookies from Tubby’s Taste, based in the Garfield Park neighborhood. An assortment of Jamaican-inspired cookies contains no nuts, soy, or preservatives. Choices include mango-coconut, grapefruit-pineapple, and ginger-sweet molasses. Treat meeting attendees with cookies in gift boxes, or order individually packaged treats in bulk. The cookies can also be shipped.

Cheerful baked goods are the hallmark of Sugar Bliss, an award-winning bakery founded by CEO Teresa Ging. Gift attendees with boxes of perfect French macarons in pastel colors and creative flavors. Also available are boxes of cupcakes by the dozen — including gluten-free and vegan options — topped with Ging’s Sugar Bliss bloom made from rich frosting. Sugar Bliss also offers catering, with made-from-scratch treats that include breakfast pastries, cake pops, brownies, and cookies. Or arrange to have the Sugar Bliss Sweets Cart make an appearance at your event.

While diners stop in for breakfast and lunch daily at Batter & Berries, the popular Lincoln Park restaurant can also be booked for private evening events. Bright florals decorate the interior, and local art is showcased. The restaurant menu — an array of waffle and French toast options, wraps, salads, poutine, and more — is available for catering.

Nicole Jordan Catering provides professional serving staff for events and meetings of all sizes. Expect quality, flavor, and fresh ingredients in boxed lunches, as well as plated breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Menu options range from cheese and fresh fruit platters to passed small bites, wraps, savory main dishes, individual desserts, and much more. The caterer can satisfy all types of special dietary needs, including vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options.

Go with a Southern cuisine theme for one of your group’s meals by choosing Cajun Cafe Chicago as the caterer. Authentic fare is served for breakfast, in boxed lunches, on platters, and as items on a hot buffet for dinner. A sampling of menu items includes breakfast or lunch wraps, blackened chicken, red beans and rice, jambalaya, and Cajun shrimp and grits. Opt for pick-up, delivery, or a full-service executive set-up for meetings, corporate dining, and special events.

Services

If you need event maps, booth signs, product packaging, promotional materials, or branded apparel, ef Design Group creates impactful visuals for both small and large events. The Black-owned design and printing agency helps keep attendees informed at trade shows, meetings, and conferences. Owner Walter Freeman has also helped other minority business entrepreneurs with product and brand development.

GCJ Hospitality Resources can help with staffing needs for your Chicago event, including trade shows, brand activations, live experiences, and conventions. GCJ can provide everything from hospitality staff that includes bartenders, chefs, and servers to convention support services, such as service desk management, registration professionals, and booth models. The company has delivered hospitality staffing solutions for more than 10 years.

Immerse attendees in Chicago’s fascinating culture and history during a private tour with local historian Shermann “Dilla” Thomas, who operates Chicago Mahogany Tours. During two-hour tours in neighborhoods like Bronzeville, Pullman, and Englewood, Thomas shares the cultural importance of these diverse communities. His popular 60-second TikTok videos about Chicago history have been viewed over 20 million times. Thomas was named Choose Chicago’s 2022 Chicago Tourism Ambassador of the Year.

Trust the professionals from The DJ Firm to keep things lively, engaging, and moving on time during your meeting or event. In addition to its team of DJs and event hosts, available talent includes the Off the Cuff band, solo instrumentalists, and string and jazz ensembles. Full audio and lighting are included for each engagement. Share your vision and get price estimates from the company’s customer service team.

Enlist Dominion Designs & Media to capture video and images of the most important moments at your meeting or event, from start to finish. Some of the services to consider include an event highlight video, live stream coverage, and still photography. Use the content for your social media feeds and future marketing efforts. A dedicated project manager will ensure the process runs smoothly.

Experienced and dependable chauffeurs transport passengers in Fellowship Fleet Limousine & Bus Company’s luxury vehicles. Depending on your transportation needs, reserve a motor coach, sedan, SUV, van, or limousine for meeting and event attendees. Services available include airport shuttles, charter trips, events, group outings, tours, and more. Schedule your transport with agents who are available 24 hours a day.

Tasteful balloon arrangements can take a starring role in your meeting or event decor. Specify your preferred colors in sophisticated garland designs offered by Limitless Balloon Design. Prices are based on the dimensions and scale of a project, whether it’s to welcome guests at an entry or to cover a wall inside a venue. Balloons with customized messages are available.

Explore even more diverse Chicago vendors.