Chicago is home to a wide variety of LGBTQ+-owned businesses that can provide expert assistance with planning your local meeting or event. Whether it’s a private dinner prepared by an award-winning chef or an evening of exciting entertainment, your attendees won’t soon forget their unique Chicago experience.
Venues and private dining
Arrange dinner and a dazzling drag show at the Kit Kat Lounge & Supper Club in Northalsted. Order a la carte from the extensive menu or consider party packages that feature appetizers served family style, an entree, and martinis like the Lady Gaga and French 75. Your event can also include tableside entertainment by the Kit Kat Divas, either indoors for 100 people or out on the patio for 85 guests during summer.
Sidetrack’s collection of indoor and outdoor private event spaces checks all the boxes for small or large groups — it’s especially popular with the local LGBTQ+ community on theme nights. With over 40 years of experience hosting gatherings, Sidetrack’s options include several private party packages. Opt for a cash bar, ticketed drinks, or an open bar with staff bartenders serving liquor, beer, wine, frozens, and mocktails.
In the South Loop’s Printers Row area, necessary & sufficient coffee® offers specialty coffees, teas, and a range of inventive lattes with ingredients like beet root, turmeric, lavender, and reishi mushrooms. Eats include avocado or chevre toast, bagels, quiche, and grab-and-go items like sandwiches and fresh salads. Book a buyout for 71 guests. Or give the shop at least 48-hours notice and they’ll provide coffee, pastries, doughnuts, and empanadas for your event.
Inquire about group menus at The Lunchroom at SPACE 519 in Streeterville, just off Michigan Avenue. The 40-seat cafe expands in the summer with a 24-seat sidewalk space shaded by umbrellas and trees. A seasonal, vegetable-focused menu for breakfast, lunch, and weekend brunch features locally sourced ingredients. A sampling might include avocado toast, California kale salad, crispy potato tacos, and barbecue chicken flatbread. A full buyout can accommodate 150 people standing or 40 seated for a banquet. Catering services are offered seven days a week.
Host your meeting or event in Lakeview at the Center on Halsted, with spaces that can accommodate from 20 to 200 people in accessible meeting rooms, a rooftop garden, reception hall, gym, or theatre. Professional catering services, equipment rentals, and technical support are available. Consider timing your event to coincide with one of the queer theatrical shows staged by PrideArts Center in the Hoover-Leppen Theatre.
Plan an unforgettable dinner at Monteverde and savor dishes curated by chef/co-owner Sarah Grueneberg at this renowned Italian eatery in the West Loop. The James Beard Award-winning restaurant features a popular ham e burrata appetizer, osso bucco, and handmade pasta like chicken-and-asparagus ravioli. Small groups can dine on the patio on warm evenings, ending the night with tiramisu or a citrus-dark chocolate sundae paired with a glass of port or pinot noir.
Executive chef and partner Andrew Zimmerman’s menu of coastal Asian cuisine has earned Michelin Bib Gourmand status for Proxi in the West Loop. The private dining room accommodates 14 people for a customized fine dining meal with entrees such as coal-roasted scallops, pan-seared barramundi, beef tartare, and roasted chicken with peanut satay sauce. For informal gatherings, up to 20 people can gather in the comfortable lounge for drinks and snacks like crispy Vietnamese chicken wings, along with a station of chef-selected desserts.
Marina’s Bistro and Rum Bar in the Uptown neighborhood is known for its authentic Puerto Rican cuisine. The menu spotlights traditional dishes, including seafood, marinated meats, and plant-based options. Handcrafted, rum-based cocktails are also available. Accented with bright flowers and lush greenery, the decor is inspired by modern-day Puerto Rico. The 500-square-foot venue seats 30 and is available for buyouts. The restaurant also caters off-site events.
Plan a dinner for up to 70 guests in the Pullman neighborhood at Lexington Betty Smokehouse, known for its flavorful Chicago-style barbecue cooked up by owner Dominique Leach, a pitmaster and chef who has competed on Food Network’s Chopped. Menu options include beef brisket, pulled pork, and smoked chicken, plus soulful sides like mac ’n’ cheese, baked beans, and candy yams. The restaurant also offers off-site catering services, including Betty Boxes for corporate lunches and the Betty Food Truck, which can pull up to your event site.
Plan an evening at The Baton Show Lounge in Uptown, an entertainment tradition since 1969. Attendees will be awed by the high-caliber drag artists featured in solo and group performances. The Show Lounge is open Friday through Sunday nights, but the venue also hosts private events in its Club Room, Dance Bar, The Patio, and The Patio Bar. The kitchen offers charcuterie plates, burgers, bar food, a Sunday brunch buffet, and more.
Services
If you’re seeking a gift of sweet treats for your attendees, visit Candyality in Wrigleyville. Choose from custom-made candy favors, candy buffets, and gift baskets. The choices are tantalizing — candied popcorn, gourmet chocolates, candy bars, M&Ms, saltwater taffy, licorice, and so much more. Old-school candies like butterscotch buttons, bubble gum cigarettes, and Boston baked beans add a touch of nostalgia. The Sugar Baby option is recommended for a little sugar fix for groups of 100 or larger. Splurge on the Sugar Daddy with gourmet chocolates and truffles for groups of any size.
Owner Morgen Briana of ChiVibe Inc. offers musical entertainment for events and meetings of any size. She appears solo as a DJ, emcee, or singer, and can team up with other musicians to create a duo, trio, or full band. Briana is also the bandleader and lead singer of the Entourage Band, which is known for its energetic performances. Collaboration on song selections helps ensure events match a client’s vision.
Preorder custom cupcakes, cookies, cakes, bars, and brownies from Jennivee’s Bakery in Lakeview and have them delivered to your event or meeting. Some of the most popular choices of the edible works of art are the purple velvet, tres leches, and mango cream cakes. Mix and match dozens of cupcake flavors, ranging from rocky road to banana, tiramisu, and strawberries ‘n’ cream — available in mini and full-size versions.
Enhance your attendees’ experience with bites from Rogers Park Provisions. Order meats, cheeses, and crackers perfect for building charcuterie boards. Guests will appreciate the quality dips, jams, and chips. Also available are gifts like candles, bath salts, lotions, and Pre de Provence bar soaps.
Enlist the expertise of Kehoe Designs, based in the Little Italy/University Village area, to bring your event decor to the next level. Services include floral and plant displays, technical production assistance, activations for live and virtual events, and personalized hospitality design and installations. The Geraghty, Kehoe’s state-of-the-art event venue in Pilsen, can accommodate 800 seated guests or 1,000 for a reception.
Trust the eyes of the experts behind the camera lens at West Loop-based e3 Photography to bring a fresh perspective to documenting your event. They’ll capture images and video footage of attendees, exhibits, and your event’s most memorable moments. From every angle they’ll convey the personality of your brand, from products and corporate headshots to onstage speakers, breakout sessions, and receptions.
The mission of An Event Agency, PCXP is to create experiences that match meeting planners’ visions for meetings, events, conferences, trade shows, and conventions. Among their many areas of expertise are sourcing venues, managing meetings, hosting networking and virtual events, event registration assistance, and offering team building incentives. As a bonus, the West Loop business offers eco-friendly services via its suppliers and sustainable practices.
Private tours
Take your attendees on a private walking tour with Doorways of Chicago. Guide Ronny Frey, an architectural photographer and interior designer by trade, offers a range of engaging experiences that view the city from a different perspective. He peppers his tours with informative tidbits while discovering Wicker Park’s historic homes, exploring Graceland Cemetery, visiting the River North neighborhood, and revealing many more fascinating city sites.
Bring your group to Northalstead, the country’s oldest gay neighborhood, to take a guided tour of The Legacy Walk. The outdoor museum features rainbow memorial monuments honoring important people and events in LGBTQ+ history. See tributes to Oscar Wilde, Sally Ride, Freddie Mercury, and dozens of other notables, plus learn about the pink triangle and the Harlem Renaissance. New markers are added each year. Private tours can be arranged for six to 25 people.
After-hours bars and restaurants
The classy, sassy Nobody’s Darling was opened in 2021 by owners Renauda Riddle and Angela Barnes to create an LGBTQ+-friendly space for women. The Andersonville cocktail lounge was a 2022 James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar Program finalist. Creative cocktails have names inspired by famous women of color, including Ma Rainey (gin, basil, lemon), Bessie Smith (peach and orange vodka), and Nina Simone (mezcal, ginger, banana, and lime). For private events, opt for the menu featuring a choice of three Darling cocktails, beer, and white and red wines. The VIP booth can accommodate 10 people.
Let Drew’s on Halsted host your private event for 10 to 60 attendees with brunch, lunch, or dinner and drinks served at its handsome Lakeview location. Ask for a room indoors, or choose the patio surrounded by a bamboo fence and greenery. Dishes range from appetizers like bacon-wrapped dates and cheese ravioli to pizzas and filet mignon. Make a reservation for one of the popular Cabaret Nights, featuring performers who stop by patrons’ tables.
For a quick and tasty meal after a meeting, attendees can visit Rendang Republic in Lakeview. The first-come, first-served restaurant features spicy Indonesian fare and doubles as a coffee and tea bar. Platters of beef, chicken, and jackfruit come with sides of collard greens, pickled vegetables, garlic chips, and chili condiments. Sandwiches, hot dogs, and lumpia are also on the menu. Drink selections include two house specialties — Sumatran coffee and bourbon barrel-aged black tea — in addition to specialty lattes.
Those seeking a sober drinking experience will find that and more at Eli Tea Bar in welcoming Andersonville. The cafe serves loose leaf tea, bubble tea, chai, milk tea, and kombucha. Join in special events like trivia games, art-making activities, and an all-ages open mic.
Explore more with our LGBTQ+ guide to Chicago.
