Food For Thought
Food For Thought’s (FFT) roots are deeply imbedded in catering, having begun as an off-premise caterer in 1983. The passion for creating the ultimate experience has enabled Food For Thought to become one of Chicago’s top-rated off-premise caterers. We are currently the exclusive caterer at the Adler Planetarium and are on preferred caterer lists at the Field Museum, Chicago History Museum, and Café Brauer, just to name a few. We have had the privilege of serving the Dali Lama, President Obama, The NATO G8 Summit, and Hillary Clinton. We were recently honored by being named the Best of 2012 Award Winner for on- and off-site catering by the readers of Illinois Meeting and Events Magazine.
FFT’s Catering Division offers full-service off-premise catering as well as equipment and linen rental, event staffing, and concierge services (flowers, lighting, music, valet, etc.). Our veteran sales consultants assist in all phases of the planning process and can provide expert advice on venues, vendors, and entertaining trends. Food For Thought manages fundraisers, corporate dinners, cocktail parties, board meetings, weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, memorials, networking events, and product roll-outs. As part of our relationship with the Adler Planetarium, we regularly host exhibit openings, member open houses, family nights, employee events, and promotional programs. On average, Food For Thought Catering organizes 100 events per month, ranging from 10 to 5,000 guests. As a full-service catering solution provider, we also offer FFT Delivered, which offers fully customized menus filled with delicious food that can be delivered to the client. We have over 130 deliveries per month.
Food For Thought’s Hospitality Group Division has proven to be a completely different player in the on-site café environment. Our 21 locations are highly customized. We hire only the best managers and chefs, those who share the same passion for delicious food and gracious hospitality as our owner, Nancy Sharp. Our ability to customize each site to the specifics of the population we serve is what we do best. We do not have a large corporate “one size fits all” program that we drop in place. The customization is accomplished through the effective use of our Culinary Leadership Board. Instead of menus and programs coming from the top down, we encourage and empower our culinarians to be the creative force of menu design. Obviously this is a bottom-up driven philosophy that enables the front line “foodies” to demonstrate their passion for guest satisfaction. In addition, our style of on-site management, where we actually encourage active listening, has led to the implementation of recipes and items from many of our customers. We believe our unique contemporary and creative Café Concept – along with our passionate commitment to world-class service – has the power to invigorate foodservice programs and create a highly compelling amenity that will delight everyone.
Our philosophy of scratch cooking is also a major differential in the marketplace. We purchase fresh, never-frozen 100% Angus burgers. In addition, our Turkey Burgers (The Skinny) and our Veggie Burgers (The Whole Grain) are homemade at each location from CLB-directed recipes. In a few of our accounts where space and/or staff are limited, these items are prepped in our Lincolnwood catering kitchen and delivered fresh daily. We utilize fresh, local produce whenever possible. Our entrees and soups are made daily from only the freshest ingredients. Even some of our on-site catering menus have been customized to specific locations over the years. In summary, our business model is such that we focus on customers’ needs and act nimbly in the marketplace. This structure fosters agility and fast response and distinguishes Food For Thought from larger competitors. As most competitors continue to grow nationally and globally through acquisitions and mergers, Food For Thought remains a regionally focused company - which means individualized service.
The combined resources and diverse capabilities of our two primary divisions – Food For Thought Catering and FFT Hospitality Group – create a unique company with expertise in managing café, drop-off, and catering services. During the peak periods of business, Food For Thought retains the services of over 700 associates company wide. We have created a niche that allows us to bring premium-level food and service to our clients and to accommodate a wide variety of foodservice needs.
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Food For Thought Catering
FFT Hospitality Group
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