One Off Catering & Events
Catering food and drink supplier · West Town ·
Creative, delicious catering with professional staff and seamless service
Creative, delicious catering with professional staff and seamless service
"A hospitality group associated with Paul Kahan, a participant in the homecoming series, known for several popular Chicago eateries." - Serena Maria Daniels
"I discovered that One Off Hospitality Group — the Chicago company behind Avec and the Publican — is supplying VIP meals (from Publican Quality Meats, Dove’s Luncheonette, and Big Star), and One Off’s director of culinary, Chris Miller, teased items like a mushroom-and-collard melt with oyster and button mushrooms, provolone, braised collards and garlic aioli, plus hatch-chile and pollo flautas with braised chicken, roasted hatch chiles, jack cheese, corn tortilla, pico de gallo and shaved lettuce, which he describes as “crispy, spicy, handheld goodness.”" - Ashok Selvam
"I reported that One Off Hospitality Group (Avec, Publican, Big Star) has launched a national food delivery service so customers can order items like Publican’s roasted chicken and Avec’s stuffed dates and have them shipped across the country; the group is also shipping fresh meats selected by the butchers at Publican Quality Meats as it looks for new revenue streams during the pandemic." - Naomi Waxman
"Led by chef Paul Kahan, I read that One Off Hospitality — described as one of Chicago’s most successful restaurant groups — was the subject of an open letter from 68 current and former employees who called their workplaces unpredictable and unsafe. The letter detailed staff-wide pay cuts, reduced hours, frozen benefits, inconsistent operating protocols, and chronic understaffing even when dining rooms were at legal capacity. After the letter went public the company met with four workers, closed Big Star temporarily after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19, and issued a statement saying managers are empowered to ban guests or call police, that safety policies exceed city and state requirements, and that the company is providing resources (unemployment webinars and mental-health support) while attempting more timely communication." - Naomi Waxman
"The parent company of several popular Chicago restaurants temporarily ceased delivery and carryout operations in late March and furloughed or separated roughly 700 staff as the pandemic hit. In response to a GoFundMe that raised more than $92,000 for employees across nine restaurants and bars (and two River North spots operated with a partner company), leadership distributed grocery-store gift cards—allocated according to hours worked in 2020—which some furloughed workers criticized because the fundraiser did not mention gift cards and many preferred cash for expenses such as rent. Company partners acknowledged communication flaws, defended the use of gift cards as a way to avoid creating taxable employer payments, said every cent donated has gone toward employees, and noted they have spent roughly $180,000 to extend health coverage through May while evaluating further options; they also pledged to make exceptions and to bring most employees back once dine-in service can resume." - Ashok Selvam