Your Culinary Transformation Starts In
- 00Days
- 00Hrs
- 00Mins
- 00Secs
During this intensive two-day program, you’ll:
Connect with Industry Leaders
Exclusive access to the nation's top catering chefs—limited spaces, intimate setting
Taste & Learn
Inspiring demos featuring award-winning techniques you can taste, not just watch
Practical takeaways: Leave with 100+ actionable ideas, recipes, and real-world strategies you'll use immediately
Peer-to-peer Network
Build your business—including exclusive behind-the-scenes access to Blue Plate's award-winning 80,000 sq ft commissary
Not Another Catering Conference
The best caterers never stop refining their craft.
At Art of Catering Food, you’ll go beyond inspiration to uncover how industry leaders think, create, execute, and innovate. Learn directly from practitioners who are actively solving the challenges you face every day—from menu development and presentation to staffing, profitability, and client experience. What You’ll Gain
Proven Techniques
Discover methods and approaches used by top catering professionals to create memorable guest experiences.
Practical Frameworks
Take home ideas, processes, and strategies you can apply immediately within your business.
Direct Access to Experts
Learn from chefs, operators, and innovators who are setting the standard for catering excellence.
Peer Learning
Exchange insights with professionals who understand your challenges and opportunities.
An Exclusive Gathering. Inspiring Innovation. Practical Mastery.
2 Days | 100+ Culinary Ideas | Chicago's Allium Rooftop | August 10-11, 2026
Chicago Isn't Just Where AOCF Happens. It's Why It Happens Here.
Why Chicago? Because Innovation Has an Address.
Exclusive Rooftop Setting: Allium
Perched atop Blue Plate's headquarters in Chicago's vibrant Fulton Market district, Allium Rooftop offers skyline views and intimate spaces designed for culinary collaboration. This isn't a hotel ballroom—it's a purpose-built venue where every detail serves the craft.
Your Host: BLUE PLATE CHICAGO
Partner with the first Green Restaurant Certified caterer in Chicago. Tour their 80,000 sq ft commissary at Larkin Hall—a custom-designed facility where sustainability meets scalability. See temperature-controlled production kitchens, on-site composting, and the operational systems behind $10M+ catering operations.
The City That Invented Modern Catering
From Michelin-starred innovation to deep-dish tradition, Chicago's food scene doesn't follow trends—it sets them. This is where culinary risk-taking meets operational excellence, where James Beard winners work alongside neighborhood legends.
Restaurant Row at Your Doorstep
Stay steps from Randolph Street, Chicago's Restaurant Row, where award-winning chefs are redefining American cuisine nightly. Explore Michelin-starred restaurants, cocktail bars, and the city's legendary food halls before or after sessions.
What You'll Bring Home
- Menu ideas ready to pitch to clients Monday morning
- 10+ emerging ingredients that justify premium pricing
- Food-cost reduction strategies from chefs running $10M+ operations
- Labor efficiency models that cut prep time without sacrificing quality
- Direct supplier connections (no middleman markups)
- Curated Recipe book
Meet Some of Your AOCF Speakers
