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Knockout Enterprise thrives in a blended work environment where people with all varieties of ability work together to run a successful food-focused business. The Knockout Enterprise features a combination of creative culinary and agricultural initiatives that connect to and from the Knockout Farm and the Knockout Kitchen. Scroll down to learn more about the Knockout Kitchen and what we’re bringing to a table near you!
Our Mission
KNOCKOUT PURPOSE
The Knockout Kitchen offers a variety of high-quality, hand-crafted culinary delights. The Knockout Kitchen works in concert with the Knockout Farm to round out a full-circle food enterprise that creates and supports meaningful vocational opportunities for young adults with intellectual and developmental differences.
We craft our culinary delights with emphasis on safety, quality and meaningful experience in a supported work environment that welcomes a mixed ability team and foster opportunities for Warrior employees to take autonomous roles in all aspects of the operation, from menu planning, food prep, setup, food service, and breakdown.
KNOCKOUT CATERING
Experience exceptional catering with a heart! Our team, featuring talented Warriors, delivers delicious meals and unforgettable service for every occasion.
KNOCKOUT POP-UPS
We’ve been taking residence at Bobby’s Eastside for a regular pop-up series. Come see us for our tasty bites and support the Warriors at Work.
KNOCKOUT PICKLES
Our seed-to-jar artisanal pickle business. We offer employment for our Warriors & a supplemental revenue stream to OK; we are also committed to crafting a really dill-icious pickle!
KNOCKOUT FARM
Our farm’s purpose is to learn, grow, & connect with our community while producing high-quality veggies to feed our enterprises & fuel our wellness programs.
What We Offer
A FRESH APPROACH
The Knockout Kitchen offers a variety of high-quality, hand-crafted culinary delights. We have cultivated a menu and carved out some creative partnerships that allow us to pop up at large settings, as well as serve various private event needs.
Our current focus is geared toward serving businesses and organizations with a delicious array of lunch offerings. Our menu continues to grow, as does our team and ability to take on new events. See below for our current menu features. Call us if you have other ideas that you’d like to explore.
THE KNOCKOUT LUNCHBOX
Fresh-to-order sandwiches, salads, sides. Serve the team or the family and see how The Knockout Lunchbox will feed your appetite and fill your soul.
Knockout Kitchen
OUR SPECIAL SAUCE
In the Knockout Kitchen we have built our enterprise on the purpose and quality of our work. We believe what makes us special is how we craft our menu and business with a collective approach that engages our amazing team, our amazing Warriors and our awesome community.
Mixed Ability Workplace
Our team has a mix of abilities and commits to a supported work environment where everyone contributes.
Farm to Table
Our kitchen connects to our farm where we plant, cultivate and harvest a range of organically grown food.
Warriors at Work
The Warriors are at work in production & prep, on the farm, in sales, marketing, delivery and quality assurance.
High Quality
All of our menus feature high quality ingredients and products, sourced from our farm and other great local providers.
Food with Mission
We are proud to embed this enterprise in the Opportunity Knocks Mission, where we have gathered an amazing community that supports this work.
Fresh Made
The Knockout Kitchen makes fresh to order meals with high quality ingredients put together by high quality humans.
Very Locally Sourced
FROM OUR FARM TO YOUR TABLE
When we say a portion of our ingredients are locally sourced, we mean it! The Knockout Farm is a fully functional urban farm entrenched in our enterprise efforts, producing fresh, organic, Warrior-grown crops that make their way through our catering kitchen and onto your plate. The farm also serves as a key learning space in our programs and a primary source for the key ingredients in our Knockout Pickles.
Testimonials
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
“IT’S RIGHT THERE IN THE NAME!”
It’s right in the name; Knockout Catering provides knockout service! Not only do they have an expansive menu, all the food is locally sourced. Working with Joe and the Warriors is a great experience; top notch food and service, plus a program that makes an incredible impact on our community.
Michele Zurakowski, Exec. Director of Beyond Hunger, formerly OPRF Food Pantry
“Satisfy the stomach, satisfy the soul”
If there was ever a culinary outfit that rightly deserved the moniker ‘Knockout,’ this is it! Delivering quality that not only satisfies your stomach but also your soul, by empowering young adults who are hardworking, enthusaisic and more dedicated than I could ever be!
Elliott Bambrough, co-host of WGN’s Chicago’s Best
“TOP QUALITY”
We’re big fans of Opportunity Knocks. The combination of a mission we support, great people and top-quality products makes its very easy for us to work with them.
Keith Huizinga, co-Owner of Kinslahger Brewing Co.
“Timely, Professional, Delicious!”
WSSRA has had the pleasure of using Knockout Catering for two events in the last year and their staff were very professional, the food was delicious, timely and the OK servers are the best! I would highly recommend you consider using them for your next event!
Marianne Birko, Executive Director of WSSRA (West Suburban Special Recreation Association)
Knockout Impact
FOOD WITH PURPOSE
We aim to produce high quality food. We also aim to produce a high quality experience. We also aim to build a stage that creates an opportunity for Warriors to perform, create and connect in a meaningful way
Warrior Chefs
People Served
% Employment Rate for People with I/DD
Innovation
WARRIORS AT
WORK
Our approach to the culinary experience features high quality, fresh ingredients and a fresh made menu. In addition to that commitment to great food, is a commitment to creating quality experiences for Warriors to do quality work.
Top Skills
Meet the Warrior Culinary Team
Our aim is to sustain meaningful and gainful vocational skill-building opportunities, while also producing a revenue stream to support OK operations. Our Knockout purpose is to support an environment where Warriors can showcase and grow their abilities, while working in a collaborative team setting to make and serve high-quality food.
Harlow Righetti
KNOCKOUT FARM COORDINATOR
With Us Since | 2019
David Gebhardt
KNOCKOUT KITCHEN COORDINATOR
With Us Since | 2023
Diana Ibarra
PROGRAM - ENTERPRISE LEADER
With Us Since | 2022
Sonya Taylor
KNOCKOUT KITCHEN STAFF
With Us Since | 2015
Georgia Hunter
KNOCKOUT KITCHEN STAFF
With Us Since | 2017
Jackie Finn
KNOCKOUT KITCHEN STAFF
With Us Since | 2017
Maddy Gancer
KNOCKOUT KITCHEN STAFF & FARMER
With Us Since | 2018
Charlie O'Connor
KNOCKOUT KITCHEN STAFF
With Us Since | 2018
Jonece Dansby
KNOCKOUT KITCHEN STAFF & FARMER
With Us Since | 2020
Ryan Gravely
KNOCKOUT KITCHEN STAFF
With Us Since | 2022
Nick Sawyer
KNOCKOUT KITCHEN STAFF & FARMER
With Us Since | 2022
Jenna Ricks
KNOCKOUT KITCHEN STAFF & FARMER
With Us Since | 2023
Ron Turner
KNOCKOUT KITCHEN STAFF
With Us Since | 2023
David Espinosa
KNOCKOUT KITCHEN STAFF
With Us Since | 2023
HOURS OF OPERATION
MON – FRI
10:00am – 4:00pm
10:00am – 4:00pm
SUN
We are closed
We are closed
DROP US A LINE
Don’t be shy. Let us know if you have any questions or ideas!
General Inquiries to the Knockout Kitchen Coordinator, Dave Gebhardt
Our Story
our culinary quest
The Knockout Catering Co. offers a variety of high-quality, hand-crafted culinary delights for small to medium-sized events. The KCC is the second installment in the social enterprise programming at Opportunity Knocks, aiming to create and support meaningful vocational opportunities for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Under the direction of OK’s Head Chef, Joe Hart, we created a menu, carved out a commercial production space and developed a safe and supported work environment that allows our Warrior employees to team up with our culinary team to work on all aspects of the operation, from menu planning, food prep, setup, food service, and breakdown.
Like most things at OK, each of our businesses developed organically out of our Warrior-focused program efforts in the culinary arts. The more work the Knockout Catering crew gets, the more paid Warrior positions we can support.
Since launching in 2016, Knockout Catering has seen significant growth, year after year. That growth has led to great experiences, awesome community connections and most importantly a visible platform to showcase the abilities of the Warriors that work within the ranks of the Catering Crew.
Very Locally Sourced
from our farm to your table
When we say a portion of our ingredients are locally sourced, we mean it! The Knockout Farm is a fully functional urban farm entrenched in our enterprise efforts, producing fresh, organic, Warrior-grown crops that make their way through our catering kitchen and onto your plate. The farm also serves as a key learning space in our programs and a primary source for the key ingredients in our Knockout Pickles.
Full Service
A Fresh Approach to Catering
The team at Knockout Catering Company will make your next event one to remember with delicious cuisine and memorable service. We believe in scratch made cooking from locally sourced ingredients and it shows in the flavor of our cuisine.
From large groups to small affairs, from rustic comfort food to elegant dinner parties, Knockout Catering is sure to make you and your guests have an event to remember.
Knockout Impact
Catering with Purpose
We aim to produce high quality food. We also aim to produce a high quality experience. We also aim to build a stage that creates an opportunity for Warriors to perform, create and connect in a meaningful way
Warrior Chefs
People Served
People with a Disability that are employed
Innovation
Warriors at Work
Our approach to the catering experience features high quality, fresh ingredients and a scratch made menu. In addition to that committment to great food, is a committment to creating quality experiences for Warriors to do quality work.