Smack Dab Celebrates 10 Years of Serving Brunch in Chicago

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Smack Dab Marks a Decade of Brunch, Community, and Gratitude in Chicago

CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, October 15, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- This past Mother’s Day, Smack Dab reached a milestone many neighborhood restaurants can only dream of: ten years of serving Chicago brunch, building community, and creating connections in Chicago. What began as a vision to bring people together over good food has grown into a decade-long story of resilience, gratitude, and a commitment to both customers and causes that matter.

A MILESTONE MARKED ON MOTHER’S DAY

Smack Dab had big plans for its tenth anniversary. The month was set to be filled with customer appreciation events, community partnerships, and festive celebrations. It all began with a Mother’s Day giving event that reflected the Chicago brunch restaurant’s values: serving food with heart and showing up for the community.

On that Sunday, Smack Dab raised and matched funds for two organizations deeply connected to families and care: Chicago Volunteer Doulas and the Chicago Abortion Fund. The effort brought in over $800 in donations, and Teeny, co-owner of Smack Dab, was moved by the outpouring of generosity.

“Celebrating ten years on Mother’s Day felt right,” Teeny shared. “It was about honoring the people who give care, who nurture, and who support others every single day. That’s what we try to do here at Smack Dab, and that’s what those organizations are doing out in the world. It meant everything to us to lift them up.”

WHEN PLANS SHIFT, LESSONS EMERGE

But life doesn’t always follow the script. The rest of the month’s celebrations were interrupted by unexpected challenges: open staff positions that took longer to fill and illnesses that left remaining team members working longer shifts. Planned customer appreciation weekends and community events had to be postponed.

For Teeny, it was bittersweet. “I was so disappointed,” she admitted. “We had dreamed up these events to thank our customers and celebrate our community. But I really believe everything happens for a reason. Sometimes life slows you down so you can pay attention to what needs to shift.”

In hindsight, the pause was more than a setback. It opened space for conversations and changes within Smack Dab that are now quietly underway. Some of those shifts are still taking shape, but Teeny is confident the best is yet to come.

“You’re going to see some of those delayed celebrations come back around before the year is out,” she promised. “This community deserves to be celebrated. We wouldn’t be here without them.”

A DECADE OF GRATITUDE

Even without the full anniversary month, Teeny has never lost sight of how much Smack Dab’s customers mean to her. The restaurant’s culture is built around appreciation and connection, whether it’s through brunch, catering, or community partnerships.

“Our customers are like family,” Teeny said. “We’re always asking ourselves: how do we show them they matter? That’s why we’ve been running our Friday buy-one, get-one offers. It’s not just about the food; it’s about creating a reason to reach out to someone you haven’t had breakfast with in a while. We want to help fuel those new or existing connections.”

This spirit of generosity and connection is also at the heart of Smack Dab’s Chicago catering business. Whether serving creative brunch spreads for local offices or fueling small business gatherings, the team brings the same care and flavor they’re known for at their neighborhood spot. As Teeny explains, it’s not just about transactions, but the actual relationships.

“When someone orders catering from us, we want them to feel the same warmth they feel when they sit down for brunch here,” she said. “It’s about showing up, not just showing off. That’s always been our approach.”

CHOOSING CAUSES THAT MATTER

Smack Dab’s giving on Mother’s Day was not a one-time gesture. For Teeny, supporting causes close to her heart and relevant to the community is an extension of the restaurant’s mission.

“We choose organizations that are working to build the kind of world we want to see. How can we nourish and replenish the ecosystem we’re part of?” she explained. “It’s important to me that when we give back, it’s not just symbolic, it makes a real impact.”

That commitment has defined Smack Dab’s story as much as the food. Over the years, the restaurant has hosted free monthly community meals, partnered with local nonprofits, and given more than $80,000 in cash donations to various organizations.. For Teeny, it’s not a strategy, it’s a way of life.

LOOKING TOWARD THE NEXT DECADE

Even as Smack Dab looks back on its first ten years, there’s an undeniable excitement about what lies ahead. Conversations are already in motion with local organizations about hosting a New Year’s Eve celebration, a way to ring in 2026 with fellow small business owners and community partners.

“I can’t say much yet,” Teeny teased, “but we’re cooking up something special. My hope is that by the time the ball drops, all the changes we’re working on now will be in place, and we’ll be ready to step into our next decade stronger than ever.”

The exact details of Smack Dab’s next chapter are still under wraps, but Teeny’s confidence is clear. From the way she talks about her customers to the quiet pride she has in the team’s resilience, it’s easy to see why Smack Dab has lasted ten years in a time when restaurants come and go quicker than ever.

A COMMUNITY CELEBRATION IN EVERY PLATE

For Teeny, the anniversary isn’t only about how long Smack Dab has been open; it’s about what those ten years have meant.

“Every day we get to serve Chicago is a celebration,” she reflected. “Of the people who sit down together, of the connections that happen over food, and of the beautiful and complicated interdependence of being human. I am so grateful we’ve had ten years of getting to know our little corner of Chicago, and I can’t wait to see what the next ten will bring.”

As Smack Dab steps into its second decade, one thing is certain: the restaurant remains grounded in the values that got it here: gratitude, community, and a deep love of great food made for good people.

Teeny Forrester
Smack Dab Chicago
+1 (872) 241-9111
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