Jody Birnbaum, is the President of Caterconsult, Inc. Jody is herself a survivor of twenty plus years in the catering business and was the founder and former owner of Pear Tree Catering.

Jody brings a strong and varied skill set to the table as a consultant. She is a focused communicator who listens well and is able to facilitate an effective communication strategy within any organization. Her overall knowledge of the industry and her ability to “look at the big picture” while having an empathic connection to the many members of both the front and back of the house, set her apart in the industry. Jody uses her wicked combination of experience, humor and compassion to build professional and collaborative teams of owners and employees.

As an adjunct faculty member at the Culinary School of Kendall College, Jody designed and teaches a course to help students understand the basic issues impacting most new and growing businesses. Her course, which is called Intro to Foodservice Business Planning, draws a varied and diverse population of Kendall students who are interested in learning about start-up expenses, build outs, licensing, insurance, taxes, legalities, menu development, pricing, costing, inventory, human resources, financial management, sales and marketing.

Jody is also a longstanding member of and speaker with Catersource, the country's leading catering industry resource. She recently attended the 2009 Catersource Conference and Tradeshow in Las Vegas, and she presented a seminar on CRM, Email Marketing & SEO at The Special Event 2008 Tradeshow & Conference in Atlanta. Jody is a member of the Leading Caterers of America, the ICA (International Catering Association), and one of the founding members of the Chicago Chapter of ISES, (International Special Events Society), in which she served on the executive board for eight years.

Jody has a passion for food & business, and in an ongoing effort to stay on top of the latest trends, she travels frequently, dines out often, and attends many industry-related food shows. Jody has been quoted in North Shore Magazine, The Chicago Sun Times, Catering Magazine, Chef Magazine, The Daily Herald and Catersource Magazine. Jody has also written articles for various industry trade magazines and a local dining guide.

Chef Eric LeVine graduated from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. and credits celebrity Chef David Burke with sparking his passion and creative artistry with food.

Shortly after graduation the industry took note when young Chef Eric became Chef de Cuisine at the signature Marriott Marquis in New York City. He was twice featured in Wine Spectator Magazine with an Award of Excellence in both 1992 and 1993 and USA Today recognized him as one of the Top Ten New Chefs in both 1994 and 1995.

The accolades and awards have continued over the last 15 years, and you can visit Eric's website (www.exqconsulting.com) for a complete listing. More recently Chef Eric was featured in the July/August 2005 issue of Catering Magazine for his industry leading trends and creations, as well as Catersource Magazine (2005, 2007) and Chef Magazine (2005, 2007) for his creative small plate creations and trend setting approach to the industry.

Chef Eric is a truly gifted "Off-Premise Catering Chef", a rather rare breed in the industry. He knows and understands the incredible demands of off-premise catering, and is a master teacher when it comes to knowing how to best prepare, hold and finish food to it’s most delicious potential with exquisite presentation. Did we mention he does all of this with a great attitude and an eye on the bottom line?

Chef Eric currently serves as Chairman of the ICA Culinary Council and is also on the Culinary Advisor Board for Chef Magazine. You can also read Chef Eric's monthly article in Chef Magazine.

Sharon Barson is a lifelong resident of Chicago, with extensive experience in opening and managing restaurants both in Chicago and around the country. Her humble beginnings found her slicing onions and cleaning grease traps in her father’s restaurant when she was only 12 years old. Instead of discouraging her from an industry which at that time, had very few women operators, she thrived on the challenges and the interesting people she met on a daily basis.

After running restaurants for venerable companies such as Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Inc., Carmichael's Chicago Steak House and Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar, she began her own business helping others open theirs.

Sharon brings her considerable talent and experience to the foodservice consulting industry as an expert in restaurant openings. Most recently Sharon has helped to launch Morgan's Charhouse in Winfield, Chicago Prime Steakhouse in Schaumburg, and is assisting with the grand reopening of The Omega Restaurant and Bakery in Niles.

Following Sharon's guidelines from start to finish, is the winning formula for a successful opening. No stone is unturned, nothing is forgotten and everything runs smoothly. Whether you are building from scratch or walking into a turn-key operation, Sharon’s connections, resources and streamlined systems will set you up for success.

One of the advantages of working with Caterconsult, Inc. is that you can tap into the resources of top-notch professionals with a combined experience in the industry totaling too many years to count. We will be able to point you in the right direction and connect you with experts at every level of development.