If you are planning a private dinner in Chicago, the first question is usually the simplest one. What does a private chef actually cost?
Here is the honest breakdown, with real numbers.
The chef fee
Our starting chef fees depend on how you want the meal served. Plated dinners start at $125 per guest. Family style starts at $95 per guest. Buffet and stations start at $75 per guest. Drop off is a flat price, quoted per event.
In home events under eight guests have a minimum culinary fee starting at $750.
That fee covers the menu design, the grocery shopping, the cooking, the service, and the cleanup. Every event is led by one of our head chefs. We are not an agency sending strangers to your kitchen.
Groceries and staffing
Groceries are quoted separately as one locked figure, so there are no surprises after the dinner. Staffing is also quoted separately, based on your guest count and service style. A small dinner for eight needs fewer hands than a wedding for two hundred.
Gratuity is always the guest’s choice.
Holiday dates
Friday, Saturday and Sunday events in December carry a holiday premium of 15% of the culinary fee, with a minimum of $150. Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day and Valentine’s Day carry a holiday premium of 25% of the culinary fee, with a minimum of $250. When a date falls under both, only the 25% premium applies. All other dates use regular pricing.
What moves the price
Four things change the total more than anything else. Guest count, service style, menu complexity, and rentals. A multi course plated menu with caviar and gold leaf costs more than a relaxed family style dinner. A venue that needs rented tables, chairs, and dinnerware adds rental costs. Travel outside Chicago is quoted separately.
The deposit
A 50% deposit secures your date. The remaining balance is due 10 days before the event. Once your date is secured, it is yours. We do not bump a booked date for a larger party.
Why it can cost less than a night out
For a group, a private chef often costs less per person than a comparable restaurant night once you add up entrees, drinks, tax, tip, and rides across town. And nobody is splitting a check or shouting over a dining room. You are at your own table, with a menu built for your people.
What to do next
Tell us your occasion, your guest count, and the style of meal you have in mind. We will send two menu directions with starting pricing within a day or two of our call, then build the exact estimate once you choose a direction and the bar, staffing, and rental scope are clear.
Browse our menus for inspiration. Planning a wedding? See wedding catering. For executive dinners and company events, see corporate catering.