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.
Featured Menus
WHAT WE OFFER
The 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
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
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
Brisket
Amazing Apps
Taco Bar
Fresh Harvest
Delicious Desserts
Knockout Pickles
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
Smoked Goodness
Amazing Apps
Fresh Harvest
Delicious Desserts
Knockout Pickles
Don’t Miss
Our News And Events
Knockout Farm – Template Post
Love grows here. “I love farming” | Karisa Reyna We chatted with Leadership Lab fellows about the OK history and mission and the two primary functions of our social enterprises (Knockout Farm, Knockout Pickles, Knockout Catering Company): To augment the…
After Opps Registration: Spring Semester 2020
Registration for the OK After Opps Spring Semester, Sessions 1 & 2 is now open! See descriptions of activities being offered below. Please use the form on this page to register for either or both of these After Opps program sessions. Any questions or concerns may…
After Opps Registration: Fall Semester 2019
Registration for the OK After Opps Fall Semester, Sessions 1 & 2 is now open! See descriptions of activities being offered below. Please use the form on this page to register for either or both of these After Opps program sessions. Any questions or concerns may be…
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
Top Skills
Meet the Warrior Culinary Team
THOMAS ZAINO
Sous Chef
KNOCKOUT PICKLES COORDINATOR
Thomas role at Opportunity Knocks has grown from the roots. He started out as a part time staff in our programs and his responsibilities has grown ever since. He not only makes pickles for Knockout Pickles but he is also a member of the Knockout Catering team. He brings experience in the kitchen as well as an open mind to learn new skills and help develop opportunities for Warriors.
MADELEINE GANCER
Warrior Chef
Madeleine lives in Oak Park and loves being at Opportunity Knocks. In addition to Warrior Catering Company Madeleine works at Scratch restaurant in Oak Park as a hostess and front of house employee. Her favorite parts about WCC is serving the food and taking people’s orders. Madeleine feels that her knife safety skills have improved. She enjoys interacting with customers.
Zoe Phillpotts
Warrior Chef
Zoe is very excited to be a member of Knockout Catering. She hopes to bring an “international flair” to the menu. She describes her cooking as being very much influenced by Korean and Japanese cuisines. Her favorite part of catering is getting the chance to meet so many new people
Erik Cox
Warrior Chef (right)
Erik is from Elmwood Park and graduated from the OPRF CITE program in 2015. He works at Buona Beef Catering as well as Warrior Catering Company. His favorite part about Warrior Catering Company is hanging out with his boss, Joe Hart, and interacting with customers. Erik says that Warrior Catering has helped him learn how to be polite, dress professionally, and clean up after himself. Erik has also learned how to use a knife safely and feels that he can focus better since working for Warrior Catering Company.
Matt Cox
Warrior Chef (left)
Recently moved to a new bachelor pad in Elmwood Park where he lives with his twin brother Erik. He recently graduated from the CITE program. Besides catering, he also works for the cleaning crew at In and Out Fitness. He lives life to have fun. His favorite part of being on the catering crew is giving out the food to people and seeing how much they like it. He also like serving and communicating to the back of the house on how things are going.
JACKIE FINN
Warrior Chef
Jackie is from River Forest and takes pride in being a hard worker. Jackie has a second job at the Brookfield Zoo. Her favorite part about Warrior Catering Company is serving the food. Jackie loves her boss, Joe Hart. Her favorite recipes are the potato salad, pulled pork sandwiches, and grilled cheese. Jackie enjoys working with her friends and is happy to have a job where she can earn some money! One of Jackie’s other favorite hobbies is eating, so it makes sense that she is a Warrior Caterer!
GEORGIA HUNTER
Warrior Chef
Georgia lives in Oak Park. She has Down’s Syndrome and is a junior in college at Triton and studying Culinary Arts. Besides WCC, Georgia also works for Empowering Gardens and is a cashier at Trader Joe’s. Her favorite part of WCC is being able to help develop new recipes.
KATRINA JEFFRIES
Warrior Chef
Katrina is a student at the OPRF CITE program and has been a Warrior at Opportunity Knocks for three years. She currently works in the Rush Hospital kitchen in addition to Warrior Catering Company. Katrina’s favorite part about Warrior Catering is cooking and introducing herself to new people. Since Katrina has been an employee at Warrior Catering Company she has improved her knife skills and kitchen safety.
Rebecca McIntyre
Warrior Chef
Rebecca has longed worked in food service from her roles at the Happy Apple Pie Co. and Trader Joe’s. She was really excited that Joe Hart saw enough of her talent in programs to want to add her to the team. Rebecca loves learning to make vegetarian recipes and gluten free alternatives and is excited to share her knowledge in menu planning. Her favorite part of catering is getting to work with such a fun team.