Leland Avenue in Uptown. Brix Catering opened at 1463 W. Leland Ave. in 2014. Photo: Warren LeMay from Chicago, IL, United States / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Paige Meagher and Zach Greatting met in 2010, in the first block of a culinary school program that ran from 6 a.m. to noon. Meagher still remembers how strange it felt to hold a knife before her first cup of coffee. Greatting remembers the odd midmorning breakfast break, when the whole class ate together and talked.
The two became close friends, trading restaurant tips and support through the long hours of school. Greatting even attended Meagher’s wedding. By graduation they both knew they wanted to work with food, but neither saw a future on a traditional restaurant line.
A message and a plan
The idea took shape while Greatting was working at a downtown restaurant, helping put on small ticketed dinners with wine pairings. He realized he could do something similar in his own style, and he immediately thought of Meagher as a partner who would balance his skills. He sent her a message on Facebook, she came over, and they started planning.
Meagher was well along in her first pregnancy at the time. They kept going anyway, formed an LLC and bought equipment. After her son, Teddy, was born, they started small: grassroots marketing, wine and appetizer pairings in their neighborhood, and eventually a first paying client. Orders grew on their own.
All in
Last year the side project hit a tipping point. Greatting was still working full time and Meagher was home with Teddy, and the hours had become hard to sustain. Meagher has said the decision to go back to work with a child at home weighed heavily on her. Greatting decided to quit his job. They both committed to the business.
After a long closing process, Brix Catering opened this summer at 1463 W. Leland Ave. in Uptown. The partners say they have learned plenty along the way. Greatting’s biggest lesson is to stay true to what you believe, and both encourage new owners to trust their instincts at each step.
Linh Tran-Whitaker covers Argyle Street, dining and community life.
