Smack Dab ties holiday sides sales to food aid and Great Lakes stewardship

The Chicago brunch and catering restaurant is donating 250 holiday sides to neighbors in need, pledging 5% of Holiday Sides Menu sales to an Indigenous-led conservation group, and opening holiday preorders on Nov. 3. The effort links a seasonal menu push with year-round mutual aid and community care in Rogers Park.

Why it matters: - Smack Dab is using holiday sales to support both local food access and Indigenous stewardship work. - The restaurant will donate 250 full-size holiday sides, worth about $3,500, to its neighborhood Love Fridge during Thanksgiving week. - Customers can also direct their holiday spending toward community aid, since 5% of Holiday Sides Menu sales will go to the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission. - The campaign connects a neighborhood restaurant’s seasonal business with food insecurity, mutual aid, and environmental protection.

What happened: - Smack Dab, a brunch and catering restaurant in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood, is bringing back its Holiday Sides Menu for the Thanksgiving season. - Holiday pre-orders open Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 8 a.m. and run through Friday, Nov. 20. - Customers can use promo code EARLYBIRD for 10% off through Nov. 13. - All orders will be available for pickup at 6730 N. Clark Street in Rogers Park. - Smack Dab will not offer the Holiday Sides Menu in December this year.

The details: - The holiday menu includes Mac + Cheese, Sweet Potato Crunch, quiche and Breakfast Sammie Kits. - With the exception of two items, the menu is vegetarian. - Many items are also vegan and gluten-free. - The seasonal Cranberry Chutney Sammie is returning with Indian-inspired cranberry chutney, roasted garlic spread, hash browns, arugula, smoked gouda and a choice of chicken or plant-based sausage. - The Cranberry Chutney Sammie can also be modified to be vegan and gluten-free. - Customers can add extra funds during checkout to help Smack Dab provide meals to neighbors experiencing food insecurity. - Last year, Smack Dab sold more than 1,000 holiday sides. - The restaurant is aiming to sell 1,200 holiday sides this year.

Between the lines: - Smack Dab’s holiday drive fits its year-round “Eat Good, Do Good” approach. - The restaurant’s Holy Trinity mutual aid meal lets anyone experiencing food insecurity request a simple meal during business hours without explaining their circumstances or proving financial hardship. - Pack the Pantry: A Day of Service happens on the second Wednesday of each month. - Neighbors and volunteers use that event to portion and pack food for the nearby Love Fridge, including rice, beans, lentils, vegetables and other staples. - During one recent Day of Service, volunteers prepared more than 490 pounds of food for community distribution. - The restaurant’s giving partner, GLIFWC, was founded in 1984 by Ojibwe treaty tribes and serves 11 Ojibwe tribes. - GLIFWC works across Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota to protect treaty rights, natural resources and the lands and waters of the Great Lakes region. - The organization combines scientific research with traditional ecological knowledge. - Smack Dab co-owner Teeny said feeding neighbors and protecting the environment are both part of the restaurant’s responsibility to the community and the land.

What’s next: - Holiday preorders will remain open through Nov. 20. - Pickup dates and times will be shared through the holiday ordering platform. - Smack Dab is encouraging customers who want holiday favorites later in the season to order in November and freeze items for future celebrations. - The restaurant will shift focus to in-house seasonal offerings after the holiday preorder period ends.

The bottom line: - Smack Dab is turning a seasonal menu into a fundraising and mutual aid engine, linking Thanksgiving food traditions with direct support for Chicago neighbors and Great Lakes conservation work.