Donnie Madia

Donnie Madia Managing PartnerOwner One Off Hospitality Group Among the nations most acclaimed restaurateurs Chicagoborn Donnie Madia has mastered the art of collaboration in executing his instincts for style atmosphere and hospitality His unique blend of visionary inspiration attention to detail and sense of unlimited possibilities informs all he touches as evidenced in the ninetime James Beard awardwinning restaurant collective One Off Hospitalityfounded by Madia in partnership with Edward Seitan Paul Kahan Peter Garfield Terry Alexander and the late Rick Diarmit The powerhouse team behind One Off Hospitality opened their first restaurant the iconic Blackbird in December 1997 with minimal resources and means but a collective passion to succeed Blackbird would ultimately go on to forever shape the culinary landscape both locally and nationally receiving a Michelin rating for eight consecutive years Madias commitment to hospitality earned him James Beard nominations for Outstanding Restaurateur in 2012 2013 and 2014 and his business acumen and gift for connecting talented individuals was recognized by the James Beard Foundation in 2015 when he was formally awarded with the honor At his core Madia is a family man dividing his time between his One Off family his wife Estelle and their son Bronson Madia also had been actively involved with pediatric cancer research nonprofit Alexs Lemonade Stand Foundation both on a national level and locally in Chicago After firsthand experience of the tragic consequences Covid19 had on the hospitality industry Madia settled into a new role as a founding member of the Independent Restaurant Coalition The IRC provides a voice for independent restaurants and bars by advocating and fighting for Paycheck Protection Program PPP and Restaurant Revitalization Fund RRF amongst other important issues during these challenging times Madia also sits on the Board of the Illinois Restaurant Association and takes pride in his ability to ignite change within the community One Off Hospitalitys existing family of restaurants consists of several of the most noted independently owned and operated restaurants in the US including avec The Publican The Violet Hour Big Star Big Star Wrigleyville Publican Quality Meats Doves Luncheonette Publican Quality Bread and Publican Tavern OHare as well as the iconic Blackbird which served diners for 20 years before a final farewell in 2020