Chicago cook & extraordinaire, Jennifer Kim is a second-generation Korean-American chef, restaurateur, writer and artist living and working in Chicago. Before the launch of Alt Economy, they co-owned Snaggletooth, a sustainable seafood micro-deli and in 2018, opened their first solo venture, Passerotto. During its two-and-a-half-year run, the restaurant garnered a reputation as a conscientious, community-focused business. It was also the recipient of respected accolades such as a 2019 James Beard Best New Restaurant nomination, a 2019 Jean Banchet Award, two consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmands and a 2018 Eater Chicago Chef of the Year Award. Their new project, Alt Economy, seeks to explore alternative economies outside of what we understand as “conventional” business models through community and worker-centered enterprises revolving around accountability, joyfulness and imagining the fantastic. Alt Economy is ever-changing and its fluidity is dictated by co-collaboration and future-building to redefine the ways that hospitality functions through one-off projects and story-driven dining experiences.
Fatima Butler (also known as Fati Bee) is a bartender and nonprofit operations specialist. Over the years, she has worked in the hospitality industry as well as in nonprofit operations management. In June 2020 she founded Rooted in Hospitality, a nonprofit organization that is committed to breaking down systemic barriers within the hospitality industry.
Fatima enjoys the creativity and energy that comes with involvement in the hospitality industry as well as the sense of social responsibility that comes with nonprofit work. When she’s not working, Fatima enjoys traveling with friends; reading science fiction; and cooking meals inspired by regional cuisine and restaurant dishes that she enjoyed.
Teaming up with Chicago bartender Fati Bee to create a cocktail menu meant to excite.
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