A day of food, remembrance, and community care brought hundreds together in celebration of Black liberation.
CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, June 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Smack Dab hosted its third annual Juneteenth Liberation Brunch, serving more than 400 guests and providing $6,500 in free food and beverage to the community in honor of Juneteenth.
The annual brunch was created as a meaningful offering of appreciation, love, and respect for the Black individuals in the United States. This year’s event brought together hundreds of guests to gather, eat, celebrate, rest, connect, and be cared for through food.
Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, is both a celebration of liberation and a reminder of the ongoing work required to honor Black history, Black life, and Black futures. For Smack Dab, the Liberation Brunch is one way the restaurant continues to put its values into action through hospitality, community care, and shared nourishment.
“This event is one of the clearest expressions of who we are and what we believe food can do,” said Teeny, owner of Smack Dab. “Juneteenth is a celebration, but it is also a remembrance. To be able to feed more than 400 people and give away $6,500 in food and beverage felt like a small but sincere way to honor the Black experience, especially here in the United States. We are deeply grateful to everyone who came, everyone who supported, and every member of our team who made the day possible.”
The Smack Dab team served guests throughout the event while also managing regular food purchases and in-house operations. Teeny also praised the staff publicly on social media for the care, energy, and commitment they brought to the day.
“Our team did a phenomenal job,” Teeny said. “Every person in-house showed up with so much heart. I hope folks continue to give them love, because days like this only happen when a whole team chooses to care deeply and work hard together.”
In addition to the free food and beverage served during the Juneteenth Liberation Brunch, Smack Dab will also announce a $185 donation to Dion’s Chicago Dream, a Chicago-based organization working to address food insecurity and provide fresh produce to people and families across the city.
The event also reflects the same community-centered approach that guides Smack Dab’s everyday brunch service, catering offerings, and private events. Whether welcoming guests into the restaurant, catering gatherings across Chicago, or hosting groups in its space, Smack Dab continues to use food as a way to build connection, create belonging, and show up for the community in tangible ways.
For Teeny and the Smack Dab team, the Juneteenth Liberation Brunch is not simply a one-day event. It is part of a broader commitment to hospitality rooted in care, equity, and responsibility.
“We know that food does not solve everything,” Teeny said. “But food can be a way to say, ‘You are welcome here. You are valued here. You deserve to be cared for.’ That is the spirit we wanted people to feel when they walked in, sat down, and shared a meal with us.”
Smack Dab extends its gratitude to everyone who attended, donated, purchased food, shared the event, supported the team, and helped make the third annual Juneteenth Liberation Brunch possible.
About Smack Dab
Smack Dab is a queer woman-owned Chicago brunch restaurant known for scratch-made food, community-centered hospitality, catering, and private events. With a deep commitment to care, inclusion, and local connection, Smack Dab uses food as a way to gather people, honor community, and create meaningful moments of service.
Teeny Forrester
Smack Dab Chicago
+1 872-241-9111
email us here
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