About Drinks On Me Chicago
JAY HARRIS
Cocktails, Passion & Entrepreneurship
Hospitality is the beating heart of beverage service. That hospitality manifests the desire to host, to engage, to bring life to the party!
Meet Jay Harris, owner of Drinks On Me Catering (DOMC). Jay is a skilled hospitality pro, with a spirit driven by elevating experiences in cocktail catering and hospitality. Known for his creative beverage chops and being a man of the people, his passion to deliver quality cocktail service can turn a blank slate of zero ideas into a delicious, drinkable spread for any occasion.
Jay’s road to entrepreneurship began humbly, right here in the Windy City. He was born in the Robert Taylor Home Projects in 1975 and grew up in a single-parent household in the inner city of Chicago. He had to grow up fast. The eldest of two, Jay was regularly called upon to be the innovative, hard working backbone—to achieve goals set before him. To goal set, to develop a game plan, to be a voice of encouragement. “I will always remember and be grateful for my humble beginnings because from small beginnings come great things.”
As a college student, Jay was a master event organizer and aspired to be a nightclub owner. He built an enthusiasm around the allure of social affairs. A graduate of Illinois State University with a degree in Sociology and Mass Communications, Jay was also intrinsically motivated by people, experiences and rapport. So when he returned to Chicago and found corporate America less than fulfilling, he found himself open to a brand-new journey which reignited his passion to be about people and their celebrations.
Jay’s entrepreneurial journey started with the establishment of an event promotions company called The Soulstice Group in 2001. The company’s goal was to coordinate social events in uncommon venues and spaces. One of the most memorable events was held inside of 3 large freight elevators in a warehouse! These were exhilarating times but as any small business owner knows, money isn’t easy from the get-go. To make ends meet, Jay was a bartender in the lively, trendsetting nightclub scene in Chicago.
That experience is where the vision for Drinks On Me Catering began, after seeing firsthand the disconnect with bar serviceability, cocktail ingenuity and the standard event norm. Jay would notice a nightclub owner sitting at the bar every night, in the same corner seat and had little to no involvement with the event itself. It seemed impersonal. He wanted to create something where celebration and pleasure in the cocktail experience was not a second thought. Jay soon combined the ideas of The Soulstice Group and his bartending know-how and launched Drinks On Me!
Jay first began running Drinks On Me out of his home. Fast forward to today, he’s had an extraordinary commitment to servicing Chicago and surrounding Illinois areas with top notch cocktail experiences for both large and small scale events alike. With the growth of Drinks On Me over the years, he has been approached by numerous exemplary organizations including, but not limited to, the Field Museum, Chicago Cultural Center and NBC Chicago.
Entrepreneurship is not without its obstacles. With the onset of COVID-19, Jay is using the setback as a chance to ramp up production on a part of the cocktail catering landscape he’s wanted to pivot to and tackle for some time. With Drinks On Me cocktail kits he wants to give the people a no-fuss opportunity to take charge of their at-home bar and bring the magic of the professional cocktail experience comfortably into their homes or to be able to send that experience directly to the doors of a friend, colleague, family member… you name it! To be hospitable from afar, in the age of social distance measures. So send a cocktail kit today and tell them you’ve got the tab tonight: “DRINKS ON ME”!
On-Site Service
Drinks On Me offers a seamless solution to your beverage needs—flexible to work with an endless variety of customer-specific requests, intricate events, and unique themes. We specialize in Professional Bar Catering and pride ourselves in superior hospitality focus and customer service. We offer a variety of bar packages at competitive rates. Drinks On Me offers its services to ANY Social, Corporate, Wedding, Residential events and any event which cocktails might be desired.
Drinks On Me was established to fill the need for a high quality, organized, customer service-oriented traveling bartending service. From backyard barbecues to the elegant at-home dinner party to elaborate corporate parties, no event is too big or too small.
We hire only experienced and seasoned staff whom we have considered to have top notch hospitality capabilities. From setup to cleanup, Drinks On Me is confident we can provide the qualified people to make your event a great success! Our skilled staff is friendly, courteous, articulate and always professional. At Drinks On Me, we work efficiently as a team with our clients. Whether you are seeking assistance for a party of 50 or a party of 300+, we can provide suitable accommodations.
Your continued support and business feedback powers and enhances the Drinks On Me experience, thank you.
