Lenore’s kitchen is an off-premise catering company founded by Lillia Key 30 years ago.

Ms. Key started Lenore’s Kitchen by providing food and catering services for friends and family. As a child growing up in the Englewood community, Ms. Key watched her mother, grandmother and great-aunts throw fabulous family parties. After absorbing everything she could about cooking and entertaining from them, Ms. Key found that she had a forte for party foods and planning. While attending college, those cooking skills were fine-tuned by cooking for her neighborhood every night and planning parties for her social club in major downtown hotels.

These events culminated in Ms. Key’s decision to step out on faith with her mother to pursue and obtain city and state licenses for Sanitation and Proper Food Handling through City Colleges. The business was on its way. In two years, the home-based business reached so many milestones that it had to expand to their church’s commercial kitchen. This expansion resulted in a lifelong desire and dream to ultimately provide employment opportunities to the Englewood Community residents.

Ms. Key is the founder of the non-profit organization, The Key Works Association, which offers culinary training, food distribution, and job placement services for underprivileged youth, ex-offenders, and lower-income families.

In early 2000, another dream became a reality. The company moved into its own facility. Lenore’s was open to the public, serving not only soul food but love and respect. Although there was a continuous demand for catering services, in 2004, the decision was made to close the restaurant.

Today Lenore’s Kitchen proudly serves a wide variety of clientele from corporations, government offices, schools, churches, and more across the Chicagoland-Northwest Indiana area. Ms. Key is a member of the International Caterer’s Association and a charter member of the Top Ladies of Distinction Will County Black Diamond Chapter. Ms. Key is also a member of the National Council of Negro Women Chicago Central Section. Lillia is a faithful member of St. John M.B. Church under the leadership of Dr. A. Edward Davis. Jr., where she serves as a Trustee and Co-Chair of the Culinary Ministry.

In 2022, Ms. Key opened the Gallery LKC, an upscale art gallery and event space located on the south side of Chicago.

Ms. Key’s and Lenore’s Kitchen Catering’s motto is, “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little bit extra!“