Virtue Restaurant & Bar
Gaining Local and National Recognizeability With Restaurant Public Relations
Bettie Bomb partner Laura Collins has worked with Virtue Restaurant & Bar since its inception in 2018. From positioning the restaurant as one of the hottest openings in the city and eventually the country, to showcasing the talents of Chef and Owner Erick Williams and his team, Bettie Bomb continues to keep interest through media and strategic partnerships.
Why Hire Bettie Bomb
The goal is to continue to create consistent buzz surrounding the restaurant both locally and nationally by showcasing the leadership of Chef Erick Williams, Chef Damarr Brown, and their talented team.
Company Overview
It is with inimitable persistence, passion and drive to propel today’s dining experience that Erick Williams – Owner and Chef at Virtue Restaurant & Bar – has carved a special niche in the restaurant industry.
Opened in November 2018, Virtue is Williams’ first solo concept, and is nestled in the heart of the historic Hyde Park neighborhood, located on Chicago’s south side. The award-winning restaurant attracts guests both from throughout Chicagoland and around the globe, and unites his 25 years of fine dining expertise, his love of Southern cuisine and his insatiable study of history and art as they relate to food culture.
Williams and his team create a warm atmosphere inspired by the values family and faith instilled in him from a very young age balanced by a menu of comforting, clean, recipes steeped in history.
Since opening, Williams and Virtue have been featured in a host of local and national journals and television programs.
The New York Times named him one of America’s black chefs changing food dialogue in America (2019). Virtue also earned its place on Esquire magazine’s annually anticipated list of Best New Restaurants (2019), and Williams was also the first Black Chef to win the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes.
In 2022, Virtue’s Chef de Cuisine Damarr Brown appeared on Bravo’s Top Chef Season 19 where Bettie Bomb worked closely with lcoal and national media on his new found fame. Shortly after the Top Chef season aired, Brown was named one of Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs.
Restaurant Public Relations
The Needs
As a growing brand and face in the culinary community, both in Chicago and nationally, Chef Erick Williams has expanded his restaurant group to three concepts since 2019 and is now a Jean Banchet and James Beard award-winning chef.
The Solution
An aggressive, yet strategic communications approach with national positioning & talent management. We maintained local recognition and promotion of all new concepts in Chicago while also putting Chef Erick forth for national events, media and opportunities.
Our Results
National Media Coverage
Chef Erick Wililams and Damarr Brown have been featured in top media outlets around the country including New York Times, Esquire, ABC’s Live With Kelly and Ryan, Food & Wine, Garden & Gun, Bon Appétit, Vogue, and many others.
Brand Growth
Bettie Bomb continues to share the unique stories focusing behind Virtue and both of the chefs. With continued focus on national positioning, local recognization, and talent management, Bettie Bomb uses restaurant public relations to help Virtue develop an identifiable and unforgettable brand identity.
Restaurant Public Relations
Are you a chef with a unique story to tell, or a restaurant with a concept unlike the others? Come work with Bettie Bomb, Chicago’s #1 PR agency for restaurants and the hospitality industry.