Movers and Shakers: Derrek Hull, CEO of The Trotter Project

Lost Larson Bakery

The world of Chicago hospitality is broad, full of movers and shakers of all kinds. Some are in the kitchens and behind the bars of your favorite restaurants, but there are plenty of people outside of these hot spots that are still making a huge impact on our industry. From event planners and influencers, to merchandisers and even those in the world of nonprofits, these people are impacting what we eat and drink every day - even if you don’t always see them ;)

That’s why we’re so glad to be bringing them out into the light with our new “Movers and Shakers” profile series, highlighting those in the industry who, like Derrek Hull, CEO of The Trotter Project, are supporting those who need it most in our food family. Though Hull met legendary Chef Charlie Trotter while working for the Chicago Office of Tourism, he didn’t immediately begin working with Trotter’s team, first helming marketing and communications for the National Restaurant Association’s Annual Restaurant Show. He’d seen a variety of aspects of the Chicago food world before he became one of The Trotter Project co-founders, which also includes members of Charlie Trotter’s family and Charlie Trotter’s restaurant sommelier Robert Houde. Together, they have led The Trotter Project through seven years of success, partnering with the very best in our city’s chefs and restaurants. Their efforts represent the very best in the culinary world, and we’re honored to showcase their work, and Hull’s favorite spots in Chicago…

How would you describe the Chicago food world overall? 

One word: resilient. Working through the challenges and hardships that the industry faced in 2020, the food world in Chicago is not only surviving – it is thriving and the promise for growth is enormous.

Bistronomic

What are some of the most exciting recent restaurant openings and re-openings you’ve seen in Chicago?

Answering this question is tough because every single restaurant opening and reopening post-COVID is genuinely exciting and points to the growth opportunities ahead of us in Chicago. This includes wonderful restaurants such as Bistronomic, Gather, Hopleaf Bar, Lost Larson, Old Irving Brewing, Oriole, S.K.Y., Smyth and The Loyalist, Soul & Smoke, Virtue, The Warbler, and very excited to check out Apolonia, Claudia, Ever, Moody Tongue, Porto and Venteux Chicago, as well.

For a first-time Chicago visitor, what restaurants would you recommend as must-try spots? 

There are so many, but Bistronomic, Gather, Hopleaf Bar, Old Irving Brewing, S.K.Y and Wieners Circle are top of my list for Chicago visitors.

And what would your perfect "food day" in the city be? 

Who doesn’t love alfresco dining? For me, a perfect food day in Chicago involves a patio, good food and drink, and laughs with friends.

What is your favorite single bite of food in Chicago? 

Samoa Cake from Aya Pastry. It reminds me of the Girl Scout cookie. The moist chocolate brown sugar cake is frosted in a dulce de leche buttercream, rolled in frosted coconut and drizzled with chocolate. Total yum.

Derrek Hull, CEO of The Trotter Project

How have you seen the Chicago hospitality industry come together? 

Without doubt, COVID presented the Chicago hospitality industry with numerous challenges. It also presented opportunities for our industry to step up to the proverbial plate and shine – doing what we do best and that is feeding our neighbors. Through the duration of 2020, The Trotter Project supported restaurants with grants from our organizational partners and supporters to help feed underserved students and their families, and we collaborated with Chef Jose Andrés’ World Central Kitchen and Frontline Foods Chicago to further expand that effort. Throughout last year, more than 60,000 meals supported local families and individuals in need in Chicago’s South and West Side communities. That right there is evidence of how Chicago’s hospitality industry works together.

For those who might not know, tell us the history of The Trotter Project in Chicago and beyond. 

The Trotter Project creates and invests in programs to advance education opportunities, sustainable agriculture and food security. Our people and our programs – from scholarships, including our newest, the Farmer Lee Jones Agriculture Scholarship, to farm-to-classroom education – reflect a generosity of spirit and pursuit of excellence within the global culinary and hospitality industries.

Especially after this last year, how is The Trotter Project partnering with restaurants to continue to support the hospitality world? 

One example of how The Trotter Project is partnering with restaurants to support the hospitality industry is through our collaborative partnership with Skokie, Ill.-based Blue Blazer Cocktails. Throughout the year, a portion of Blue Blazer’s cocktail sales supports The Trotter Project’s participating restaurants and helps fuel our culinary and hospitality scholarships – supporting education initiatives that return scholar talent to the industry. 

Estereo Chicago

What do you have coming up? 

Celebrate The Trotter Project’s anniversary – “Cheers to 7 Years” – with award-winning mixologist Michael Rubel of Logan Square’s Latin American-inspired bar Estereo, Blue Blazer Cocktails and Virtual Dining Chicago from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 27. Tickets and more information are online at Virtual Dining Chicago.

And what are you most looking forward to for summer in Chicago? 

I can’t wait to see hospitality colleagues, friends and partners – in person and in their restaurants!

To learn more about Chicago hospitality - from those who are a part of the industry - check our other Culinary Personality interviews!