Funding for the renovation of The Quarry is supported by the Chicago Community Loan Fund (CCLF) and the Chicago Neighborhood Opportunities Fund (NOF).

About

The Quarry is owned by the social enterprise created by Real Men Charities Inc. That entity, Real Community Investment Group purchased The Quarry in July 2018 after managing the venue since January. Our mission follows.

To be the hub around which South Shore gathers to experience itself as a positive, safe, powerful, resource-rich, connected, community, worthy of living and staying in Chicago. 

To be a place that will attract culinary and health-related entrepreneurs and artists seeking affordable, flexible space to anchor their work, learn, grow, and connect with resources and meet potential clients and like-minded others.

To be a place in their own neighborhood where local community residents, their children, families, and friends as well as churches and neighborhood-based organizations can hold their celebrations, programs, weddings, repasts, reunion events, meetings, training, and many other events that they now have to go way across town to do.  

To become a sought-after destination where people gather weekly for affordable, high quality, culturally rich, high powered entertainment, food fun, and art. To become a place, much appreciated because it hires, trains and encourages local people, especially young people, as employees, volunteers, and mentors.

Finally, to be a place that will focus on programs and policies that will nurture the community’s needs and foster its economic, social and cultural revitalization and become a beacon for positive change and peace, positively impacting 75th Street and the surrounding areas as well as the whole south side; cross promoting, developing and bolstering business, and raising the potential for greater income.

Celebrate your life!

 AT THE QUARRY

OUR HISTORY

The Real Community Investment Group, Inc. (RCIG) is a social enterprise for profit corporation, wholly owned by Real Men Charities, Inc., (RMC), is a non-profit 501 c(3) corporation which captures the spirit of the 30 year old Real Men Cook Father's Day celebrations. The mission is to build health families and communities. Programming addresses physical , social, economic and emotional health and always includes the recognition and value o its cultural gifts, history and culinary legacy, and to become culinary entrepreneurs.

 Prior to the closing of the sale of the Quarry venue, RCIG has been managing the property and businesses as the managing partner based on an agreement with the owner. Since stepping into the lead role in February 2018, RMIG has significantly increased the numbers of sales of events, meetings, shared kitchen arrangements and self produced event with a small marketing budget. Bookings increased from a few per week to as many as 5 per weekend in 2 months, and now average as many as 8 per weekend, including the South Shore Farmer's Market.

This unusual accomplishment is based on the unique and special relationship between RMC and RCIG, and the connection of both to marketing guru, deemed Community Builder by Crain's Chicago Business and AARP, Yvette Moyo. She is the CEO of RCIG and the founder and board member of RMC.

Real Men Charities (RMC) has been located in the Quarry for 2 years. Through Yvette Moyo, it had contractual arrangements with the venue owner to promote and market the Quarry and its business. RMC identified and brought in, marketed and promoted two major businesses, the “Healthy Food Hub”, and “Jazz at the Quarry ”, a live music Jazz cabaret.
Under the leadership of Yvette Moyo, public name recognition public trust and a regular weekly public attendance was built at the Quarry around those businesses, which gave RCIG a foundation to build on. Ms Moyo is a media sales executive, brand developer, conference and event producer, publisher and marketing expert. She is recognized for her skills in branding a company and for her commitment in building social and economic components into RMC’s community building programs that have lasting impact. Among many awards and recognitions was the induction of Ms. Moyo as one of the youngest individuals into the archives of The HistoryMakers in 2013. Her marketing, promotion and public relations work for both companies has created mutually beneficial plans that are working well for both entities.

A second accomplishment of RCIG has been its excellent management and operation of the Quarry. It has identified issues, created records, established processes, made plans and projections, and overseen the stabilization of the venue and its 6 revenue sources in a short time. It has worked diligently to enable the Quarry to pass city inspections and remain fully licensed to operate the shared kitchen, public entertainment spaces, restaurant, and liquor licenses. It has reviewed and negotiated contracts, and reworked operating budgets, and plans for ordinary and planned maintenance and structural repairs.

Finally RCIG has created and utilized a stellar Advisory Board with expertise in the industry .They have been actively sought and engaged in giving valuable technical assistance and advice about setting up the shared kitchen processes, inventory controls, tax issue and other matters encountered in successfully running these specific kinds of businesses.

Our staff

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