Maura McCartney

Accounting Controller

From her first restaurant job at age 14 bussing tables in Chicago’s Little Italy, McCartney knew she belonged in our industry. Over the next decade, McCartney worked the full spectrum of front of the house jobs, eventually finding herself as the General Manager of Hawkeye’s Bar and Grill in the early 1990s.

When a foot injury forced her to take time off from the dining room, McCartney, with a head for numbers and an accounting major, made her first foray into restaurant bookkeeping procedures. Utilizing both her restaurant and accounting backgrounds, McCartney became well-versed in the specifics of hospitality accounting. Eventually she became an industry consultant helping clients such as Le Francais, Wheeling, IL and Bistrot Margot, Chicago, IL develop and enhance their in-house accounting systems.

In 1997, she partnered with Terry Alexander at Mia Francesca’s to develop all of the point-of-sale and accounting protocols across the rapidly growing Francesca Restaurants. This led to her consulting on many of his projects, including Mod, del Toro, Sonotheque, and the Violet Hour.

Alexander referred her to partner Donald Madia, and McCartney brought her expertise to Blackbird, avec, the Publican, and Big Star in turn.

In 2011, McCartney joined One Off Hospitality Group as the Accounting Controller, bringing all of the properties into synchronicity with one another.