Emmett's Brewing Co

What Emmett's Brewing Co does

Emmett's Brewing Co is a privately-held craft brewery and full-service American restaurant chain founded in 1998/1999 by Andy Burns in West Dundee, Illinois, and operating three locations across Chicagoland (West Dundee, Palatine, and Downers Grove). The company's core product is small-batch craft beer brewed on-site using traditional methods and globally-sourced ingredients (Belgian yeast strains, German hops, British malts), with the brewery located within 40 feet of the tap to ensure freshness. The packaged product has a recommended 120-day freshness window and is distributed off-premise through nine regional Illinois wholesalers. The company has accumulated more than a dozen brewing awards between 2001 and 2018, including multiple medals at the World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival.

Revenue is generated across six distinct streams: dine-in restaurant and bar sales (American fare with menu items ranging $5.50-$35), packaged beer wholesale, branded merchandise and apparel, gift cards ($10-$200 denominations), private event hosting (event spaces accommodating 40-120 guests), and ticketed experiences such as the Brewmaster Dinner Series ($85/guest) and Beer Club membership ($38 one-time fee). Distribution combines on-premise dining, third-party delivery (Grubhub, DoorDash, UberEats, Toast), e-commerce for merchandise and gift cards, and a private events business targeting corporate clients, weddings, showers, rehearsal dinners, and family parties.

The go-to-market model is community-anchored and direct-to-consumer, leveraging signature events (annual Big Wheel Race at Grafelman Park, Brewmaster Dinner Series) for brand building, location-specific Facebook pages for community engagement, and OpenTable for reservations. The company is founder-and-family-controlled, employs 101-250 people, uses Toast as its POS and online ordering backbone, and operates with no disclosed private equity, venture capital, or institutional investment beyond a $20,000 municipal investment from the Village of West Dundee in July 2022.

Name

Emmett's Brewing Co

Legal name

Emmett's Brewing Company

Website

https://emmettsbrewingco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Emmett's Brewing Co is a privately-held craft brewery and full-service American restaurant chain operating three locations in Chicagoland, serving local diners and craft beer enthusiasts with on-site brewed beer, packaged wholesale distribution across Illinois, private events, and a Beer Club membership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewery & Restaurant

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Breweries (312120), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Beverages (2080), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Beer Brewing & Craft Brewing (AFAFAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA), Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG), Taprooms & Brewpubs (CRANACAF)

Keywords

• Craft brewery operations
• Restaurant dining services
• Craft beer production
• Private event hosting
• Branded merchandise sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Dundee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Restaurant and Bar Sales: On-premise food and beverage sales at three restaurant locations. Menu features American fare including steaks, sandwiches, pastas, seafood, and appetizers. Extensive craft beer selection brewed in-house.
2. Packaged Beer Distribution: Sale of bottled and packaged craft beer through regional wholesale distributors across Illinois. Beer is packaged for at-home consumption with a recommended 120-day freshness window.
3. Merchandise and Apparel: E-commerce sales of branded merchandise including shirts ($30), hoodies ($50), hats ($20-30), glassware ($7-9), and other apparel items.
4. Gift Cards: Digital and physical gift cards sold in denominations from $10 to $200.
5. Private Events and Catering: Private party bookings and catering services at multiple venues with capacities ranging from 40-120 guests across three locations.
6. Brewmaster Dinner Events: Five-course chef-guided dining experiences with craft beer pairings, welcome reception, and brewery tour at $85 per person.
7. Beer Club Membership: One-time fee membership offering unlimited perks including Beer Club mug, free birthday lunch, 10% off Brewmaster dinners, and 10% off Sundays and Mondays.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Emmett's Brewing Co is a craft brewery and full-service restaurant chain that brews small-batch craft beer in-house using traditional methods and globally-sourced ingredients, then pairs it with thoughtfully-prepared American fare (steaks, sandwiches, pastas, seafood, appetizers). It operates three restaurant/brewery locations in Chicagoland and sells packaged beer wholesale through regional Illinois distributors, complemented by private event hosting, a Beer Club membership, and Brewmaster Dinner Series events.

Product overview

Emmett's Brewing Co is a craft brewery and restaurant chain operating three locations in Illinois (West Dundee, Palatine, Downers Grove). The core offering is in-house brewed craft beer using traditional ingredients (Belgian yeast, German hops, British malts), complemented by a full-service American restaurant. The product portfolio centers on the craft beer offering (core) supplemented by the Beer Club membership program, Brewmaster Dinner Series ticketed events, private event hosting, and retail merchandise (apparel, glassware, gift cards). The company also hosts the annual Big Wheel Race as a community engagement event.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Craft Beer (Core Beers) In-house craft beer brewed with traditional Belgian yeast, German hops, and British malts; no syrups or extracts. Core lineup includes Helles Lager (4.5% ABV), World's End New World IPA (6.8% ABV), American Wheat Ale (5.3% ABV), Deliberation Ale (5.5% ABV), and Milk Stout (5.7% ABV). Available on draft at three Illinois locations and packaged for retail with a 120-day freshness window.
• Brewmaster Dinner Series Tickets

Quantifiable outcome

• Fresh beer served within 40 feet of brewing - beer is fermented, conditioned, filtered, and served in under 40 feet
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Big Wheel Race Sponsors (Combo, Skylink, Sysco Chicago, CANGAROOFING, Konen, Village of West Dundee, Kinsch Design, Unishippers, DON, MacCarb, Alpha, GetFresh)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Annual Big Wheel Race event sponsors for the 2024 edition of the adult tricycle race event held in July at Grafelman Park. Includes local businesses and the Village of West Dundee.
• GrubhubminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party food delivery partnership allowing customers to order Emmett's food for delivery through Grubhub platform.
• DoorDashminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party food delivery partnership allowing customers to order Emmett's food for delivery through DoorDash platform.
• UberEatsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party food delivery partnership allowing customers to order Emmett's food for delivery through UberEats platform.
• ToastminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorToast POS and online ordering system integration for restaurant operations and food delivery/carry-out orders.
• OpenTableminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline restaurant reservation platform partnership allowing customers to make reservations at West Dundee and Palatine locations through OpenTable.
• Chicago Beverage SystemscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary beer distribution partner covering Chicago area. Address: 441 N Kilbourn Ave, Chicago, Illinois 60624. Phone: (773) 826-4100.
• Burke BeveragecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBeer distribution partner covering the greater Chicago area. Address: 4900 Vernon Ave, McCook, Illinois 60525. Phone: (708) 389-8200.
• Hayes Beer Dist. CocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBeer distribution partner with locations in Alsip and Rockford, Illinois. Serving Chicago south side and northern Illinois regions.
• Joseph Mullarkey DistributingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBeer distribution partner covering the north shore and northern suburbs. Address: 200 Ridge Dr., Glenview, Illinois 60025.
• Town and Country DistributorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBeer distribution partner covering the western suburbs. Address: 1050 Ardmore Ave., Itasca, Illinois 60143.
• Kloss DistributingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBeer distribution partner covering the northern suburbs including Gurnee area. Address: 1333 Northwestern Ave., Gurnee, IL 60031.
• Euclid Beverage Ltd.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBeer distribution partner with locations in North Aurora and Galesburg, Illinois serving eastern and western regions.
• Chas. Herdrich and SonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBeer distribution partner covering the McHenry County area. Address: 4040 Dayton St., McHenry, Illinois 60050.
• Kozol Brothers, Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBeer distribution partner covering the Joliet area. Address: 2010 S. Briggs St., Joliet, Illinois 60433.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Revolution Brewing: Chicago-based craft brewery and brewpub operator that brews and serves beer on-site across multiple Chicagoland locations; competes head-to-head with Emmett's in the same metro and product category with a similar dine-in-plus-packaged-beer model.
• Half Acre Beer Company: Independent Chicago craft brewery with a taproom and packaged distribution across the Midwest; comparable in scale, ingredient-forward brewing philosophy, and Chicago-area on-premise presence to Emmett's.
• Goose Island Beer Company: Chicago-originated craft brewery (now AB InBev-owned) with brewpub and broad distribution; shares Emmett's geography, brewing heritage, and on-premise-plus-wholesale GTM, though at substantially larger scale.
• Two Brothers Brewing Company: Illinois craft brewery founded in the late 1990s with a brewpub, restaurant, and packaged distribution footprint — closely mirrors Emmett's vintage, Midwestern craft ethos, and food-plus-beer service model.
• Hopewell Brewing Co. Chicago craft brewery operating a taproom and packaged distribution; similar size and focus on traditional ingredient-driven brewing to Emmett's, anchoring competition for craft beer share in the same metro.

Regional players

• New Glarus Brewing Company: Midwest craft brewery with a strong regional footprint and packaged distribution; comparable traditional brewing philosophy and product range to Emmett's, but operates outside Chicagoland and does not directly compete in the same geography.

Broad incumbents

• Bell's Brewery: Established Midwest craft brewery with broad distribution, brewpub, and food service operations; comparable to Emmett's across brewing product, dine-in experience, and packaged wholesale channels, but at significantly larger scale.
• Stone Brewing: Large California-based craft brewery with multiple taproom locations and national distribution; broad-incumbent comparison to Emmett's because of overlapping product line and on-premise format, though scale and geography differ materially.

Emerging players

• Minhas Craft Brewery: Regional Wisconsin-based craft brewery with taproom and packaged distribution presence in the Midwest; shares brewing-and-taproom format with Emmett's but with a smaller dine-in footprint.

Others

• Lagunitas Brewing Company: Major craft brewery with a Chicago taproom and wide distribution; adjacent peer that overlaps with Emmett's in product category and Chicago geography but operates at national scale and is now owned by Heineken.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/emmettsbrewingcowestdundee
• Xx.com/emmettsbeer

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Emmett's Brewing Co