Old Chicago Restaurants

What Old Chicago Restaurants does

Old Chicago Pizza + Taproom is a private, 50-year-old casual dining restaurant chain operating 52 locations across 21 U.S. states under the legal entity Old Chicago Taproom II LLC, a subsidiary of SPB Hospitality. Founded in 1976 in Boulder, Colorado as Old Chicago Pizza & Arcade, the brand was built around Chicago-style pizza culture, sports-bar atmosphere, and pinball heritage. The chain employs approximately 7,500 people system-wide and serves casual dining consumers, sports viewers, families, and craft beer enthusiasts. Core menu anchors are scratch-made pizza on three crust styles (Chicago-style Tavern Thin, Ale-Infused, and OC Thick Pan-Style), taproom fare, and a craft beer program featuring 110+ beers in the World Beer Tour and 2,900+ taps across locations, supported by partnerships with brewers including Odell, Stone, Guinness, New Belgium, Samuel Adams, Blue Moon, Kona, and Firestone Walker.

Revenue is generated through dine-in, takeout, online ordering, delivery, and catering at both corporate and franchise locations, with unit pricing spanning weekday lunch specials from $9.99 to party-pack catering at $59.99 and 88-oz beer towers from $24.99. The retention engine is a dual-loyalty ecosystem: OC Rewards converts 1 point per $1 spent into $5 OC Bucks per 75 points, and the World Beer Tour gamifies craft beer exploration across 110 beers with tiered merchandise prizes (koozie at 25 credits through VIP Stein at the 10th tour). Distribution is omnichannel — physical locations, own e-commerce ordering (order.oldchicago.com), mobile app, third-party delivery, and gift cards via CashStar. Digital infrastructure is off-the-shelf (Paytronix loyalty, CashStar gift cards, social plug-ins); no proprietary technology platform, API, or AI/ML capability is disclosed.

The company is in active brand-reinvestment mode heading into its 50th anniversary in 2026, with two new openings (Great Falls, MT, April 2025; Hutchinson, KS, December 2025), the Cinco Cero 50th anniversary menu, a Telluride Brewing collaboration beer, and a continuous cadence of seasonal Mini Tours (GridIron, Summer, Cinco, Holiday). No public revenue, funding rounds, or M&A activity are disclosed.

Name

Old Chicago Restaurants

Legal name

Old Chicago Taproom II LLC

Website

https://oldchicago.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Old Chicago Pizza + Taproom is a 50-year-old private casual dining chain operating 52 restaurants across 21 U.S. states under SPB Hospitality, serving scratch-made pizza, craft beer, and sports-bar fare through corporate and franchise stores with a dual-loyalty rewards ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casual Dining Restaurants

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Pizza Fast Casual (THAFABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Taprooms & Brewpubs (CRANACAF), Family-Style Restaurants (THAFACAC)

Keywords

• Craft beer restaurants
• Pizza and taproom
• Casual dining chain
• Beer loyalty programs
• Sports bar pizza

Headquarters

HQ city

Broomfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices55 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Sales: Revenue generated from dine-in, takeout, and delivery orders at 52 restaurant locations across 21 states, including both corporate and franchise locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Old Chicago Pizza + Taproom operates a chain of 52 casual-dining restaurants across 21 U.S. states serving scratch-made pizza on three signature crusts alongside an extensive lineup of 110+ craft beers, complemented by a sports-bar atmosphere with TVs for game viewing. Revenue is generated through dine-in food and beverage sales, online ordering, catering packages, gift cards, and the OC Rewards loyalty program including the World Beer Tour and Mini Tours.

Product overview

Old Chicago Pizza + Taproom operates as a unified restaurant concept combining handcrafted pizza with an extensive craft beer program. The product portfolio centers on the core restaurant experience featuring scratch-made pizza on three signature crusts paired with over 30 craft beer taps and taproom fare. Supporting the core concept are integrated loyalty programs: the OC Rewards program enables point accumulation and OC Bucks redemption, while the World Beer Tour incentivizes beer exploration through a 110-beer completion program with tiered merchandise prizes. The Mini Tours program provides seasonal promotional engagement with limited-time beer and food pairings. Digital products include a mobile app (iOS/Android) for rewards management and online ordering, plus gift card and catering services. All offerings interconnect through a unified loyalty ecosystem where points, tours, and rewards enhance the dining experience across 52+ restaurant locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OC Rewards: The company's loyalty rewards program offering points for purchases, birthday rewards, and exclusive promotions
• World Beer Tour

Products and services

• Old Chicago Pizza + Taproom Restaurant Concept Casual-dining restaurant experience offering scratch-made pizza on three signature crusts, more than 110 craft beers on tap, and a sports-bar atmosphere with TVs for game viewing, served to individual diners and small groups.
• OC Rewards Loyalty Program Free membership loyalty program that rewards customers for dining and ordering, providing access to offers, discounts, and progress tracking for the World Beer Tour and Mini Tours through the OC Rewards app and online account.
• World Beer Tour
• Mini Tours
• OC Rewards Mobile App
• Online Ordering
• Catering and Party Packages
• Gift Cards

Quantifiable outcome

• 5 million+ pints sold annually across all locations
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and minor.

• Telluride Brewing CompanystrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 June 2026Limited-edition collaboration beer 'Swanny River Beer' created as a tribute to local Denver legend Jeff 'Swanny' Swanson, featuring a tapping party celebration at the Highlands Ranch location.
• Odell Brewing Co.coreOthersLocal craft brewery partner featured at Old Chicago locations. Odell is one of the featured craft beer partners celebrated as part of Old Chicago's 40+ year beer heritage.
• Stone BrewingcoreOthersFeatured craft brewery partner at Old Chicago taprooms. Stone is recognized as a legendary craft beer brand included in the World Beer Tour selection.
• GuinnesscoreOthersLegendary international stout featured on Old Chicago's beer menu. Guinness is used in signature items like the Crafted Beer Burger and Bavarian Pretzel Beer Cheese Sauce.
• New Belgium BrewingcoreOthersFeatured craft brewery partner at Old Chicago locations. New Belgium is celebrated as part of the local and legendary craft beer selection.
• Samuel AdamscoreOthersFeatured craft beer brand in the World Beer Tour program. Samuel Adams OctoberFest and other seasonal offerings are included in limited-time tours.
• Blue MooncoreOthersFeatured Belgian-style wheat beer partner at Old Chicago locations, included in the craft beer selection for the World Beer Tour program.
• KonacoreOthersHawaiian craft beer brand partner featured at Old Chicago locations during summer tours and regular beer selection.
• Firestone WalkercoreOthersCalifornia craft brewery partner featured in Old Chicago's beer selection and World Beer Tour program.
• Bridgeport BreweryminorOthersPortland-based craft brewery partner featured at Old Chicago locations, celebrating the craft beer movement since 1976.
• Johnson Restaurant GroupstrategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMost successful franchise partner operating Old Chicago locations, including the Great Falls opening. CEO John Johnson leads the franchise group.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Round Table Pizza: West-coast pizza chain with casual-dining locations and a legacy brand. Comparable pizza-focused casual-dining heritage and family positioning, though lighter on craft beer.
• BJ's Restaurants: Operates a comparable casual-dining pizza-and-craft-beer concept with deep-dish pizza, extensive tap list, and a loyalty program (BJ's Premier Rewards). Direct overlap with Old Chicago's positioning as a pizza + taproom hybrid targeting families and sports fans.
• Mellow Mushroom: Specialty pizza casual-dining chain with craft beer selection and themed restaurant atmosphere. Comparable pizza-first, beer-friendly positioning and family/young-adult demographic overlap with Old Chicago.
• California Pizza Kitchen (CPK): Casual-dining pizza chain offering craft pizzas and beer/wine in a sit-down format. Closely comparable core product (premium pizza) and casual-dining service model to Old Chicago.
• Uno Pizzeria & Grill: Chicago-style deep-dish pizza casual-dining chain with full bar and family dining. Direct format and product overlap with Old Chicago's Chicago-inspired scratch-made pizza positioning.
• Buffalo Wild Wings: Sports-bar casual-dining chain with extensive beer program and TV-centric atmosphere. Direct overlap with Old Chicago's taproom/sports-viewing positioning and similar suburban footprint.
• Twin Peaks Restaurant: Sports-bar casual-dining concept emphasizing beer, TVs, and full food menu. Comparable sports-bar + bar-food positioning to Old Chicago's taproom concept.
• Chili's Grill & Bar: Casual-dining chain offering burgers, ribs, and bar-centric fare with strong beverage program. Comparable segment, customer base, and competitive set to Old Chicago.
• Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar: Large national casual-dining chain serving pizza, bar food, and alcohol in a family/sports-friendly atmosphere. Comparable casual-dining format and customer demographic to Old Chicago.

Others

• SPB Hospitality (parent): Parent operating company of Old Chicago; also operates J. Alexander's, StoneRiver Steakhouse, and other casual/upscale brands. Relevant as the corporate parent whose strategy and capital allocation directly shape Old Chicago's trajectory.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/oldchicago1976
• Facebookfacebook.com/OldChicago
• Instagraminstagram.com/oldchicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/old-chicago-restaurants

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Old Chicago Restaurants