Northbound
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersMinneapolis, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Northbound firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Northbound
- Legal name
- Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub
- Website
- https://northboundbrewpub.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Northbound industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Brewpub & Smokehouse Restaurant
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Pubs & Gastropubs (THAFAEAB), Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG)
Keywords
Where Northbound is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minneapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Northbound business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- On-site Food & Beverage Sales: Full-service restaurant generating revenue from food menu items (sandwiches, burgers, BBQ platters, appetizers, brunch) and beverages (craft beer brewed on-site, cocktails, wine, spirits). No 'order here' signage — full table service model.
- Catering & Events: Multiple catering options including food truck rental, take-and-go orders, and full-service plated meals or buffets for private events. Requires two weeks notice for truck events and full service catering.
- Gift Cards: Physical gift cards sold at $25, $50, and $100 denominations. Digital gift cards available for purchase online.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Year-Round Beers: Big Jim IPA $7.50, Light Rail Pale Ale $7, Crowlers $8-$8.50 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cocktails range from $4 (Purple) to $15 (Bacon & Smoke Old Fashioned) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sunday Brunch items $12-$19 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Signature sandwich Smoke Stack $40; Wings $17.50; Platters $22-$23 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Happy Hour: $4 Northbound Brewed Beers, $5 Rail Drinks, $6 House Wine, $2.50 Tuesdays |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Cards available in $25, $50, $100 denominations |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Northbound product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub is a single-location, full-service neighborhood brewpub and smokehouse in Minneapolis, MN, serving in-house brewed craft beer alongside an "upscale blue collar" smokehouse food menu (signature 18-hour Porketta sandwich, smoked wings, brisket, ribs, Southern BBQ). The business also operates a mobile food truck, a Pop-Up Brewpub concept for off-site events with full bar service, Sunday brunch, and a gift card program.
Product overview
Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub is a single-location, multi-award-winning neighborhood brewpub and smokehouse in Minneapolis, MN, established in 2012. The core offering centers on craft beer brewed on-site (featuring a lager program and barrel-aging program), paired with upscale blue-collar smokehouse cuisine including the signature 18-hour Porketta sandwich, award-winning smoked wings, and Southern BBQ. The business operates as a full-service brewpub with a full bar and craft cocktail program, augmented by a mobile food truck, catering services (including Pop-Up BrewPub for off-site events), Sunday brunch service, and gift card products. Online ordering is available through Toast Tab integration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Pop-Up Brewpub: A unique mobile brewpub concept that brings full bar and liquor license to special live events outside the restaurant location, allowing Northbound beer service at private functions.
Products and services
- Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub (On-site Dining) Full-service brewpub offering table service for individual guests, featuring an in-house brewing program, a smokehouse/BBQ food menu, a full bar with craft cocktails, whiskey, and spirits, plus happy hour specials. Located at 2716 East 38th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55406.
- Craft Beer (Brewed On-Site) Year-round and seasonal craft beers brewed on-site, including Big Jim IPA, Light Rail Pale Ale, Pravy Pils (Czech-style Pilsner lagered 6 weeks), Smokehouse Porter, Meanwhile IPA, Greenway IPA, Jasmine Lager, Urban Elf, and Crowlers (750mL aluminum fills). Available for on-site pint sales and off-premise Crowler fills.
- Food Truck, Pop-Up Brewpub & Catering Services Off-premise catering offering multiple options: mobile food truck (requires 2 weeks notice), take-and-go orders (7 days notice), full-service plated meals or buffets (2 weeks notice), and the unique Pop-Up Brewpub which serves Northbound beer and provides blanket liquor license coverage for wine and other alcohol at private events such as weddings, corporate gatherings, and tailgating.
- Gift Cards Physical gift cards sold in $25, $50, and $100 denominations at the brewpub, plus digital gift cards purchased online through the company website, redeemable for food and beverage purchases.
- Sunday Brunch Service Weekend brunch service available on Sundays until 2pm with items ranging from $12 to $19, including Corned Beef Hash, Smoked Trout Scramble, Breakfast Burrito, Breakfast Burger, Egg Sandwich, Chicken & Waffles, Biscuits & Beef Gravy.
Companies that use Northbound
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Northbound technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Northbound partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Northbound competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Town Hall Brewery: Minneapolis brewpub with in-house brewing and full-service food, the same founder lineage Northbound was trained under. Direct competitor in the Minneapolis craft brewpub category.
- Surly Brewing Co. Minneapolis-based brewery with a destination taproom and full food service. Comparable brewpub/brewery hybrid with on-site brewing and full bar that competes for the same craft beer enthusiast segment.
- Inbound Brewpub: Minneapolis brewpub with in-house brewing and full restaurant service. Closest direct competitor in the Twin Cities full-service brewpub category.
- Utepils Brewing: Minneapolis craft brewery with a taproom serving food, comparable in operating model to Northbound's on-site brewing and food service approach.
- The Freehouse: Minneapolis full-service restaurant and craft brewery in the Mill District, offering in-house brewed beer alongside a full bar and food menu.
- Fulton Brewing: Minneapolis craft brewery with taproom and food service. Competes for the same Twin Cities craft beer and casual food audience.
- Urban Growler Brewing: St. Paul-based women-owned brewpub with in-house brewing and food, a comparable neighborhood brewpub model serving the Twin Cities metro.
Regional players
- Travail Kitchen & Amusements: Twin Cities destination restaurant group with strong culinary reputation. Comparable as a high-execution independent Minneapolis food brand, though operating a tasting-menu model rather than brewpub.
- BlackStack Brewing: St. Paul craft brewery with taproom. Comparable Twin Cities craft beer operator competing in the same regional market for on-premise and packaged sales.
- Indeed Brewing Company: Minneapolis craft brewery with taproom and food partner programming. Regional craft beer operator competing for the same Twin Cities on-premise audience.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Northbound social profiles
Digital presenceNorthbound financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Northbound leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Northbound funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Northbound M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Northbound
What does Northbound do?
Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub is a single-location, full-service neighborhood brewpub and smokehouse in Minneapolis, MN, serving in-house brewed craft beer alongside an "upscale blue collar" smokehouse food menu (signature 18-hour Porketta sandwich, smoked wings, brisket, ribs, Southern BBQ). The business also operates a mobile food truck, a Pop-Up Brewpub concept for off-site events with full bar service, Sunday brunch, and a gift card program.
Is Northbound a public or private company?
Northbound is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Northbound founded?
Northbound was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Northbound based?
Northbound is headquartered in Minneapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Northbound make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. On-site Food & Beverage Sales are the primary driver. The others are catering & Events and gift Cards.
Who are Northbound's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Town Hall Brewery, Surly Brewing Co., Inbound Brewpub, Utepils Brewing, The Freehouse, Fulton Brewing and Urban Growler Brewing. Regional players are Travail Kitchen & Amusements, BlackStack Brewing and Indeed Brewing Company.
Does Northbound have an API?
No public API is recorded for Northbound.
What industry is Northbound in?
Northbound's product category is Brewpub & Smokehouse Restaurant. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFALAA, Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service), with a secondary code of THAFAEAB, Pubs & Gastropubs. Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.