Big Onion Tavern Group
Big Onion Tavern Group (dba Big Onion Hospitality) is a privately held Chicago-based restaurant group operating four concepts — Fatpour Tap Works, Hopsmith Tavern, Woodie's Flat, and Woodie's Wings — across the Chicago metro, serving local diners, sports fans, and group/corporate event clients with award-winning wings, craft beer, and event-driven programming.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Big Onion Tavern Group does
Big Onion Tavern Group (operating commercially as Big Onion Hospitality) is a privately held, Chicago-based restaurant and bar group founded in 2008 that runs a portfolio of four distinct concepts across the Chicago metropolitan area: Fatpour Tap Works (a craft beer and cocktail bar in Wicker Park, also serving as a corporate-event venue), Hopsmith Tavern (a flatbread and fried-chicken-focused bar), Woodie's Flat (a sports bar in Old Town known for award-winning smoked wings and event-day programming), and Woodie's Wings (a dedicated wing concept with locations in Wheeling and Oswego, IL). The group differentiates through a signature wing preparation method (air-dried, slow-smoked, double-fried) backed by a monthly rotating sauce program, and it has won three consecutive People's Choice Best Overall awards at WingOut Chicago (2023-2025) plus a Best Beer Bar designation for Fatpour Wicker Park.
The business model is straightforward restaurant and bar operations: revenue is generated primarily from on-premise food and beverage sales across company-owned locations, supplemented by private and corporate event bookings (notably at FPMC's mezzanine and second-floor event spaces), and increasingly through direct digital channels including a Woodie's Wings mobile app, a proprietary online ordering site, and third-party delivery platforms. The go-to-market is community-led — event-driven marketing around World Cup viewings, March Madness, and bachelorette parties — supported by active Instagram and Facebook presence and recurring earned media from outlets including The Infatuation, Secret Chicago, and Fox32 Chicago. The group serves individual Chicago-area diners, sports fans, group-celebration parties, and corporate event clients; customer types include both SMB-style individual guests and occasional enterprise-style corporate bookings. No public revenue, funding, ownership, or management-team information is disclosed.
Big Onion Tavern Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Big Onion Tavern Group
- Legal name
- Big Onion Tavern Group
- Website
- https://bigonioninc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Big Onion Tavern Group (dba Big Onion Hospitality) is a privately held Chicago-based restaurant group operating four concepts — Fatpour Tap Works, Hopsmith Tavern, Woodie's Flat, and Woodie's Wings — across the Chicago metro, serving local diners, sports fans, and group/corporate event clients with award-winning wings, craft beer, and event-driven programming.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Big Onion Tavern Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Restaurant and Bar Services
- NAICS
- Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (72241), Full-Service Restaurants (722511)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Neighborhood Bars & Taverns (CRANACAA), Bars & Pubs (Non-Music) (MPAGAIAC)
Keywords
Where Big Onion Tavern Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Big Onion Tavern Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Food and Beverage Sales: Primary revenue from food and beverage sales across four restaurant brands in the Chicago area
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Big Onion Tavern Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Big Onion Tavern Group (operating as Big Onion Hospitality) operates four distinct restaurant and bar concepts across the Chicago metropolitan area: Fatpour Tap Works (craft beer bar in Wicker Park), Hopsmith Tavern (fried chicken flatbread-focused bar), Woodie's Flat (sports bar in Old Town known for award-winning smoked wings), and Woodie's Wings (dedicated chicken wing concept with multiple locations in Wheeling and Oswego, IL). The group generates revenue primarily from food and beverage sales across these venues, emphasizing a welcoming, home-like guest experience.
Product overview
Big Onion Tavern Group (operating as Big Onion Hospitality) is a Chicago-based restaurant and hospitality company that operates a portfolio of bar and restaurant sub-brands. The company manages four distinct concepts: Fatpour Tap Works (Wicker Park craft beer and cocktail bar), Hopsmith Tavern (fried chicken and flatbread-focused bar), Woodie's Flat (Old Town sports bar and event venue known for award-winning smoked wings), and Woodie's Wings (a dedicated chicken wing restaurant with multiple locations). The company positions its mission around creating a welcoming, home-like atmosphere for guests across all its venues.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Fatpour Tap Works: Restaurant brand mentioned as part of the Big Onion Hospitality group, featured as Best Beer Bar in Wicker Park.
- Hopsmith Tavern
- Woodie's Flat
- Woodie's Wings
Quantifiable outcome
- Three consecutive People's Choice Best Overall awards at WingOut Chicago (2023, 2024, 2025)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Big Onion Tavern Group
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Big Onion Tavern Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Big Onion Tavern Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Big Onion Tavern Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Punch Bowl Social: Multi-unit operator combining bars, food, and entertainment/event programming. Comparable on the bar-plus-event programming model that Big Onion uses at Woodie's Flat for sports viewings.
- HQ2 (Sports Bar Concept): Sports-focused bar concept emphasizing game-day viewing experiences, group events, and casual dining. Closely comparable to the Woodie's Flat positioning around World Cup and March Madness viewing.
Broad incumbents
- Buffalo Wild Wings: National wing-focused sports bar chain. Comparable on the core wings-and-sports-viewing proposition that drives Woodie's Flat and Woodie's Wings, though at vastly greater scale and as a franchised national brand.
- Boka Restaurant Group: Chicago-based hospitality group operating multiple restaurant brands including bars and event venues. Comparable multi-concept operator in the same city, though more upscale-focused than Big Onion.
- Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises: Chicago-founded multi-concept restaurant group operating dozens of diverse dining brands. Comparable as a large Chicago hospitality group running distinct concepts, though at materially greater scale and broader cuisine range.
- Gibsons Restaurant Group: Iconic Chicago hospitality group operating steakhouse, bar, and event concepts with strong event-hosting and beverage programs. Comparable on multi-brand bar/restaurant operations and Chicago corporate event clientele.
- Dine Brands (Applebee's/IHOP parent): Public multi-brand restaurant holding company. Useful as a comparable for valuing multi-brand restaurant platforms at scale, though its concepts (Applebee's, IHOP) operate at much larger scale and different price points than Big Onion.
Direct peers
- 50/50 Group: Chicago-based restaurant and bar group running multiple neighborhood concepts. Direct comparable on multi-brand bar/restaurant portfolio operating in Chicago.
- Four Corners Tavern Group: Chicago-based multi-concept bar and restaurant operator running more than a dozen neighborhood tavern concepts in the Midwest. Closest comparable to Big Onion's multi-brand bar strategy in the same Chicago market.
Regional players
- Bar Louie: Multi-unit U.S. bar and grill chain with craft cocktails and bar fare, often featuring sports viewing. Comparable on casual bar food and beer-focused positioning, though operating as a national chain rather than local multi-brand group.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Big Onion Tavern Group social profiles
Digital presenceBig Onion Tavern Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Big Onion Tavern Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Big Onion Tavern Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Big Onion Tavern Group 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 Big Onion Tavern Group
What does Big Onion Tavern Group do?
Big Onion Tavern Group (operating as Big Onion Hospitality) operates four distinct restaurant and bar concepts across the Chicago metropolitan area: Fatpour Tap Works (craft beer bar in Wicker Park), Hopsmith Tavern (fried chicken flatbread-focused bar), Woodie's Flat (sports bar in Old Town known for award-winning smoked wings), and Woodie's Wings (dedicated chicken wing concept with multiple locations in Wheeling and Oswego, IL). The group generates revenue primarily from food and beverage sales across these venues, emphasizing a welcoming, home-like guest experience.
Is Big Onion Tavern Group a public or private company?
Big Onion Tavern Group is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Big Onion Tavern Group founded?
Big Onion Tavern Group was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Big Onion Tavern Group based?
Big Onion Tavern Group is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Big Onion Tavern Group make money?
One revenue line is on record: food and Beverage Sales.
Who are Big Onion Tavern Group's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Punch Bowl Social and HQ2 (Sports Bar Concept). Broad incumbents are Buffalo Wild Wings, Boka Restaurant Group, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Gibsons Restaurant Group and Dine Brands (Applebee's/IHOP parent). Direct peers are 50/50 Group and Four Corners Tavern Group. Bar Louie is listed as a regional player.
Does Big Onion Tavern Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Big Onion Tavern Group.
What industry is Big Onion Tavern Group in?
Big Onion Tavern Group's product category is Restaurant and Bar Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAEAG, Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms, with a secondary code of CRANACAA, Neighborhood Bars & Taverns. Its NAICS code is 7224 and its SIC code is 5810.