Lula Cafe
Lula Cafe is an independently owned, single-location farm-to-table restaurant in Chicago's Logan Square, founded 1999 by Chef Jason Hammel. It serves inventive, market-driven brunch and dinner across three storefronts, with supplemental catering, private events, merchandise, and gift card revenue.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Lula Cafe does
Lula Cafe is an independently owned, single-location farm-to-table restaurant operating across three storefronts at 2537 N Kedzie Blvd in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood. Founded September 2, 1999 by Executive Chef/Owner Jason Hammel and co-founder Amalea Tshilds, the restaurant serves a market-driven, mostly organic menu across brunch, lunch, and dinner shifts (9AM-3PM and 4:30PM-10PM, Wednesday through Monday, closed Tuesdays) and is one of Chicago's most recognized brunch destinations. The core customer base is local food enthusiasts, families, creative professionals, and visitors seeking farm-to-table cuisine in a casual-yet-sophisticated setting, with supplemental revenue from event planners and hosts via catering and the LOULOU Events private event space.
The business generates revenue through five streams: (1) full-service dine-in with a 20% service charge supporting fair wages and benefits, (2) drop-off and full-service catering for weddings and corporate events, (3) online ordering for takeout and delivery via Toasttab, (4) online reservations via OpenTable, and (5) a merchandise and gift card storefront selling the Phaidon-published Lula Cafe Cookbook, branded olive oil, apparel, and limited-edition art prints. Pricing is unit-based across all streams, with dinner entrees at $20-$39, brunch items at $3-$24, gift cards denominated $5-$500, and merchandise from $18 apparel to $125 limited-edition art prints.
The technology footprint is conventional for a premium independent restaurant: BentoBox powers the website and content management, OpenTable manages dinner reservations, and Toasttab handles online ordering. Lula differentiates through intangible assets (26-year brand history, James Beard Outstanding Hospitality 2024 winner, nine-year Michelin Bib Gourmand streak), talent (three-time James Beard Best Chef Great Lakes finalist Jason Hammel), and a deep community ecosystem including 24 years of quarterly art exhibitions, a free weekly 150-meal community feeding program via Community Dinners Avondale and High Road Kitchens, the food-education nonprofit Pilot Light co-founded by Chef Hammel, and supply relationships with over 20 local farms and artisan producers. The business is wholly founder-owned with no institutional investment, parent company, or subsidiary structure beyond the wholly owned LOULOU Events brand.
Lula Cafe firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lula Cafe
- Legal name
- Lula Cafe
- Website
- https://lulacafe.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Lula Cafe is an independently owned, single-location farm-to-table restaurant in Chicago's Logan Square, founded 1999 by Chef Jason Hammel. It serves inventive, market-driven brunch and dinner across three storefronts, with supplemental catering, private events, merchandise, and gift card revenue.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lula Cafe industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Farm-to-table restaurant
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (722320), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- All-Day Dining Restaurants (THAFACAJ)
Keywords
Where Lula Cafe is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Lula Cafe business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Dine-in service: Full-service restaurant offering brunch and dinner with seasonal menus featuring market-driven, mostly organic food. A 20% service charge is added to all checks.
- Catering services: Drop-off catering and full-service wedding/event catering including staff, rental coordination, and custom menus.
- Online ordering: Food ordering through Toasttab platform for takeout and delivery.
- Merchandise sales: Online store selling branded merchandise including cookbook, olive oil, apparel, and art prints.
- Gift cards: Physical and digital gift cards sold online, available in denominations from $5 to $500.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Brunch menu items |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Dinner menu items |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Merchandise |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gift cards |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Lula Cafe product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lula Cafe is a chef-driven, full-service restaurant in Chicago's Logan Square that serves inventive, market-driven, mostly organic American cuisine for brunch and dinner across three combined storefronts. Beyond dine-in, the restaurant operates drop-off and full-service wedding and event catering under the LOULOU Events sub-brand, and sells branded merchandise and gift cards through an online store.
Product overview
Lula Cafe is a single-location, chef-driven restaurant in Chicago's Logan Square offering a unified dining experience centered on inventive, market-driven, mostly organic cuisine. The establishment operates across three storefronts and is renowned for its brunch service. The product portfolio includes: the core restaurant dining service (brunch, lunch, and dinner menus), catering services (drop-off catering and full-service weddings/events branded as LOULOU Events), and a merchandise store selling the Lula Cafe Cookbook published by Phaidon, Lula Family Olive Oil imported from Greece, branded apparel, and limited-edition art prints from the restaurant's curated art program. All offerings are unified under the Lula Cafe brand identity.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- LOULOU Events: Private event space operated by Lula Cafe for weddings and celebrations with full-service catering options.
Products and services
- Restaurant Dining Service Full-service restaurant offering brunch and dinner with seasonal menus featuring market-driven, mostly organic food in a casual, funky space in Chicago's Logan Square; brunch is first-come, first-serve and dinner reservations are accepted via OpenTable.
- Drop-Off Catering Casual catering service delivering breakfast, lunch, or dinner to events; includes classic breakfast burritos and finger foods for showers or cocktail parties; ordered through direct catering contact.
- Wedding and Full-Service Event Catering Full-service wedding and event catering offering professional restaurant-style staff, custom seasonal menus, on-site cooking, wine pairings, custom cocktail menus, and rental coordination.
- LOULOU Events Private Event Space Private event space operated by Lula Cafe for hosting celebrations, weddings, and larger party bookings, with full-service catering options.
- Gift Cards Physical gift cards available in denominations of $5, $10, $25, $50, $75, $100, $200, $250, and $500, plus digital gift cards at $150, redeemable for restaurant dining at Lula Cafe.
- Lula Cafe Merchandise Store Online store selling branded Lula Cafe merchandise including The Lula Cafe Cookbook, Lula Family Olive Oil, branded apparel, and limited-edition art prints.
- The Lula Cafe Cookbook Hardcover cookbook published by Phaidon featuring 90 all-day recipes and stories from 20 years of Lula Cafe, covering brunch, soups, snacks, salads, vegetables, pasta, meat/fish, and desserts.
- Lula Family Olive Oil Organic, hand-harvested, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil from the Karabellas family's olive trees in Sparta, Greece, established since 1880; 750ml bottle.
- Lula Cafe x Cody Hudson Art Poster Series Limited-edition screen print posters featuring artists from Lula Cafe's 24-year rotating art exhibition program; proceeds benefit The Resurrection Project supporting DACA recipients.
Quantifiable outcome
- James Beard Outstanding Hospitality Winner 2024
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Lula Cafe
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Lula Cafe technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Lula Cafe partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Community Dinners AvondalecoreLula partners with Community Dinners Avondale to provide free hearty and healthful meals for 150 community members weekly. Community Dinners functions on the premise that access to wholesome food is a human right and a way to communicate acceptance and love.
- High Road KitchenscorePartnership with Raise High Road Kitchens providing free weekly community meals. High Road Kitchens are independent restaurants providing food on a sliding scale to low-wage workers, health care workers, first responders, and others in need.
- One Fair WageminorNational organization of over 200,000 service workers and 800+ restaurant employers working to end subminimum wages. Lula supports this initiative as part of their commitment to fair compensation.
- Independent Restaurant CoalitionminorCoalition formed by chefs and restaurant owners to secure vital protections for independent restaurants impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
- Pilot Light ChefscoreJason Hammel co-founded Pilot Light, focused on food education and action in the Chicago school system.
- Butternut Sustainable FarmsminorLocal sustainable farm supplying produce to Lula Cafe
- Broken Arrow RanchminorRanch supplying game meat to Lula Cafe
- Gunthorp FarmsminorLocal farm supplier for Lula Cafe
- Mick Klug FarmminorLocal farm supplier for Lula Cafe produce
- Mint Creek FarmminorFarm supplier for Lula Cafe
- Slagel Family FarmminorFarm supplier for Lula Cafe
- Ellis Family FarmminorFarm supplier for Lula Cafe
- Frillman FarmsminorFarm supplier for Lula Cafe, provides strawberries for French Toast
- The Resurrection ProjectminorNon-profit organization dedicated to empowering Chicago communities. Proceeds from Lula Cafe's limited-edition artist poster series benefit DACA recipients through this organization.
- Publican Quality BreadminorArtisan bread supplier for Lula Cafe
- Metric CoffeeminorCoffee supplier for Lula Cafe
- Letherbee DistillersminorDistillery supplier for Lula Cafe
- Hopewell Brewing Co.minorCraft brewery supplier for Lula Cafe
- LOULOU EventscoreSeparate event space brand operated by Lula Cafe for private event bookings. Alyssa Salas serves as LOULOU Operations Manager.
- Cody HudsonminorChicago artist featured in inaugural limited-edition poster series. Limited run of 75 screen prints hand-numbered and signed by the artist, with proceeds benefiting The Resurrection Project for DACA recipients.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Lula Cafe competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Blue Hill at Stone Barns: Dan Barber's farm-to-table destination restaurant in Pocantico Hills, NY. National benchmark for the farm-driven, chef-led dining movement that Lula is associated with, and shares Lula's emphasis on seasonal, locally-grown menus.
Direct peers
- Big Star: Chicago taqueria and whiskey bar by One Off Hospitality in Wicker Park. Comparable as a high-volume, single-location, chef-driven neighborhood institution with strong beverage program and casual-concept positioning.
- Alinea: Chicago tasting-menu destination by Chef Grant Achatz. Comparable as a James Beard-recognized, chef-owned Chicago flagship that defines the city's fine-dining narrative, though positioned at the higher-end of the price spectrum relative to Lula.
- Avec: Long-running, single-location Chicago wine bar and Mediterranean-inspired restaurant under the One Off Hospitality group. Shares Lula's farm-driven sourcing ethos, community footprint, and longtime operating history in a single neighborhood.
- Girl & The Goat: Stephanie Izard-founded Chicago restaurant known for bold, market-driven cuisine with strong brand identity and national media recognition. Comparable to Lula as a chef-driven, chef-owned Chicago concept with a cult following and accolades.
- Mindy's HotChocolate: Mindy Segal's Chicago restaurant and dessert-focused concept. Comparable as a chef-owner-operated, award-winning single-location Chicago restaurant that has expanded into packaged goods and merchandise, mirroring Lula's merchandise and cookbook extensions.
- The Publican: Chicago farm-to-table restaurant emphasizing local sourcing and community-driven dining. Operates a similar chef-driven, single-location model with catering and merchandise extensions, making it a direct conceptual and geographic peer to Lula Cafe.
- Honey Butter Fried Chicken: Chicago farm-to-table fried chicken counter from a husband-and-wife chef team. Comparable as a small, chef-owned, single-location Chicago concept with strong community engagement, local sourcing, and James Beard recognition.
Others
- Sweetgreen: National farm-sourced restaurant chain that scaled the farm-to-table ethos into a multi-location brand. Not a direct competitor but a thematically adjacent operator that validates the farm-to-table consumer demand Lula's model depends on.
Emerging players
- Frillman Farms / Frillman Restaurant: Emerging Chicago farm-driven restaurant connected to Frillman Farms. Functions as a peer supplier and comparable farm-to-table operator with similar sourcing philosophy.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lula Cafe social profiles
Digital presenceLula Cafe compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Lula Cafe financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lula Cafe leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Lula Cafe subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Lula Cafe funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lula Cafe 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 Lula Cafe
What does Lula Cafe do?
Lula Cafe is a chef-driven, full-service restaurant in Chicago's Logan Square that serves inventive, market-driven, mostly organic American cuisine for brunch and dinner across three combined storefronts. Beyond dine-in, the restaurant operates drop-off and full-service wedding and event catering under the LOULOU Events sub-brand, and sells branded merchandise and gift cards through an online store.
Is Lula Cafe a public or private company?
Lula Cafe is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Lula Cafe founded?
Lula Cafe was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Lula Cafe based?
Lula Cafe is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Lula Cafe make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Dine-in service is the primary driver. The others are catering services, online ordering, merchandise sales and gift cards.
Who are Lula Cafe's main competitors?
Blue Hill at Stone Barns is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Big Star, Alinea, Avec, Girl & The Goat, Mindy's HotChocolate, The Publican and Honey Butter Fried Chicken. Sweetgreen is listed as an others. Frillman Farms / Frillman Restaurant is listed as an emerging player.
Does Lula Cafe have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lula Cafe.
What industry is Lula Cafe in?
Lula Cafe's product category is Farm-to-table restaurant. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFACAJ, All-Day Dining Restaurants. Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.