Upstream Brewing Company

What Upstream Brewing Company does

Upstream Brewing Company is a privately held, single-location brewpub and full-service restaurant founded in September 1996 by Brian Magee in Omaha, Nebraska. Operating from a 20,000-square-foot renovated 1903 fire station at 514 South 11th Street in the historic Old Market district, the company combines on-site craft beer brewing with a scratch-made American pub menu featuring certified Angus beef, fresh seafood, and locally-sourced ingredients. Core product offerings include flagship house-brewed beers (Firehouse Red Vienna Lager, Dundee Scotch Ale, O! Gold Light Lager, Capitol Pale Ale), a full bar with wine and cocktails, and a broad food menu priced $6-$55. The company employs 101-250 staff and serves roughly 385 seats across its main floor (240), second-floor pool hall (145), two patios, and four private event spaces (35-85 guests each).

The company operates a direct-to-consumer business model with pay-as-you-go menu pricing and revenue derived from multiple streams: dine-in food and beverage, third-party delivery via GrubHub and DoorDash, takeout via Toasttab, full-service catering, event space rentals, three billiard tables, gift cards, and paid beer education classes. Its primary customer segments are general diners and craft beer enthusiasts in the Omaha market, supplemented by event planners, sports fans (College World Series, March Madness), and families celebrating occasions. Distribution channels include the dine-in restaurant, an e-commerce storefront on Toasttab, delivery partnerships, and direct sales for catering and events, all concentrated within a single metropolitan area.

Upstream has maintained a stable, single-location operating model for nearly 30 years with no disclosed funding, parent company, subsidiaries, or geographic expansion. Its competitive positioning rests on brand heritage as Omaha's original brewpub, the historic firehouse real estate, a fermenter-to-table brewing operation visible to guests, and a multi-year streak of #1 regional awards from Best of Omaha (2017-2020) and Readers' Choice Best of the Big O! (2016-2021). The business is privately held by founder Brian Magee, with no institutional investors identified.

Name

Upstream Brewing Company

Legal name

Upstream Brewing Company

Website

https://upstreambrewing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Upstream Brewing Company is a privately held, single-location brewpub and full-service restaurant in Omaha, Nebraska's Old Market district, founded in 1996. It brews craft beer on-site using local Nebraska ingredients and serves a full American pub menu to local diners, event planners, and visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brewpub Restaurant

NAICS

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

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Beer Brewing & Craft Brewing (AFAFAAAA), Pubs & Gastropubs (CRANACAB)

Keywords

• Craft beer brewing
• Brewpub restaurant
• Event catering services
• Casual dining
• Private party venues

Headquarters

HQ city

Omaha

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Food and Beverage Sales: Primary revenue stream from on-site food and beverage consumption. Menu includes starters, salads, soups, burgers, sandwiches, pizzas, entrees, desserts, craft beers, cocktails, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages. Pricing ranges from $6-$55 per menu item.
2. Catering Services: Full-service catering for events including weddings, corporate events, and private parties. Offers a la carte and buffet options with custom menu planning.
3. Event Space Rental: Private event spaces available including Old Market Party Room (seats up to 85), South Pool Hall (seats up to 60), South Lounge (seats up to 35), and North Lounge (cocktail style up to 70). Available at no charge with qualifying purchase.
4. Billiards Services: Three billiard tables available for casual play, with ample space for simultaneous games.
5. Gift Cards: Upstream Brewing gift cards available for purchase, sold through Toasttab platform.
6. Third-party Delivery: Takeout and delivery orders placed through GrubHub and DoorDash platforms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Upstream Brewing Company operates a single-location brewpub in Omaha's historic Old Market district, brewing craft beer on-site using European traditions and Nebraska-grown ingredients. The establishment combines a full-service restaurant with craft beer brewing, event spaces, billiards, catering, and a full bar serving wines and cocktails.

Product overview

Upstream Brewing Company is Omaha's original brewpub (established 1996) operating as a single-location craft brewery and full-service restaurant in the Old Market district. The core offering combines on-site craft beer brewing with a scratch-made food menu. The product portfolio includes: (1) Craft Beer Brewing as the foundational product, featuring house-brewed beers using local Nebraska ingredients; (2) Full-Service Restaurant serving American pub fare with certified Angus beef, fresh seafood, and vegetarian options; (3) Event Spaces & Party Rooms with four distinct spaces accommodating 35-85 guests; (4) Catering Services for weddings and events; (5) Billiards with three tables; (6) Wine & Cocktails as full bar service; (7) Gift Cards for purchase; (8) Takeout & Delivery via third-party partners; and (9) Beer Classes for educational experiences. The establishment operates from a historic 1903 fire station building, seats approximately 240 on the main floor plus 145 in the second-floor billiards space, and has won multiple Best of Omaha awards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Craft Beer Brewing On-site craft beer brewing producing award-winning house beers using European brewing traditions and Nebraska-grown ingredients including local Cascade and Chinook hops, barley, and regional honey. Flagship beers include Firehouse Red Vienna Lager, Dundee Scotch Ale, O! Gold Light Lager, and Capitol Pale Ale.
• Full-Service Restaurant Full-service restaurant offering genuine beef, fresh seafood, and locally-sourced fare. Menu features certified Angus blend burgers, salads, soups, sandwiches, thin-crust pizzas, steaks, salmon, and vegetarian options including the Impossible burger. Menu pricing ranges from $6 to $55 per item.
• Event Spaces & Party Rooms Four distinct private event spaces: Old Market Party Room (seats up to 85, 1,500 sq ft), South Pool Hall (seats up to 60), South Lounge (seats up to 35), and North Lounge (cocktail style up to 70). Spaces feature billiards tables and full-service catering options.
• Catering Services Full-service catering for weddings, corporate events, and private parties featuring custom menu planning, a la carte and buffet options. Available at event spaces at no charge with qualifying purchase.
• Billiards Three billiard tables in the Old Market location with comfortable spacing for simultaneous games. Available for private events with pool table access included in lounge reservations.
• Wine & Cocktails Bar Service Full bar service featuring wines (Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, sparkling), craft cocktails (Moscow Mule, Margaritas, Martinis), and specialty drinks including House Hard Root Beer. Cocktails range from $9.50 to $14.
• Gift Cards Upstream Brewing gift cards available for purchase online via Toast Tab, with balance checking functionality.
• Takeout & Delivery Online ordering for takeout directly through the brewery's Toasttab platform, plus third-party delivery through GrubHub and DoorDash for food delivery to customers.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Zipline Brewing Co: Lincoln, NE craft brewery with taproom experience. Regional peer operating the same craft brewpub-adjacent model in an adjacent Nebraska market rather than directly inside Old Market.
• Empyrean Brewing Company: Lincoln, NE craft brewery with taproom and food service. Regional peer in the broader Nebraska craft brewing market with similar brewpub-style offerings.

Direct peers

• Brickway Brewery & Distillery: Omaha-located craft brewery and distillery producing on-site beer and spirits with a taproom and food service. Directly competes with Upstream in the same metro for local craft beer share and event business.
• BJ's Restaurant Brewhouse: Large national casual-dining chain with deep integration of house-brewed craft beer, full bar, and event/catering services. Directly comparable on the brewpub-plus-events-plus-catering bundle Upstream offers.
• Nebraska Brewing Company: Papillion, NE-based craft brewery with on-site taproom and food service, located in the greater Omaha metro. Closest geographic peer, competing for the same Nebraska craft beer customer base.
• Wynkoop Brewing Company: Denver-based brewpub that directly inspired Upstream's founder Brian Magee to launch his concept, with early partnership from Wynkoop founder John Hickenlooper. Operates the same brewpub-plus-full-restaurant model with on-site brewing and historic venue, making it the most directly comparable peer on concept and lineage.
• Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery: Multi-unit brewpub chain pairing on-site brewing with full-service American dining. Closest scaled comp to Upstream's operating model and offers useful unit-economics and brand-extension benchmarks.
• Lucky Bucket Brewing Company: La Vista, NE craft brewery with taproom serving the Omaha metro. Comparable craft brewing operation with on-site service, drawing from the same Nebraska-grown ingredient pool and competing customer base.
• Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant: National brewpub chain combining on-site brewing with full-service dining, the same integrated model Upstream operates. Highly relevant as a scaled benchmark for brewpub unit economics and concept replication.

Broad incumbents

• Yard House: Large-format craft-beer-focused restaurant chain with extensive tap list and full food menu. Comparable venue size and beer-centric positioning, but operates at a much larger scale and broader portfolio rather than as a niche brewpub.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/upstreambrewing
• Facebookfacebook.com/Upstream-Brewing-Company-149190721771663
• Instagraminstagram.com/upstreambrewing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Upstream Brewing Company