Lincoln Hall + Schubas Tavern

What Lincoln Hall + Schubas Tavern does

Lincoln Hall + Schubas Tavern is the unified operating brand for two adjacent Chicago music venues: Schubas Tavern (3159 N Southport Ave, Lakeview) and Lincoln Hall (2424 N Lincoln Ave, Lincoln Park). Founded in 1989, the privately held company employs 101-250 people and operates as a multi-format live entertainment venue serving touring national and international artists, local musicians, comedians, and Chicago entertainment audiences. Programming spans indie, rock, folk, electronic, and hip-hop concerts; comedy shows and open mics (Schubas Open Mic is officially recognized as Chicago Reader's Best Open Mic); recurring series including the Meet Me Upstairs dance party, High Five music series, and CHIRP Vinyl Listening Bar; and dedicated all-ages and family programming. Sub-brands such as LHST Comedy structure the comedy vertical, and a private events business operates through tiedhousechicago.com for corporate and special occasion rentals.

The technology stack is conventional and non-proprietary: a WordPress-based website (lh-st.com) serves as the primary information and ticketing hub, Mailchimp powers the email newsletter, and ticket distribution is multi-channel via direct website sales, Ticketmaster, DICE, and physical box offices at each venue. No proprietary technology, API, or AI/ML capability has been disclosed or identified. Partnerships are core to programming: Audiotree co-presents the majority of headline shows, CHIRP Radio 107.1FM co-curates listening events, and Lincoln Hall functions as an official Lollapalooza aftershow venue.

The business model rests on three revenue streams: (1) ticket sales from live music, comedy, and special performances distributed via a transaction-based/take-rate model across direct and third-party channels; (2) food and beverage, principally through Schubas Tavern's full bar service; and (3) private event venue rentals priced on a per-engagement basis. Pricing varies by event; certain community events such as open mics are free, while most ticketed events carry variable pricing. Marketing relies on the venue website, the Schubas Update email newsletter, active Instagram presence, and partner-driven co-promotion. The company remains independently owned with no parent, no disclosed funding rounds, and no institutional investment identified in the source data.

Name

Lincoln Hall + Schubas Tavern

Legal name

Schubas Tavern

Website

https://lh-st.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Lincoln Hall + Schubas Tavern operates two adjacent Chicago music venues (Lakeview and Lincoln Park) hosting live music, comedy, open mics, private events, and recurring programming series for touring artists, local musicians, comedians, and Chicago entertainment audiences, with multi-channel ticketing and full bar service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Music Venue

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (72241)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Live Music Clubs & Venues (MPAGAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Live Music Bars & Venues (CRANACAH), Live Music Venues & Concert Bars (THAFAEAD)

Keywords

• Live music venue
• Concert venue
• Comedy shows
• Private event hosting
• Tavern bar service

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from ticket sales for live music events, comedy shows, and special performances. Tickets are sold directly through the venue website and third-party platforms.
2. Food and Beverage: On-site bar and potentially food service generating revenue during events. Schubas Tavern operates as a tavern with full bar service.
3. Private Events: Venue rental for private events including corporate functions, parties, and special occasions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lincoln Hall + Schubas Tavern operates two adjacent Chicago music venues that host live concerts, comedy shows, open mic nights, and special events. The venues serve local, national, and international touring artists across multiple genres and also offer private event hosting, bar service, and an online merchandise store. Ticketing is delivered through a proprietary website integrated with Ticketmaster and DICE.

Product overview

Lincoln Hall + Schubas Tavern operates two adjacent Chicago music venues offering live concerts, comedy shows, open mic nights, and special events. The platform includes ticket sales for performances, a newsletter subscription service for show announcements, private event hosting, and merchandise sales. Key sub-products include Audiotree partnership shows, the CHIRP Vinyl Listening Bar series, and the Meet Me Upstairs weekly dance party. The venues host both 18+ and 21+ events featuring local, national, and international touring artists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Audiotree: Music event presenter and label associated with the venues
• LHST Comedy
• High Five
• Meet Me Upstairs
• CHIRP Vinyl Listening Bar
• Schubas Open Mic

Products and services

• Lincoln Hall A music venue located at 2424 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60614, hosting live concerts and events including 18+ and 21+ shows featuring touring and local artists.
• Schubas Tavern A historic music venue and tavern located at 3159 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657, hosting live concerts, comedy shows, open mic events, and full bar service.
• Private Events

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AudiotreecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAudiotree serves as co-presenter for numerous shows at both Lincoln Hall and Schubas Tavern. As a music promotion organization, Audiotree curates and promotes live performances, providing marketing support and artist booking assistance for featured shows.
• CHIRP Radio 107.1FMcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCHIRP Radio is a Chicago community radio station that partners with the venues for monthly vinyl listening bar events. Their tastemaker DJs curate vinyl selections for these special listening experiences.
• TicketmasterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party ticketing platform used for ticket sales on certain artist performances at the venues.
• DICEminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMobile ticketing application used for some shows including Lollapalooza aftershows and special events.
• LollapaloozacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLincoln Hall serves as an official Lollapalooza aftershow venue, hosting performances by Lollapalooza artists on nights of the festival. $1 from each aftershow ticket supports arts education programs for Chicago youth.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Park West: Chicago seated/standing music venue hosting diverse touring acts. Direct comparable in capacity, programming style, and target audience in the Chicago live music market.
• The Empty Bottle: Long-standing Chicago DIY/indie music venue and bar in Ukrainian Village. Comparable in indie/underground programming focus and combined bar + live music operations.
• Thalia Hall: Chicago Pilsen music hall and tavern combining live music programming with full bar/restaurant service. Highly comparable dual-venue F&B-plus-music model.
• The Vic Theatre: Chicago Lakeview music venue (1,400 cap) presenting touring artists across genres. Same neighborhood profile and overlapping artist book as Lincoln Hall + Schubas.
• Metro Chicago: Iconic Chicago mid-sized music venue hosting touring indie, rock, and alternative acts. Direct competitor for touring artist bookings and live music audiences in the same city and capacity tier.
• Bottom Lounge: Chicago West Loop music venue hosting touring indie, rock, and punk acts with on-site kitchen. Directly comparable in capacity, target demographic, and programming mix.
• House of Blues Chicago: Chicago music venue operated within a national branded chain, hosting touring artists with integrated food & beverage. Comparable in offering F&B + live music experience, though at larger scale and under national management.
• Concord Music Hall: Chicago Logan Square music venue hosting mid-tier touring electronic, indie, and hip-hop acts. Comparable capacity tier and touring artist focus.
• Sleeping Village: Chicago Avondale neighborhood bar and music venue with regular touring and local programming. Comparable indie-focused programming combined with tavern-style F&B.

Broad incumbents

• Live Nation Entertainment: Global live entertainment conglomerate owning/operating venues and promoting tours. Relevant as the dominant scaled incumbent in the same value chain (talent booking, ticketing, venue operations) that Lincoln Hall + Schubas competes within.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/lh_st
• Xx.com/lincolnhall

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Lincoln Hall + Schubas Tavern