Le Bouchon

What Le Bouchon does

Le Bouchon is a single-location French bistro restaurant operating in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, since 1993. The establishment serves classic French bistro cuisine for lunch (Monday-Saturday, 11:30-2:30) and dinner (Monday-Thursday 5-10pm, Friday-Saturday 5-11pm), with a menu featuring signature dishes such as Onion Tart, Garlic-y Escargot, Salade Lyonnaise, Steak Frites, Poulet Roti, and a Full Duck for two. An extensive French wine list is supported by knowledgeable staff who provide wine pairing guidance. The restaurant was recognized as one of the best French Restaurants in America by Timeout Magazine, providing third-party validation of its culinary quality and authentic Parisian dining atmosphere.

The business operates as a traditional dine-in establishment with a workforce of 51-100 employees, consistent with a full-service restaurant operation. Technology integrations are limited to commodity SaaS platforms: SevenRooms for online reservations and Toast Tab for digital gift card sales. The restaurant maintains a direct-to-consumer distribution model, serving walk-in and reservation-based diners, and uses an Instagram account (@bouchonchicago) for organic social media engagement. The website is hosted on Squarespace.

Le Bouchon is privately held and independently operated, with no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, external investors, or institutional ownership. Revenue is generated through dine-in service and gift card sales, with pricing not publicly disclosed. The customer base is horizontally distributed across individual diners and small groups, with no segmentation by enterprise or SMB buyer. The company maintains a single retail storefront at 1958 North Damen Avenue, Chicago, with no evidence of geographic expansion, franchise operations, or multi-unit growth plans.

Name

Le Bouchon

Legal name

Le Bouchon

Website

https://lebouchonofchicago.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Le Bouchon is a single-location French bistro restaurant in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood, serving classic French cuisine and an extensive French wine list for lunch and dinner to walk-in and reservation diners since 1993.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

French Bistro Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Brasseries, Bistros & Trattorias (THAFACAI)

Keywords

• French bistro dining
• Classic French cuisine
• Restaurant wine service
• Fine dining experience
• Traditional bistro restaurant

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

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

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Service: The restaurant generates revenue through lunch and dinner service, offering classic French bistro cuisine including appetizers, entrees, and desserts. The extensive French wine list represents an additional revenue stream.
2. Gift Card Sales: Gift cards are sold through Toast Tab's digital gifting platform, providing an additional revenue stream.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Le Bouchon is a single-location French bistro restaurant in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood operating since 1993. It serves classic French bistro cuisine for lunch and dinner, including signature dishes such as Onion Tart, Garlic-y Escargot, Salade Lyonnaise, Steak Frites, Poulet Roti, and Full Duck for two, paired with an extensive French wine list. Reservations are managed through SevenRooms and gift cards are sold via Toast Tab.

Product overview

Le Bouchon is a single-location French bistro restaurant offering dine-in lunch and dinner services. The restaurant operates as a unified dining establishment with no modular product architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Le Bouchon Restaurant Dine-in Service
• Le Bouchon Gift Cards

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Brindille: French-focused fine dining restaurant in Chicago offering tasting menus and classic French technique. Comparable to Le Bouchon as a French-dining operator in the same Chicago market with an emphasis on technique and wine.
• Mon Ami Gabi: A classic French bistro in Chicago's Lincoln Park, offering steak frites, French wines, and Parisian-style sidewalk dining. Direct peer of Le Bouchon by cuisine, service style, geography, and price point.
• Bistronomic: French-inspired bistro in Chicago's Gold Coast serving classic and modern French dishes with a curated wine program. Directly comparable to Le Bouchon on cuisine category and full-service French dining experience.
• La Sardine: Long-standing French bistro in Chicago's West Loop serving classic French fare and an extensive French wine list. Closely comparable to Le Bouchon in cuisine, atmosphere, and Chicago neighborhood-bistro positioning.
• Cafe des Architectes: French brasserie-style restaurant located inside the Sofitel Chicago offering classic French cuisine and an extensive wine list. Comparable to Le Bouchon as a French full-service dining destination in Chicago with wine-led differentiation.
• La Creperie: Long-running casual French eatery in Chicago serving crepes, salads, and French bistro fare. Comparable to Le Bouchon as a long-tenured French food operator in the same Chicago market, though with a more casual price point.
• Pierrot Gourmet: European-style sidewalk café and bistro in Chicago's Streeterville offering French and European classics. Comparable to Le Bouchon on French cuisine, casual full-service format, and Chicago market.
• Chez Moi: French bistro in Chicago's Lincoln Park serving classic French dishes in a casual sit-down setting. Directly comparable to Le Bouchon on cuisine, service format, and Chicago bistro category.

Broad incumbents

• Bouchon (Thomas Keller): Thomas Keller's French bistro concept operating in Yountville, Las Vegas, and Beverly Hills. Broader incumbent with multi-location scale, recognized national brand, and French bistro positioning overlapping Le Bouchon's niche.
• Le Coucou: Daniel Rose's acclaimed French restaurant in New York City offering traditional and modern French cuisine. Comparable to Le Bouchon as a French dining destination with strong wine program and award recognition, though in a different market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/bouchonchicago
• Xx.com/bouchonchicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bouchon-restaurant

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 Le Bouchon