Barleycorns's
Barleycorn's is a privately-held Northern Kentucky sports bar and grill chain operating four locations (Cold Spring, Lakeside Park, Florence, and Brewhouse in Wilder), serving local residents with signature Doc Style wings, burgers, craft beer, and patio dining.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- Headquarters—
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Barleycorns's does
Barleycorn's is a privately-held sports bar and grill chain operating four dine-in locations across Northern Kentucky: Cold Spring (headquarters), Florence, Lakeside Park (Five Mile House, a historic 1800s building), and Barleycorn's Brewhouse in Wilder. Founded in 1984 by Ken Heil and his brother Joe, the company serves local residents and visitors seeking a casual dining and sports-viewing experience, with core menu categories centered on its signature "Doc Style" double-fried wings, burgers, sandwiches, salads, and entrees, complemented by over 30 draft beers including rotating selections from Cincinnati-area craft breweries (50 West, MadTree, Braxton, Rhinegeist).
The company runs a direct-to-consumer model with no third-party delivery loyalty integration, directing customers to its own online ordering platform built on Toast Tab. The BREWards loyalty program, powered by Fishbowl, drives repeat visits through a tiered points system (Mild, Hot, Doc Style-VIP) with milestone rewards. Patios with heaters and fire pits at multiple locations, plus event programming (trivia nights, NCAA Bracket Challenge, St. Patrick's Day), function as community-driven retention and acquisition mechanisms.
Revenue mechanics span dine-in food and beverage sales, online takeout/delivery (transaction-based via Toast Tab), gift card sales (generating float), catering services through a separate Select Event Catering website, and BREWards engagement. Marketing relies on a mix of local social media presence (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube), email/newsletter, community events, and word-of-mouth from its award-winning reputation (5x Best Patio Dining and Best Bar in Northern Kentucky through the Best of NKY Awards). The company has no public listing, no disclosed institutional investment, and operates with a small headcount (11-50 employees) across all four venues.
Barleycorns's firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Barleycorns's
- Legal name
- Barleycorn's
- Website
- https://barleycorns.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Barleycorn's is a privately-held Northern Kentucky sports bar and grill chain operating four locations (Cold Spring, Lakeside Park, Florence, and Brewhouse in Wilder), serving local residents with signature Doc Style wings, burgers, craft beer, and patio dining.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Barleycorns's industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Casual Dining Restaurants
- NAICS
- Breweries (312120), Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)
- SIC
- Malt Beverages (2082)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA)
Keywords
Barleycorns's business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Dine-in food and beverage sales: Core revenue from selling food and drinks to customers dining at any of the four Barleycorn's locations. Menu includes wings, burgers, sandwiches, salads, appetizers, entrees, and a wide selection of draft and bottled beers.
- Online ordering (takeout and delivery): Orders placed through the Barleycorn's website for takeout or delivery, processed via Toasttab platform. Catering orders and online gift card purchases also processed through this channel.
- Gift card sales: Sale of Barleycorn's gift cards through the online gift card shop (Toasttab), generating float revenue and encouraging repeat visits.
- Catering services: Catering orders for events, managed through the separate Barleycorn's Select Event Catering website.
- Loyalty program engagement: BREWards loyalty program drives customer retention and increased spend per visit through milestone rewards and tier-based perks, with points earned on qualifying purchases.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Regular menu pricing |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Happy Hour pricing |
| Subscription | Monthly | BREWards loyalty rewards |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Barleycorns's product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Barleycorn's operates a multi-location sports bar and grill concept across Northern Kentucky, serving American bar food (wings, burgers, sandwiches, appetizers, entrees, salads) alongside 30+ draft beers including rotating local Cincinnati craft selections. The company combines dine-in service at four physical locations with direct online ordering for takeout and delivery, an event catering service, and a tiered digital loyalty program (BREWards) to drive repeat visits.
Product overview
Barleycorn's is a sports bar and grill restaurant operating as a unified multi-location concept across four Northern Kentucky venues (Cold Spring, Lakeside Park, Florence, and Brewhouse in Wilder). The core product is the sports bar and grill experience featuring live sports viewing on multiple TVs, a full bar with over 30 beers on tap, and a comprehensive American food menu centered on Doc Style Wings, burgers, sandwiches, appetizers, entrees, and salads. The restaurant complements its dine-in experience with online ordering (via Toast Tab), the BREWards loyalty program (powered by Fishbowl), patio dining, happy hour specials, catering services, and seasonal/event programming including St. Patrick's Day celebrations and NCAA bracket challenges.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- BREWards: Loyalty rewards program offering points for purchases with milestone rewards including free wings, appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, entrees, and merchandise. Features three tiers: Mild (0-199 points), Hot (200-499 points), and Doc Style VIP (500+ points).
Products and services
- Barleycorn's Sports Bar & Grill
- Doc Style Wings
- Event Catering Services
- BREWards Loyalty Program
- Online Ordering
- Gift Cards
Companies that use Barleycorns's
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Barleycorns's technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature3 records
Barleycorns's partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Last Call TriviaminorThird-party trivia hosting company that runs Florence Feud Trivia nights at Barleycorn's Florence location. Provides weekly trivia events with prizes of $50, $25, and $15 gift cards for winning teams. Also runs trivia at Barleycorn's Brewhouse during special events like St. Patrick's Day.
- Cincinnati Bar GamesminorEntertainment provider that runs SINGO events (musical bingo) at Barleycorn's Florence location during special events like St. Patrick's Day celebrations.
- Local Cincinnati Breweries (50 West, MadTree, Braxton, Rhinegeist)coreRotating selection of craft beers from Cincinnati-area breweries served on tap at all Barleycorn's locations. Supports local brewery ecosystem while providing customers with fresh, seasonal craft beer options. Featured as part of the bar's value proposition.
Scale indicators4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Barleycorns's competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Applebee's: Large national casual dining chain offering burgers, wings, beer, and bar service. Competes for casual dining occasions with a broader menu focus and significantly larger scale than Barleycorn's regional footprint.
- TGI Fridays: Established casual dining bar-and-grill chain with full bar, American food menu, and sports viewing. Operates in same casual dining bar category but as a much larger national incumbent with broader portfolio.
Regional players
- MadTree Brewing: Cincinnati-area craft brewery featured on Barleycorn's rotating tap list. Regional peer operating a taproom and brewpub in Cincinnati, sharing the Cincinnati craft beer ecosystem that Barleycorn's curates for customers.
- Rhinegeist Brewery: Cincinnati craft brewery whose beers are featured on tap at Barleycorn's. Regional craft brewery partner operating a taproom in Cincinnati; comparable through shared Cincinnati craft beer market overlap though Rhinegeist is producer-first and Barleycorn's is on-premise retailer.
Direct peers
- Wingstop: Wing-focused chain specializing in bone-in and boneless wings with multiple flavors. Competes with Barleycorn's signature Doc Style Wings offering, though Wingstop is limited-service/takeout-focused versus Barleycorn's full dine-in sports bar model.
- Yard House: Upscale sports bar chain known for an extensive draft beer selection (often 100+ taps) and American fare. Closest comparable in combining craft beer depth with full-service sports bar dining, though at higher price point and broader geographic footprint.
- Buffalo Wild Wings: National sports bar chain focused on wings, beer, and sports viewing across multiple TVs. Directly competes with Barleycorn's on the same core menu (wings, burgers, beer) and same sports-bar customer base, but at significantly larger scale.
- Hooters: Casual sports bar chain with wings, beer, and sports viewing as core offering. Competes in the same casual sports-bar category though differentiated by brand theme and broader national footprint.
- Twin Peaks Restaurant: Sports lodge-themed chain with extensive TV coverage, full bar, and American comfort food menu. Directly comparable sports bar concept targeting game-day crowds and casual diners, differentiated by mountain lodge theming.
- BJ's Restaurants: Casual dining chain with on-site brewhouse producing BJ's branded beers. Closest comparable to Barleycorn's Brewhouse model of integrating craft beer production with full-service casual dining restaurant operations.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Barleycorns's social profiles
Digital presenceBarleycorns's financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Barleycorns's leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Barleycorns's subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Barleycorns's funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Barleycorns's 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 Barleycorns's
What does Barleycorns's do?
Barleycorn's operates a multi-location sports bar and grill concept across Northern Kentucky, serving American bar food (wings, burgers, sandwiches, appetizers, entrees, salads) alongside 30+ draft beers including rotating local Cincinnati craft selections. The company combines dine-in service at four physical locations with direct online ordering for takeout and delivery, an event catering service, and a tiered digital loyalty program (BREWards) to drive repeat visits.
Is Barleycorns's a public or private company?
Barleycorns's is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Barleycorns's founded?
Barleycorns's was founded in 1984. It employs 11 to 50 people.
How does Barleycorns's make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Dine-in food and beverage sales are the primary driver. The others are online ordering (takeout and delivery), gift card sales, catering services and loyalty program engagement.
Who are Barleycorns's's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Applebee's and TGI Fridays. Regional players are MadTree Brewing and Rhinegeist Brewery. Direct peers are Wingstop, Yard House, Buffalo Wild Wings, Hooters, Twin Peaks Restaurant and BJ's Restaurants.
Does Barleycorns's have an API?
No public API is recorded for Barleycorns's.
What industry is Barleycorns's in?
Barleycorns's's product category is Casual Dining Restaurants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAEAG, Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms, with a secondary code of THAFALAA, Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service). Its NAICS code is 312120 and its SIC code is 2082.