The Cubby Bear
The Cubby Bear is a historic Wrigleyville bar and entertainment venue (est. 1953) located across from Wrigley Field, serving sports fans, live music audiences, and private event groups through food and beverage service, concerts, game-day viewing, merchandise, and event hosting.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1953
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Cubby Bear does
The Cubby Bear is a historic bar and live entertainment venue established in 1953 and located across from Wrigley Field at 1059 West Addison Street in Chicago's Wrigleyville neighborhood. The venue operates with approximately 40 employees and is structured around five bars, four distinct event spaces, and a main-floor stage for live bands, enabling simultaneous programming across sports viewing, concerts, and private events. The product set combines on-premise food and beverage service, live music, sports entertainment viewing, private event hosting, and branded merchandise (apparel and accessories priced $20–$35).
The technology stack is non-proprietary and assembled from third-party platforms: Popmenu powers the website CMS and online ordering, Toast Tab handles reservations and gift card management, Level Access supports web accessibility compliance, and Mapbox provides location mapping. There is no disclosed proprietary technology, no mobile application, and no AI/ML capability. Revenue is generated through one-time consumer transactions across food and beverage sales, merchandise, live music programming, and private event bookings, supplemented by a VIP membership loyalty program and digital e-gift cards. The customer base is primarily consumer-driven (sports fans, live music audiences, Cubs fans and collectors), with secondary demand from private event planners for corporate functions and celebrations. Third-party recognition includes Sports Illustrated's 7th best sports bar in the United States, Maxim Magazine's #1 Neighborhood Bar in Chicago, and Chicago Music Awards' Best Rock Club.
The Cubby Bear firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Cubby Bear
- Legal name
- The Cubby Bear
- Website
- https://cubbybear.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1953
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Cubby Bear is a historic Wrigleyville bar and entertainment venue (est. 1953) located across from Wrigley Field, serving sports fans, live music audiences, and private event groups through food and beverage service, concerts, game-day viewing, merchandise, and event hosting.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Cubby Bear industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Bar & Entertainment Venue
- NAICS
- Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (72241), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Neighborhood & Sports Bars (THAFAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Bars & Pubs (Non-Music) (MPAGAIAC)
Keywords
Where The Cubby Bear is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Cubby Bear business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Food and Beverage Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling food items (starters, handhelds, sides, salads, desserts) and presumably alcoholic beverages. Menu includes items like Garlic Fries, Buffalo Wings, Chicken Tenders, and various bar drinks.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded apparel including hats, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and accessories. Items priced between $20-$35 for hats, with various colors and styles available.
- Private Event Bookings: Revenue from hosting private events including corporate functions, birthday parties, and happy hour gatherings. The venue offers customizable event menus and multiple event spaces with five bars and live band accommodation.
- Live Music Events: Revenue generated from live music performances and event admissions. The venue hosts national and local musical acts year-round, attracting concert-goers as a key customer segment.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Food menu items with individual pricing |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Branded merchandise with individual item pricing |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Weekly specials on food and drinks |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Cubby Bear product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Cubby Bear operates a single-location bar, restaurant, and live entertainment venue in Chicago's Wrigleyville neighborhood, directly across from Wrigley Field. Its core offerings consist of on-premise food and beverage service, year-round live music performances featuring national and local acts, sports entertainment viewing for Cubs games, and private event hosting across five bars and four event spaces. Branded merchandise including hats, t-shirts, and sweatshirts is also sold both on-site and via online ordering.
Product overview
The Cubby Bear is a historic Wrigleyville bar and entertainment venue (est. 1953) offering a unified hospitality experience centered around live music, sports entertainment, food and beverage service, and event hosting. The core product portfolio consists of the Food Menu and Drinks Menu as the primary revenue drivers, complemented by an Apparel/Merchandise line, Private Events services (with multiple bars and event spaces), Live Music programming, and Sports Entertainment viewing. Additional revenue streams include a VIP Membership loyalty program, Gift Cards, Reservations, and Weekly Specials. The venue has received recognition as Best Rock Club (Chicago Music Awards), #1 Neighborhood Bar in Chicago (Maxim), and 7th best sports bar in the US (Sports Illustrated).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Food Menu Complete food menu featuring starters (garlic fries, buffalo wings, chicken tenders, nachos), handhelds, sides and salads, and desserts. Items are individually priced between $11 and $19 for starters and $13 to $17 for handhelds and main dishes, with vegetarian and gluten-free options available. Sold to walk-in dine-in customers and via online pickup ordering through Popmenu.
- Drinks Menu Beverage offerings including beer, cocktails, and wine served across five bars within the venue. Daily rotating specials and happy hour pricing on beer, cocktails, and appetizers are available, with happy hour not applicable on game days. Sold to walk-in dine-in customers.
- Merchandise and Apparel Official branded merchandise including hats, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and accessories featuring vintage-style designs and branded logos for Cubs fans and concert attendees. Items are individually priced, with hats ranging from $20 (Kids Navy Hat) to $35 (Navy Hat with Script Letters) and winter hats priced at $25 to $26.
- Private Events Event hosting services featuring five bars, four event spaces, and live band accommodation with customizable ball park-inspired menus. Designed for corporate events, birthday parties, bachelor and bachelorette parties, and casual gatherings accommodating 10 to 500-plus guests. Direct inquiry-based booking through the website.
- Live Music Performances Year-round live music performances featuring national and local musical acts. The venue has hosted numerous live performances across its history and is recognized as Best Rock Club by the Chicago Music Awards. Programmed and promoted through the venue's events calendar.
- Sports Entertainment Viewing Sports viewing experience for Cubs games and other sporting events, leveraging the venue's prime location across from Wrigley Field. The offering includes food and beverage service during game days across five bars and has been recognized as #1 Neighborhood Bar in Chicago by Maxim magazine and 7th best sports bar in the United States by Sports Illustrated.
- Gift Cards Digital gift cards available for purchase via the Toast Tab platform, redeemable for food, beverages, merchandise, and event services at the venue.
Companies that use The Cubby Bear
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Cubby Bear technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
The Cubby Bear partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Cubby Bear competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Old Crow Smokehouse: Wrigleyville BBQ restaurant and bar with live music and sports viewing; very similar full-stack offering (food + bar + live music + sports) targeting the same neighborhood crowd as Cubby Bear.
- Murphy's Bleachers: Iconic Wrigleyville sports bar directly across from Wrigley Field, offering classic Cubs game-day food, drinks, and memorabilia retail — the most direct same-category, same-location competitor to The Cubby Bear.
- Buddy Guy's Legends: Chicago-owned blues and live music venue with food and bar service, recognized regionally for music programming; comparable in scale and the music-forward neighborhood-bar model that anchors Cubby Bear.
- Sluggers Bar: Wrigleyville bar combining traditional drinks and sports viewing with batting cages and games; competes for the same Cubs-fan and pre/post-game audience on the same Addison Street corridor.
- The Hangge-Uppe: Long-established Wrigleyville sports bar and live music venue operating directly across from Wrigley Field; closely comparable in hybrid sports/music positioning and Wrigleyville real estate.
- Park at Wrigley: Wrigleyville multi-level event and entertainment venue opened in the Wrigley Field redevelopment area; a newer, larger-scale direct competitor for both Cubs game-day traffic and private/corporate event bookings.
Broad incumbents
- The Vic Theatre: Chicago-area historic live music and event venue operated by a larger entertainment group; comparable in live-music positioning but with ticketed-concert economics rather than a bar-first business.
- House of Blues Chicago: Larger, established Chicago live music venue with full food & beverage service and ticketed national acts; broader portfolio and larger capacity than Cubby Bear but overlapping on the live-music + bar segment.
Emerging players
- Bub City: Chicago BBQ-focused restaurant and bar with live music programming; comparable in combining a casual food-forward bar with live entertainment, though not located in Wrigleyville.
Regional players
- Sports Bar Chicago Platforms (e.g., TAO Chicago, River North venues): Chicago nightlife and sports-viewing venues in other neighborhoods (River North, West Loop); comparable high-end sports bar / event venue operating model outside the Wrigleyville footprint.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Cubby Bear social profiles
Digital presenceThe Cubby Bear financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Cubby Bear leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Cubby Bear funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Cubby Bear 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 The Cubby Bear
What does The Cubby Bear do?
The Cubby Bear operates a single-location bar, restaurant, and live entertainment venue in Chicago's Wrigleyville neighborhood, directly across from Wrigley Field. Its core offerings consist of on-premise food and beverage service, year-round live music performances featuring national and local acts, sports entertainment viewing for Cubs games, and private event hosting across five bars and four event spaces. Branded merchandise including hats, t-shirts, and sweatshirts is also sold both on-site and via online ordering.
Is The Cubby Bear a public or private company?
The Cubby Bear is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was The Cubby Bear founded?
The Cubby Bear was founded in 1953. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Cubby Bear based?
The Cubby Bear is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Cubby Bear make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Food and Beverage Sales are the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales, private Event Bookings and live Music Events.
Who are The Cubby Bear's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Old Crow Smokehouse, Murphy's Bleachers, Buddy Guy's Legends, Sluggers Bar, The Hangge-Uppe and Park at Wrigley. Broad incumbents are The Vic Theatre and House of Blues Chicago. Bub City is listed as an emerging player. Sports Bar Chicago Platforms (e.g., TAO Chicago, River North venues) is listed as a regional player.
Does The Cubby Bear have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Cubby Bear.
What industry is The Cubby Bear in?
The Cubby Bear's product category is Bar & Entertainment Venue. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAEAA, Neighborhood & Sports Bars, with a secondary code of MPAGAIAC, Bars & Pubs (Non-Music). Its NAICS code is 72241 and its SIC code is 7900.