Emerald Loop

What Emerald Loop does

Emerald Loop is a single-location Irish pub and restaurant operating in the Chicago Loop at 216 N Wabash Ave, housed within the historic 35 East Wacker Drive building. The venue serves a diversified downtown customer base — business-district lunch traffic, theater and tourist patrons, late-night bar guests, and private-event hosts — with a full food and beverage menu anchored by weekly lunch features and a traditional Irish pub identity. Its offering is operational rather than technology-driven; the underlying platform is the physical venue itself, supported by commodity third-party tools including Toast for online ordering, Google Maps for discovery, SpotHero and ParkWhiz for parking access, and Uber/Lyft for last-mile transport. There is no proprietary technology stack, no proprietary data asset, and no AI/ML capability disclosed in the source material.

The business model is a classic full-service restaurant and bar P&L: revenue is generated primarily through in-venue food and beverage sales, supplemented by private-event bookings, a launch-stage Emerald Loop Pub Rewards loyalty program, and gift cards that are valid across the wider Vaughan Hospitality Group portfolio. The venue is operated under Vaughan Hospitality Group, a multi-venue Chicago Irish pub operator, which provides shared marketing, loyalty, and gift card infrastructure. Distribution is weighted toward walk-in and tourist discovery rather than digital acquisition; private events and the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign represent the most active customer-acquisition and retention channels noted in the source.

Name

Emerald Loop

Legal name

Emerald Loop

Website

https://emeraldloop.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Emerald Loop is a single-location Irish pub and restaurant in Chicago's Loop at 216 N Wabash Ave, operating within the historic 35 E. Wacker building under Vaughan Hospitality Group. It serves downtown lunch, theater, tourist, late-night, and private-event guests through a full food and beverage menu, loyalty program, and event offerings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casual Dining / Irish Pub

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Neighborhood & Sports Bars (THAFAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sports Bars (CRANACAC)

Keywords

• Irish pub
• Bar and grill
• Restaurant dining
• Sports viewing venue
• Private event venue

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. Food & Beverage Sales: Emerald Loop generates revenue primarily through the sale of food, beer, cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages at its downtown Chicago location. The menu includes burgers (8oz Angus beef), wings, Irish fare (bangers and mash, corned beef), weekend brunch, and a full bar featuring Irish drafts (Guinness, Smithwick's, Harp, Magners) and Irish whiskeys. The kitchen operates until 1 AM Sunday–Friday and until 2 AM on Saturdays, supporting late-night dining revenue.
2. Lunch Features: Weekday lunch features are offered Monday–Friday 11 AM–3 PM, providing an additional revenue stream from midday diners including business professionals in the Loop area.
3. Private Event Hosting: Emerald Loop earns revenue through private event bookings including birthday parties, corporate gatherings, bachelorette/bachelor parties, team outings, and holiday events. The venue offers customizable food and beverage packages and in-house catering for events in the 35 E. Wacker building. Contact: [email protected] or (312) 867-7717.
4. Pub Rewards Loyalty Program: Emerald Loop operates a Pub Rewards loyalty program, rewarding repeat visits and encouraging customer retention through earned perks on food and beverage purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Emerald Loop is a single-location Irish pub and full-service bar & grill in downtown Chicago's Loop, serving a food and beverage menu that includes burgers, wings, Irish fare, Irish drafts (Guinness, Smithwick's, Harp, Magners) and Irish whiskeys, with a kitchen open until 1–2 AM most nights. The venue also operates as a sports viewing destination (including all 104 2026 FIFA World Cup matches), a private event space with customizable food and beverage packages, and supports walk-in dining, reservations, online ordering via Toast, gift cards, and a Pub Rewards loyalty program.

Product overview

Emerald Loop is a single-location Irish pub and full-service bar & grill in downtown Chicago's Loop. The core offering consists of a full food and beverage menu featuring burgers, wings, Irish fare, craft cocktails, and Irish beers on tap. The product portfolio includes add-on services that enhance the dining and entertainment experience: Online Ordering (via Toast), Reservations, Private Events booking, Gift Cards, and Pub Rewards loyalty program. Additional revenue streams include time-based specials like Daily Deals (everyday), Happy Hour (M-F 3-7PM), Weekend Brunch (Sat-Sun 11AM-3PM), and Lunch Features (M-F 11AM-3PM). The venue also offers seasonal outdoor patio seating and serves as a sports viewing destination, prominently featuring FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage. All programs are managed through Vaughan Hospitality Group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Restaurant Dining (Main Menu & Beverages)

Quantifiable outcome

• Kitchen open until 1 AM Sunday–Friday and 2 AM on Saturday, making it one of the few late-night dining options in Chicago's Loop
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Vaughan Hospitality Group (Parent Company)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmerald Loop is owned and operated by Vaughan Hospitality Group, a Chicago-based hospitality company with multiple Irish pub and bar locations across the city. Vaughan Hospitality provides operational support, centralized marketing, a shared gift card program valid at all locations, and a Pub Rewards loyalty program spanning all venues. The group also handles shared services such as private event coordination and hiring through vaughanhospitality.com.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hubbard Inn: Downtown Chicago River North bar and restaurant with multiple themed rooms, private events, and a full bar. Comparable to Emerald Loop on downtown Chicago bar format, private event hosting, and proximity to hotels/theaters.
• The Dearborn: Downtown Chicago Loop restaurant and tavern serving American fare, full bar, and private events. Comparable to Emerald Loop on downtown Loop location, full-service bar/restaurant model, and private event hosting.
• Chief O'Neill's Pub: Chicago-based Irish pub with traditional Irish fare, full bar, sports viewing, and a neighborhood-pub atmosphere. Most directly comparable to Emerald Loop in concept, menu (burgers, Irish dishes), and sports-focused positioning within the Chicago market.
• Timothy O'Toole's Pub Chicago: Chicago Irish pub chain emphasizing sports viewing, a full bar, and pub food. Closely comparable to Emerald Loop on sports-watching package offering, multi-screen game viewing, and Irish pub branding.
• The Kerryman Chicago: Chicago Irish bar and pub with a full bar, Irish menu, and sports-focused programming. Directly comparable to Emerald Loop in Irish pub concept, sports-centric daypart mix, and Chicago neighborhood bar positioning.
• Murphy's Bleachers: Long-running Chicago sports bar in Wrigleyville with a full bar, pub food, and heavy sports viewing focus. Comparable to Emerald Loop on sports bar positioning, multi-screen game programming, and Chicago pub atmosphere.
• Vaughan's Pub (other Vaughan Hospitality locations): Sister venues under the same parent (Vaughan Hospitality Group) including Vaughan's Pub NW and Vaughan's Pub Lakeview, sharing gift cards, Pub Rewards loyalty, and brand identity. Direct peer for unit-level economics comparison and shared-program benchmarking.
• Mrs. Murphy & Sons Irish Bistro: Chicago Irish pub and bistro offering traditional Irish fare and a full bar in a neighborhood setting. Comparable to Emerald Loop in its Irish pub identity, full food menu, and bar-driven revenue model.
• The Gage: Iconic downtown Chicago Loop restaurant and bar across from Millennium Park, offering American cuisine, craft beer, and cocktails. Comparable to Emerald Loop on Loop-area location, tourist/hotel guest traffic, and bar-and-grill format.
• Cork and Kerry Irish Pub: Long-running Chicago Irish pub with a full bar, Irish food menu, and sports viewing. Directly comparable to Emerald Loop in Irish pub identity, neighborhood gathering function, and Chicago sports bar positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/emerald-loop

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 Emerald Loop