The Freehouse

What The Freehouse does

The Freehouse is a full-service gastropub and on-site craft brewery located in the North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, at 701 N Washington Ave #101. Operated as a single-location concept within the privately held Blue Plate Restaurant Company portfolio (founded 1993 by David Burley and Stephanie Shimp; seven restaurants plus a state fair concept and a food truck across Minneapolis-St. Paul), it serves breakfast through dinner with a daily operating schedule that includes weekend brunch, weekday lunch, and dinner service extending to midnight Thursday through Friday. The on-site brewery produces the Freehouse Beer line — everyday, seasonal, and specialty recipes designed to pair with gastropub fare — available for dine-in consumption and to-go purchase.

The business operates multiple revenue streams anchored by the dine-in restaurant: traditional table and bar service across the main dining room and patio, two private dining spaces (the 50-seat / 75-cocktail Volstead Lounge and the 20-seat / 16-standing Brewer's Nook) hosting corporate events, rehearsal dinners, and group functions; a daily Happy Hour (2pm–6pm) with a structured discount menu; an online to-go ordering channel via Toast plus off-premise delivery through DoorDash, GrubHub, and Uber Eats; a Toast-powered loyalty rewards program; and Blue Plate e-gift cards redeemable across 76 Blue Plate locations. Pricing is unit-based with publicly disclosed happy hour rates ($6 Freehouse taps, $8 wines and rail pours, $8–$9 cocktails) and private dining minimums rather than room fees.

Customer acquisition is driven by local community marketing — Instagram (@FreehouseMpls), Facebook, an email newsletter via Toast, the website events calendar — supplemented by word-of-mouth and a recurring live entertainment programming layer (Thursday DJ nights, Sunday live music brunch, sports watch parties, and themed events such as Moto Night and puppy adoption gatherings). The restaurant is dog-friendly on the patio with a dedicated Paw-ty Hour menu. No external funding, acquisitions, AI/ML capabilities, patents, or regulatory actions are disclosed; the company is privately held under Blue Plate Restaurant Company with no public ticker.

Name

The Freehouse

Website

https://freehousempls.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Freehouse is a single-location gastropub and on-site craft brewery in Minneapolis's North Loop, serving breakfast through dinner with craft beer, happy hour, private dining, and live entertainment. It operates as a unit of the privately held Blue Plate Restaurant Company and sells to-go via Toast and DoorDash, GrubHub, and Uber Eats.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Gastropub and Brewpub Restaurant

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Food Services and Drinking Places (722), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Pubs & Gastropubs (THAFAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Casual Dining Restaurants (THAFACAB)

Keywords

• Gastropub dining
• Craft brewery
• Private dining events
• Restaurant food service
• On-site brewing

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Food and Beverage: Traditional restaurant revenue from serving food and drinks to guests dining in the restaurant. Menu includes American breakfast, lunch, dinner items, craft beer, cocktails, wine, and specialty beverages.
2. Food and Beer To-Go: Online ordering through Toast platform for pickup orders. Also available through third-party delivery partners including DoorDash, GrubHub, and Uber Eats.
3. Private Dining Events: Revenue from hosting private events in the Volstead Lounge (seats 50, up to 75 cocktail-style) and Brewer's Nook (seats 20, 16 standing). Food and beverage minimums required.
4. Gift Cards: Blue Plate e-gift cards powered by Toast, redeemable at any of the 76 Blue Plate restaurant locations for dine-in or takeout purchases.
5. Loyalty Program: Toast-powered rewards program where customers earn points for purchases that can be redeemed for discounts and free items.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Freehouse is a full-service gastropub and on-site craft brewery in Minneapolis's North Loop neighborhood, serving breakfast through dinner with house-brewed beers, cocktails, and gastropub fare. It supplements dine-in service with two private event spaces (Volstead Lounge and Brewer's Nook), daily happy hour, food-to-go ordering, and a calendar of live entertainment events. The business operates as a brand within Blue Plate Restaurant Company.

Product overview

The Freehouse is a gastropub restaurant operating as a single unified concept within the Blue Plate Restaurant Company portfolio, located in Minneapolis' North Loop. The offering centers on all-day dining service (breakfast through dinner) paired with on-site brewed craft beers. Key product components include: the core dine-in restaurant experience with full food and beverage service; two private dining spaces (Volstead Lounge and Brewer's Nook) for group events; a daily Happy Hour program (2-6pm); Food To-Go and Beer To-Go ordering options via Toast platform and third-party delivery partners; Freehouse Beer as an on-site brewed sub-brand; gift cards redeemable across the Blue Plate Restaurant Company network; table reservations; and a recurring events calendar featuring live music, sports watch parties, and themed events. The restaurant integrates with Toast for POS, online ordering, and loyalty, while leveraging DoorDash, GrubHub, and Uber Eats for delivery fulfillment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Full-Service Gastropub Dine-In Restaurant service offering the full gastropub menu, beer, and cocktails for dine-in guests across all dayparts from breakfast through dinner; targeted at individual diners and walk-in groups.
• Volstead Lounge (Private Event Space) Private dining/event space within The Freehouse for hosted group events and private parties, typically with a minimum-spend requirement.
• Brewer's Nook (Private Event Space) Second private dining/event space within The Freehouse complementing Volstead Lounge, used for private group bookings.
• Freehouse Craft Beer (On-Site Brewery) House-brewed craft beer produced on site and served to dine-in guests as part of the gastropub's beverage program.
• Food To-Go Off-premise food ordering service offered to consumers through the restaurant's own online ordering channel and via third-party delivery platforms (DoorDash, Grubhub, Uber Eats).
• The Freehouse Gift Cards Stored-value gift cards sold by the restaurant for redemption on food, beverage, and merchandise at The Freehouse.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Blue Plate Restaurant CompanycoreOthersThe Freehouse is owned and operated by Blue Plate Restaurant Company, founded in 1993 by David Burley and Stephanie Shimp. Blue Plate operates seven restaurants in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, a state fair concept (The Blue Barn), and a food truck. Parent company provides centralized operations, marketing, HR, and brand infrastructure.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Bauhaus Brew Labs: Minneapolis craft brewery with food trucks and a beer hall. Overlaps with Freehouse on the brewery + casual hospitality model in the same metro.
• Indeed Brewing Company: Minneapolis neighborhood brewery with taproom and small food program. Comparable as a Twin Cities craft brewery, though lighter on the full-service restaurant component than The Freehouse.
• Fulton Beer: Minneapolis craft brewery with a taproom, comparable on the brewing side though Freehouse adds a full restaurant and private event operation that Fulton does not emphasize.

Direct peers

• Blue Door Pub: Minneapolis-area gastropub chain focused on burgers and craft beer. Direct competitor to the gastropub fare and beverage program at The Freehouse.
• Bryant-Lake Bowl: Independent Minneapolis gastropub/entertainment venue pairing food and beverage with live programming. Closely comparable to Freehouse's combined food + beer + events positioning.
• Red Cow: Minneapolis gastropub group with multiple locations offering upscale casual fare and a curated beer program. Comparable concept, menu breadth, and Twin Cities market positioning.
• Hopkins Tap House: Minneapolis-area gastropub with large craft beer selection and full kitchen. Comparable dining format and pricing tier to The Freehouse.
• Surly Brewing Co. Minneapolis-based brewery with a large destination restaurant/brewpub model. Directly comparable to The Freehouse as an on-site brewery paired with full-service food in the Twin Cities market.
• The Local: Minneapolis neighborhood gastropub with craft beer focus. Directly comparable gastropub model, customer mix, and Twin Cities competitive set.

Broad incumbents

• Stone Brewing (Sapporo-owned): Large craft brewery with on-site restaurant locations. Comparable on the brewery + restaurant pairing model, though at a national scale and with broader distribution rather than a single neighborhood concept.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FreehouseMpls
• Instagraminstagram.com/freehousempls
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-freehouse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 The Freehouse