Simone's Bar

What Simone's Bar does

Simone's Bar is a privately-held, single-location bar and restaurant operating since approximately 2012-2014 in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago at 960 West 18th Street. The venue offers a full food and beverage program (cocktails, mocktails, beer, wine, appetizers, pizzas, sandwiches, salads, brunch) priced in the $6-$18 range, anchored by a seven-day daily-specials rotation and customer discounts for first responders (50% off) and hospitality industry workers (20% off Sundays). The business complements food and beverage with a recurring entertainment programming calendar (karaoke, loteria, jazz, drag brunches, DJ nights, watch parties, art markets) and a dedicated private-event space called the Art Lab (75+ capacity), which is built from repurposed high school science lab remnants and offers customizable open bar packages with a $900 minimum spend.

The company's technology stack is entirely third-party and non-proprietary: Toasttab for online food and beverage ordering, Squarespace for the website and merchandise storefront, Eventbrite for ticketed events, Google Calendar for event add-to-calendar functionality, and Spotify for custom private-event playlists. Branded merchandise (crop tops, V-necks at $20) is sold online, and a pet chicken named Conchita on the rooftop patio and a rooftop herb garden supply the kitchen — these are operational differentiators rather than technology.

The revenue model is transaction-based across four streams: (1) in-venue food and beverage sales, (2) private event hosting in the Art Lab with a $900 minimum spend and tiered open bar packages, (3) ticketed event and cover charge revenue (drag brunches, high-production Saturday events via Eventbrite), and (4) merchandise sales. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through walk-in traffic, online ordering, website e-commerce, and direct email-based private event bookings (Nathan, Rick, and Omar are the listed contacts). The customer base is a diversified retail mix across entertainment-seeking bar-goers, private event hosts, first responders, and hospitality workers, with no enterprise anchor accounts. The business is independently owned with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or M&A history.

Name

Simone's Bar

Website

https://simonesbar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Simone's Bar is a privately-held Chicago bar and restaurant in the Pilsen neighborhood, operating since approximately 2014, serving food, cocktails, recurring live entertainment programming, and private events in its 75+ capacity Art Lab venue to local residents and Chicago visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bar and Restaurant

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Neighborhood Bars & Taverns (CRANACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Neighborhood & Sports Bars (THAFAEAA), Cocktail Bars & Lounges (CRANACAD)

Keywords

• Neighborhood bar service
• Private event hosting
• Live entertainment venue
• Cocktails and food
• Restaurant and lounge

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, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Food & Beverage Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling cocktails, mocktails, beer, wine, and food items including appetizers, pizzas, sandwiches, salads, and brunch items. Daily specials drive sales on slower days (Mondays through Thursdays).
2. Private Event Hosting: Revenue from hosting private parties in the Art Lab venue (75+ capacity). Options include open bar packages, drink tickets, a la carte bar service, and custom cocktail menus. Also includes group reservations (15+ guests) with entertainment and food options.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts (crop tops, v-necks, slim fit v-necks) priced at $20 each.
4. Event Cover Charges: Revenue from ticketed events and cover charges for high-production Saturday night events. Some events (like drag brunch) sold through Eventbrite.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Simone's Bar operates a neighborhood bar and restaurant in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood serving cocktails, mocktails, beer, wine, and a full kitchen menu (appetizers, pizzas, sandwiches, salads, brunch). The venue also functions as an entertainment and event space, offering the Art Lab private party venue (75+ capacity) and a recurring calendar of community events including karaoke, loteria, jazz nights, drag brunches, DJ sets, watch parties, and art markets. Branded merchandise (t-shirts) is sold through the venue's website.

Product overview

Simone's Bar is a neighborhood bar and restaurant venue in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood offering a unified hospitality experience combining food and beverage service, private event hosting, and regularly scheduled entertainment. The core offering centers on its full bar and restaurant menu with daily specials, complemented by the Art Lab private event space (75+ capacity) and a diverse events programming schedule including karaoke, loteria, jazz, DJ nights, drag brunches, and watch parties. The business also sells branded merchandise through its online store. Founded approximately twelve years ago, the venue is known for its upcycled interior, vegetarian/vegan-friendly offerings, and community-focused atmosphere.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bar & Restaurant Menu

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Big Star: Wicker Park bar and taco-focused restaurant with a vibrant, event-driven atmosphere and strong neighborhood following. Comparable to Simone's in combining affordable food, drinks, and a busy, community-driven nightlife experience.
• Sleeping Village: Logan Square bar and music venue combining craft cocktails and food service with a robust concert calendar. Comparable to Simone's in combining a neighborhood bar footprint with a strong event-programming GTM.
• The Whistler: Neighborhood bar in Chicago's Logan Square with nightly live music, DJ programming, and rotating cultural events. Operates a similar event-driven, walk-in trade model with food and craft cocktails, making it one of the closest direct comparables to Simone's Bar.
• Honky Tonk BBQ: Pilsen bar and restaurant with live music, BBQ-focused food menu, and a strong community/event orientation. Directly comparable to Simone's as a neighboring operator in the same neighborhood serving a similar mix of food, drinks, and live entertainment.
• The Drifter: River North dive-style bar known for themed variety shows, burlesque, and rotating entertainment programming. Comparable to Simone's for emphasizing ticketed events and entertainment-driven foot traffic alongside core bar service.
• Schubas Tavern: Chicago bar and live music venue pairing a neighborhood tavern atmosphere with a full concert calendar. Comparable to Simone's in combining bar service with recurring event programming as the primary traffic driver.
• The Hideout: Long-established Chicago neighborhood bar (since 1994) with an iconic live music and event-programming calendar. Comparable to Simone's for combining a small, characterful bar footprint with a high-volume event-driven GTM.
• Skylark: Pilsen neighborhood bar and music venue located within the same submarket as Simone's. Highly comparable given shared geography, similar bar/food/nightlife positioning, and event-driven format.
• Easy Bar: Wicker Park neighborhood bar with a casual, community-oriented atmosphere and regular DJ/event programming. Comparable to Simone's as a similarly positioned Chicago neighborhood bar with an event-led traffic model.

Broad incumbents

• The Violet Hour: Established Chicago cocktail bar focused on craft mixology in a more upscale lounge format. Comparable to Simone's as a Chicago bar with a strong beverage program, though positioned at a higher price point and lounge rather than neighborhood-tavern orientation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/simonesbarchicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/simone's-bar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Simone's Bar