The Gage

What The Gage does

The Gage is a single-location fine dining restaurant at 24 South Michigan Avenue in Chicago's Loop, housed in a historically landmarked 1800s building originally home to Gage Brothers & Co., milliners. It serves refined, rustic American cuisine with European influences across lunch, dinner, weekend brunch, dessert, and a curated wine list, complemented by an innovative cocktail and beer program that includes a custom 'Gagelicious' brew and Guinness on tap. The restaurant also offers weekday Happy Hour in the bar area and dedicated private event space for groups of 12 or more. The Gage is part of Gage Hospitality Group, a Chicago-based hospitality operator whose sister brands include Acanto, Coda, and Dawson; The Gage has accumulated multiple industry recognitions including Michelin Guide Recommended, Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, OpenTable Top 100 Restaurants in America, World's Best Wine Lists, Concierges' Top 50 Favorite Restaurants, and TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model, generating revenue primarily from food and beverage transactions across multiple dayparts, plus private events and gift card sales. Distribution is conducted through in-restaurant dining, phone and OpenTable reservations, online ordering via Toast Tab, and gift card fulfillment through QuickGifts. Customer segments are horizontal: a broad mix of Chicago locals, domestic travelers, and international tourists drawn by the Millennium Park/Art Institute location, with a secondary group and corporate events segment. Pricing is à la carte and transaction-based; a 3.5% surcharge was added to defray rising costs, optionally removable on request. The underlying technology stack is conventional restaurant tooling (Squarespace website, Toast Tab, OpenTable, QuickGifts); there is no proprietary technology platform or AI component disclosed.

Name

The Gage

Legal name

Gage Hospitality Group

Website

https://thegagechicago.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Gage is a Chicago fine dining restaurant on Michigan Avenue serving refined rustic American cuisine, wine, and cocktails to locals and tourists, with private event capabilities, under Gage Hospitality Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Dining Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Fine Dining Restaurants (THAFACAA)

Keywords

• Fine dining restaurant
• American cuisine
• Private dining events
• Wine and cocktails
• Historic hospitality

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. Dining Services: The Gage generates revenue through food and beverage sales across multiple meal periods including lunch, dinner, weekend brunch, and dessert service. The restaurant also offers Happy Hour specials Monday-Thursday 2-5pm in the bar area.
2. Private Events & Group Dining: Revenue from hosting private events and group dining for parties of 12 or more, with dedicated private dining facilities available for special occasions.
3. Retail/Gift Cards: Sale of gift cards through the Gage Hospitality Group platform.
4. Surcharge Revenue: A 3.5% surcharge is added to bills to defray rising costs, which can be removed upon request by guests.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Gage is a single-location Chicago fine dining restaurant serving refined, rustic American cuisine with European influences across lunch, dinner, weekend brunch, dessert, and wine list menus. The restaurant also operates an award-winning libations program including custom cocktails and the signature 'Gagelicious' brew, complemented by Happy Hour service in the bar, private dining and group events for parties of 12 or more, gift cards, and online ordering via ToastTab.

Product overview

The Gage is a single-location restaurant offering a unified dining experience centered around refined, rustic cuisine complemented by an innovative libations program. The core offerings include separate lunch, dinner, weekend brunch, dessert, and wine list menus, with Happy Hour specials available in the bar area Monday through Thursday. Additional services include private event dining, online ordering through Toast Tab, and gift card sales through QuickGifts. The restaurant operates from 24 South Michigan Avenue in Chicago and is part of Gage Hospitality Group with sister properties including Acanto, Coda, and Dawson.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lunch Service

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AcantominorOthersSister restaurant under Gage Hospitality Group. Acanto is another dining establishment within the same restaurant group portfolio, located in Chicago.
• CodaminorOthersSister restaurant under Gage Hospitality Group. Coda is another dining establishment within the same restaurant group portfolio.
• DawsonminorOthersSister restaurant under Gage Hospitality Group. Dawson is another dining establishment within the same restaurant group portfolio, located in Chicago.
• Gage Hospitality GroupcoreOthersParent company overseeing The Gage and sister restaurants including Acanto, Coda, and Dawson. The group handles marketing, accessibility inquiries ([email protected]), and group-level operations.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Capital Grille: National upscale steakhouse chain with a strong wine list program and private event focus. Comparable on fine dining tier, wine award positioning, and event-driven revenue mix, but operates as a multi-location chain rather than a single landmarked venue.
• Smith & Wollensky: Established national fine dining steakhouse brand with award-winning wine program and event business. Comparable on fine dining tier and event revenue mix; broader footprint dilutes single-location identity that defines The Gage.

Direct peers

• Blackbird: Contemporary fine dining restaurant in Chicago's West Loop with a Michelin pedigree, known for refined cuisine and cocktail craft. Directly comparable on fine dining tier, culinary innovation, and Chicago award ecosystem.
• Acanto (sister brand): Sister restaurant under Gage Hospitality Group, also a Chicago fine dining establishment. Highly comparable on parent group, back-office, customer base overlap, and shared marketing/gift card infrastructure.
• Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse: Iconic Chicago steakhouse also famous for its wine list and bar program, serving a similar mix of locals, visitors, and corporate guests in the River North/Loop corridor. Directly comparable on menu style, pricing tier, and award-driven positioning.
• RPM Steak: High-end Chicago steakhouse under Lettuce Entertain You, known for an award-winning wine list and bustling bar scene. Comparable on fine dining tier, wine program recognition, and downtown Chicago visitor/locals audience.
• Gene & Georgetti: Long-standing Chicago steakhouse institution known for its bar and wine program. Comparable on heritage positioning, downtown/River North visitors, and award-tier beverage program.
• Boka Restaurant: Michelin-starred contemporary American fine dining restaurant in Chicago. Comparable on culinary innovation, prix-fixe/seasonal menus, and event-driven private dining demand.
• Maple & Ash: Upscale Gold Coast/Streeterville steakhouse with a lively bar and prominent wine program. Comparable on price point, occasion-driven dining, and award-caliber food and beverage.

Regional players

• Girl & The Goat: Trendy Chicago fine dining establishment by Stephanie Izard. Comparable on Chicago fine dining demand, group/private event bookings, and award-tier buzz, though more casual in execution.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-gage

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 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 Gage