The Northman Beer & Cider Garden

What The Northman Beer & Cider Garden does

The Northman Beer & Cider Garden operates a single-location, European-style beer and cider garden on the Chicago Riverwalk at 233 E. Riverwalk, Chicago, IL. The venue offers 500+ seats and serves individual walk-in diners as well as private event groups of 20 to 200 guests, positioning itself as family- and pet-friendly. The concept is paired with Northman Cider Co. as a related sub-brand, integrating on-site cider production/sales into the broader beer garden experience. Operations are inherently weather- and season-dependent, consistent with outdoor Chicago Riverwalk venues.

The company's product surface is straightforward hospitality: draft beer, cider, food, and private event hosting. There is no proprietary technology stack beyond commodity third-party platforms — Tripleseat for private event booking (under a "Fountainhead Hospitality" management entity URL) and Toasttab for gift card sales — alongside a standard website, social media presence, and email inquiry channel. No delivery or online ordering is offered. There is no evidence of in-house software development or differentiated technology.

The business model rests on three revenue streams: (1) walk-in food and beverage sales to individual consumers and tourists on the Riverwalk; (2) private event bookings for groups of 20 to 200, which monetize the venue's large capacity during shoulder/off-peak hours; and (3) gift card sales via Toasttab, which generate upfront cash and lock in future visits. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer only, with no wholesale, delivery, or franchise channels disclosed. Headcount is reported at 11 employees, suggesting either heavy reliance on seasonal/part-time labor or back-office functions handled by the parent/management entity.

Name

The Northman Beer & Cider Garden

Legal name

The Northman Beer & Cider Garden

Website

https://thenorthman.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Northman Beer & Cider Garden is a single-location European-style beer and cider garden on the Chicago Riverwalk, serving walk-in diners and private event groups of 20 to 200 guests at a 500+ seat venue, alongside a related Northman Cider Co. sub-brand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospitality / Beer Garden & Event Venue

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG), Taprooms & Brewpubs (CRANACAF)

Keywords

• Craft beer garden
• Waterfront dining
• Private event venue
• Chicago Riverwalk
• Cider and beer pub

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 and beverage sales: On-site food and drink sales at the beer garden venue. Includes draft beer, cider, spirits, food menu items, and non-alcoholic beverages sold directly to walk-in customers.
2. Private event bookings: Private event venue rental for groups of 20-200. Offers catering menus, tiered beverage packages, live music capabilities, and event planning assistance. Contact for pricing.
3. Gift cards: Gift card sales through Toasttab platform.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Northman Beer & Cider Garden operates a single physical European-style beer and cider garden on the Chicago Riverwalk, serving craft beer, cider, spirits, food, and non-alcoholic beverages to walk-in guests (seating for 500+). It also hosts private events for groups of 20–200 with catering menus, tiered beverage packages, live music capabilities, and event planning assistance, and sells gift cards through the Toasttab platform.

Product overview

The Northman Beer & Cider Garden operates as a single-location European-style beer and cider garden venue on the Chicago Riverwalk. The core offering is the physical restaurant and outdoor dining experience with food and drink menus. The venue also provides a Private Events Service for group bookings with dedicated amenities (covered heated space, catering, beverage packages, live music). Gift Cards are offered as a supplementary product via Toasttab. Northman Cider Co. is a related cider sub-brand producing Rosé Cider and other varieties, sold at the venue and positioned as a distinct product line with its own website.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Northman Cider Co. Related cider brand with its own separate website (northmancider.com). The Northman Beer & Cider Garden features Rosé Cider cans from Northman Cider Co.

Products and services

• The Northman Beer & Cider Garden (Main Venue) European-style beer and cider garden on the Chicago Riverwalk offering casual dining with food, craft beer, cider, spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages, plus outdoor seating with Chicago skyline views. Walk-in seating for 500+ guests.
• Private Events Service Event booking and hosting service for groups of 20–200, including team outings, happy hours, birthdays, showers, and wedding receptions. Includes covered heated outdoor space, catering menus, custom beverage packages, live music capabilities, and event planning assistance.
• Gift Cards Gift cards redeemable at The Northman Beer & Cider Garden, sold digitally through the Toasttab platform.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Northman Cider Co.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated cider company sharing the Northman brand. The beer garden features and promotes Northman Cider Co. products, including Rosé Cider cans. Cross-promotional relationship with link to northmancider.com from the beer garden website.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• Lagunitas Brewing Company: Large national craft brewery with taproom and beer-garden operations. Comparable as a craft-beer-led on-premise venue concept but operates at significantly larger scale and broader geographic footprint than The Northman.
• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Major national craft brewery operating taprooms and beer gardens at multiple locations. Comparable on the beer-garden / on-premise taproom model but as a much larger incumbent player in the broader craft beverage category.

Direct peers

• Half Acre Beer Company: Chicago-based craft brewery with a flagship taproom in the city. Closely comparable as a Chicago craft-beer-focused on-premise venue serving food alongside house-brewed beverages.
• Local Option: Chicago craft beer bar and restaurant with an extensive rotating tap list. Directly comparable to The Northman as a Chicago bar-and-food venue focused on craft beer selection.
• Revolution Brewing: One of the largest independent craft breweries in Illinois, operating brewpub and taproom venues in Chicago with food, beer, and private-event offerings. Directly comparable on brewpub/taproom model and Chicago event-business mix.
• Hopleaf: Long-standing Chicago craft beer bar and restaurant in Andersonville known for its deep beer program and food menu. Directly comparable to The Northman as a Chicago bar specializing in craft beer with food service.
• Piece Brewery and Pizzeria: Chicago brewpub combining house-brewed beer with a full food menu (pizza) and a high-volume bar. Comparable on brewpub concept, food + beverage revenue mix, and Chicago downtown/urban customer base.
• Baderbräu Brewing Company: Chicago craft brewery with an on-site taproom and event space. Comparable as a Chicago craft brewery operating an on-premise taproom and private-event venue.
• Goose Island Brewpub: Iconic Chicago brewpub combining in-house brewing with a full taproom and food menu. Directly comparable to The Northman as a Chicago-based craft beer on-premise venue serving food and beverage to walk-in and group customers.

Others

• Fountainhead Hospitality: Chicago hospitality group that appears to manage event operations for The Northman via the Tripleseat booking platform. Relevant as an adjacent operator in Chicago's bar and event-venue space rather than a direct consumer-facing peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-northman-beer-cider-garden

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 The Northman Beer & Cider Garden