Time Out Chicago Partners LLLP

What Time Out Chicago Partners LLLP does

Time Out Chicago Partners LLLP is a Chicago-based limited liability limited partnership that operates the Time Out Chicago digital media and editorial platform, founded in 2005 as a local city edition of the global Time Out brand. The entity is a subsidiary of Time Out Group Plc (LSE:TOC), the publicly traded London-based parent company that controls Time Out's global network of city editions and Time Out Market food hall operations. The Chicago operation maintains a small team of 8 employees focused on local editorial coverage and advertising sales, with corporate, technology, and investor relations functions handled at the parent level in London and New York.

The company's core product is the Time Out Chicago website (timeout.com/chicago), a content-led digital publishing platform delivering city-specific editorial coverage across restaurants, bars, nightlife, events, concerts, festivals, theater, film, music, travel, hotels, and attractions. The underlying technology is a web-based multi-vertical publishing platform with user review systems (1-5 star ratings), venue and event listings, newsletter delivery capabilities, and third-party booking integrations with Resy and Explore Tock. Content distribution extends across Facebook (100K+ followers), Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Spotify, with SEO-optimized editorial driving top-of-funnel discovery. WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility is partially conformant.

Revenue is generated through four primary streams: display advertising and brand sponsorships (the dominant stream), magazine subscriptions (print and digital), paid venue listings through the 'Get Listed' program, and affiliate referrals (hotels, restaurants, ticketing). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The customer base is fragmented across hundreds of Chicago-area SMB advertisers — restaurants, bars, hotels, and entertainment venues — supplemented by national brand advertising campaigns and enterprise event partnerships (e.g., Lollapalooza).

Name

Time Out Chicago Partners LLLP

Legal name

Time Out Chicago Partners LLLP

Website

https://timeoutchicago.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Time Out Chicago Partners LLLP operates the Time Out Chicago digital media platform, delivering local editorial coverage of restaurants, bars, events, culture, and attractions to Chicago residents and visitors, monetized through advertising, sponsorships, magazine subscriptions, and venue listings as a subsidiary of Time Out Group Plc.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Media Publishing

NAICS

Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (54185), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Venue & Special Event Site Sourcing (Unique Venues, Permitting) (THAHADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

F&B Experiences & Group Dining (Restaurant Buyouts, Tastings, Catering Coordination) (THAHADAI), Outdoor Event Venues (Pavilions, Amphitheaters, Parks) (THAHAAAJ)

Keywords

• City editorial guides
• Event discovery
• Restaurant reviews
• Lifestyle media
• Local news coverage

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Advertising and Sponsorship: Primary revenue stream from display advertising, sponsored content, and brand partnerships. Local businesses, restaurants, venues, and attractions purchase advertising placements to reach Time Out's engaged urban audience. National and global brands also advertise across the platform.
2. Magazine Subscriptions: Physical and digital magazine subscriptions delivering curated city content to readers
3. Venue Listings and Promotions: Paid listing services for businesses to get featured on the platform, including 'Get Listed' program for venues and attractions
4. Affiliate and Referrals: Affiliate partnerships including links to hotels, restaurants, ticketing platforms, with commission on referred business

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Time Out Chicago Partners LLLP operates a content-led digital media platform at timeout.com/chicago that publishes city-specific editorial coverage of Chicago events, restaurants, bars, nightlife, culture, attractions, hotels, movies, and music. The company monetizes this audience through display advertising, sponsored content, paid venue listings, print and digital magazine subscriptions, and affiliate referral commissions. It also extends the Time Out brand into physical experiences via the Time Out Market Chicago food hall concept.

Product overview

Time Out Chicago Partners LLLP operates a digital media and publishing platform centered on its flagship Time Out Chicago website, complemented by the Time Out Magazine print/digital publication and Time Out Market Chicago physical food hall brand. The core platform aggregates editorial content across restaurant and bar reviews, film and music coverage, travel guides, and things-to-do recommendations for Chicago. The product portfolio includes city-specific editions across 20+ global destinations, with additional modules for newsletter subscriptions, online reservation booking integrations, and event ticketing. Time Out Markets operates as a separate sub-brand (Time Out Market Chicago LLC) offering curated physical market experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Time Out Chicago Website Digital editorial platform at timeout.com/chicago providing city guides, event listings, restaurant and bar reviews, film reviews, music coverage, and travel guides for Chicago. Includes user review and rating systems, event discovery tools, and booking integrations.
• Time Out Magazine Print and digital magazine publication delivering editorial content about city events, dining, entertainment, and culture to subscribers.
• Time Out Market Chicago Physical food hall market featuring curated food, drink, and cultural experiences, operated as Time Out Market Chicago LLC under the Time Out brand.
• Time Out Chicago Newsletter Email newsletter subscription delivering curated Chicago city content, event recommendations, and promotional offers to subscribers, including the 'Best of Chicago' daily digest and 'Free Email' option.

Quantifiable outcome

• Millions of users rely on Time Out's editorial and user reviews for city recommendations

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Wright's MediaminorOthersOfficial licensing and content reuse partner. Contact for license fees and award seal artwork. Wright's Media is the only authorized company that can provide Time Out brand materials for external use.
• Social Media Platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCore distribution channels for content sharing and audience engagement. Time Out maintains official presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Spotify, YouTube, and TikTok to reach urban audiences
• American Arbitration Association (AAA)minorOthersDispute resolution partner for arbitration services as specified in Terms of Service
• DCASE (Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChicago city agency partnered with Time Out for Lake FX Summit + Expo event coverage and potentially other cultural programming

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Eater: Eater (owned by Vox Media) is a direct competitor covering restaurant and dining editorial across major US cities including Chicago. Same content categories (food, drink, nightlife), same advertising-driven business model, same SEO-led discovery approach — competing head-to-head for Chicago restaurant ad dollars.
• Yelp: Yelp is a user-review platform for restaurants, bars, and local businesses — competing directly with Time Out Chicago for restaurant/bar discovery and for SMB advertising spend in the same Chicago market. While broader in scope, Yelp captures a meaningful share of the same 'where to eat' intent Time Out monetizes.
• The Infatuation: The Infatuation is a restaurant review and city guide platform with strong coverage of Chicago dining and nightlife. Same audience (urban foodies/event seekers), same editorial review model, and overlapping advertising customers — a direct substitute for Time Out Chicago's restaurant and bar coverage.
• Thrillist: Thrillist (also owned by Vox Media) covers things to do, restaurants, bars, and travel in major US cities including Chicago. Direct overlap with Time Out Chicago's editorial categories and advertising customer base, competing for the same sponsored content and display ad budgets.

Broad incumbents

• Zagat: Zagat (now part of Google) is an established restaurant review brand with a similar curated-review model to Time Out Chicago. Operates as part of Google's broader portfolio rather than as a standalone city specialist, but addresses overlapping restaurant discovery use cases.
• TripAdvisor: TripAdvisor is a global travel and activity review platform covering Chicago restaurants, hotels, and attractions. Overlaps with Time Out Chicago's travel and attractions editorial, and competes for tourism-related advertising spend — though TripAdvisor is broader and not city-specialized.
• Condé Nast Traveler: Condé Nast Traveler covers Chicago within its broader travel editorial portfolio, competing for premium travel-category advertising and audience attention. Larger and more established but not city-specialized, positioning it as a broader incumbent in the same content space.

Others

• Resy: Resy is a restaurant reservation platform integrated with Time Out Chicago for booking. While a partner rather than competitor, Resy's editorial content and restaurant discovery features overlap with Time Out's booking-related content, and the relationship is symbiotic but also potentially substitutable.

Regional players

• Choose Chicago: Choose Chicago is the city's official destination marketing organization, producing content on events, attractions, hotels, and restaurants for visitors. Direct overlap with Time Out Chicago's travel and tourism editorial categories, with funding from hotel tax dollars rather than advertising — competing for visitor attention and partnership dollars.
• Do312: Do312 is a Chicago-specific events listing and ticketing platform owned by Live Nation. Directly competes with Time Out Chicago for Chicago event discovery traffic and event promoter advertising, though narrower in scope (events-focused vs. Time Out's broader editorial).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/timeoutchicago
• Facebookfacebook.com/timeoutchicago
• Instagraminstagram.com/timeoutchicago
• Pinterestpinterest.com/timeoutchicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/time-out-chicago-partners-lllp

Compliance1 record

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 Time Out Chicago Partners LLLP