7 Monks Taproom

What 7 Monks Taproom does

7 Monks Taproom is a privately held craft beer bar and restaurant chain operating three brick-and-mortar taprooms across Michigan — its headquarters at 128 South Union Street in Traverse City, a second site at 740 Michigan Street NE in Grand Rapids, and a third at 202 South Lake Street in Boyne City — plus a sister speakeasy concept called Low Bar located in the basement of the Traverse City taproom. The company serves craft beer enthusiasts, casual diners, and private event hosts. Its core offering is an extensive rotating draft beer selection (46 lines in Traverse City, 51 in Grand Rapids) that spans Michigan craft breweries and international styles including Belgian Trappist ales, German pilsners, Czech lagers, and barrel-aged cellar selections, paired with cocktails, wine, and a food menu of burgers, sandwiches, salads, and bar snacks typically priced between $9 and $22.50.

Revenue is generated through three streams. The primary stream is on-premise food and beverage sales at point of sale, with draft beers priced approximately $5-$13 per serving and Happy Hour pricing Monday-Friday 3pm-6pm at Grand Rapids. The second stream is the Friar's Union membership club: a one-time $150 fee that grants $1 off drafts/bottles/cans for life, $2 off Member Mondays, 20% off crowler fills, plus a monthly newsletter and invites to tasting events. The third stream is private event hosting, with semi-private spaces such as The Mezzanine (seated 40-50, standing 60), the Library, and the Loft Space, plus full bar buyout options anchored primarily at the Grand Rapids location. Crowler fills and gift cards provide ancillary off-premise revenue. No proprietary technology, mobile app, or AI/ML capability is disclosed; the technology stack is limited to a content website (7monkstap.com) used for menus, location information, gift card sales, private event inquiries, and a job application form.

Customer acquisition relies on earned media and press coverage rather than paid marketing, with consistent recognition from national outlets (USA Today 10Best Top 10 in 2020; Thrillist Top 31 Beer Bars in America 2018 and 2019; VinePair 2019; Golf Digest 2018) and regional publications (Detroit Free Press 2017; Foursquare #1 for craft beer in Traverse City 2017; Revue Magazine Best Beer Bar in West Michigan 2025), supplemented by word-of-mouth within the craft beer community. The company appears to be founder/independently owned with no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or M&A activity; no headcount or revenue figures are publicly reported. The Traverse City flagship cross-promotes with the adjacent restaurant 128 Union.

Name

7 Monks Taproom

Legal name

7 Monks Taproom

Website

https://7monkstap.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

7 Monks Taproom operates three Michigan craft beer taprooms (Traverse City, Grand Rapids, Boyne City) plus a Traverse City basement speakeasy (Low Bar), serving beer enthusiasts and casual diners with 46–51 rotating drafts, a full food menu, Friar's Union membership club, and private event hosting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer Bar & Restaurant

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (72241)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Taprooms & Brewpubs (CRANACAF), Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings (THAJAGAE)

Keywords

• Craft beer bar
• Taproom services
• Beer club membership
• Private event hosting
• Michigan craft beer

Headquarters

HQ city

Traverse City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Food & Beverage Sales (On-Premise): Direct retail sales of food and alcoholic beverages at taproom locations. Revenue is generated through menu pricing at point of sale, with items ranging from craft beers, cocktails, and wine to burgers, sandwiches, salads, and bar snacks. Additional revenue from crowler fills and packaged sales.
2. Friar's Union Membership: One-time membership fee of $150 for a beer club that offers ongoing discounts ($1 off drafts/bottles/cans for life, $2 off Member Mondays, 20% off crowler fills) and exclusive perks including a t-shirt, digital membership card, monthly newsletter, and invites to tasting events. No annual renewal required.
3. Private Event Hosting: Revenue from hosting private events at the Grand Rapids and other locations, including semi-private Mezzanine space (standing capacity 60, seated 40-50) and full buyout options with food and beverage minimums.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

7 Monks Taproom operates craft beer bar and restaurant locations across Michigan (Traverse City, Grand Rapids, and Boyne City), offering 46-51 rotating draft beers, an extensive bottle/can cellar, full bar service (cocktails, wine, spirits), and a food menu of burgers, sandwiches, salads, and shareables. The company also runs the Friar's Union beer club membership program, the Low Bar speakeasy in Traverse City, gift card sales, and private event hosting at the Grand Rapids location.

Product overview

7 Monks Taproom operates as a craft beer bar and restaurant chain with three Michigan locations in Traverse City, Grand Rapids, and Boyne City. The core offering is an extensive craft beer selection featuring 46 draft lines in Traverse City and 51 draft options in Grand Rapids, complemented by cocktails, wine, and a full food menu including burgers, sandwiches, salads, and shareables. The Friar's Union membership program provides a loyalty tier with exclusive discounts and events. Private event hosting and gift cards serve as supplementary offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Friar's Union: Beer club membership program offering perks including $1 off drafts, member Mondays discounts, 20% off crowler fills, and monthly newsletter. Valid in Traverse City and Grand Rapids.

Products and services

• 7 Monks Taproom (Traverse City)
• 7 Monks Taproom (Grand Rapids)
• Friar's Union Membership
• Private Events Hosting
• Gift Cards
• Crowler Fills
• Low Bar Speakeasy

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Founders Brewing Co. Grand Rapids-headquartered regional brewery operating a large taproom. Overlaps with 7 Monks on Michigan craft beer destination experience and taproom format but at much larger scale with proprietary brewing.
• Bell's Brewery (Bell's Eccentric Café): Michigan craft beer institution with taproom operations. Competes for the same craft beer destination visitor as 7 Monks but operates at much broader scale with owned brewing and nationwide distribution.
• World of Beer: National craft beer bar franchise with 50+ tap selections and curated global beer programs. Comparable large-tap-list model but at broader scale with standardized franchise operations.

Direct peers

• HopCat: Grand Rapids-based craft beer bar chain known for extensive tap lists (Cosmic Bowl of Nachos, 100+ taps). Direct overlap with 7 Monks on craft beer selection depth, Michigan geography, and casual food pairing strategy.
• The People's Cigar Company / Stella's Lounge: Grand Rapids beer bar with broad craft selection and bar food. Direct competitor in the West Michigan craft beer bar category and on Revue Magazine's "Best Beer Bar" shortlist alongside 7 Monks.

Regional players

• Brewery Vivant: Grand Rapids craft brewery and taproom focused on Belgian and European-inspired beers. Comparable Michigan footprint, similar curated tap approach, and overlapping craft beer enthusiast customer base.
• Short's Brewing Company: Northern Michigan craft brewery with pub operations. Geographic and craft-beer-enthsiast overlap with 7 Monks' Traverse City/Boyne City footprint; comparable pub + food menu format.
• The Mitten Brewing Co. Grand Rapids craft brewery and pizzeria. Comparable Michigan craft taproom + food pairing model; competes for the same craft beer enthusiast visitors.
• Hopkins Brewing / Dark Horse Brewery: Michigan craft brewery with taproom and food offerings. Comparable mid-size Michigan craft taproom experience; competes for the regional craft beer tourist dollar.

Others

• Total Wine & More: Large off-premise beer retailer. Not a direct competitor for on-premise drinking but competes for craft beer enthusiast wallet share, particularly for crowler/growler take-home beer purchases.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/7monks
• Facebookfacebook.com/7MonksTaproom
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/7-monks-taproom

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 7 Monks Taproom