What The Berghoff Restaurant does

The Berghoff Restaurant is a 100% family-owned German and American restaurant business headquartered in a 45,000-square-foot historic building at 17 W. Adams Street in Chicago's Loop, founded in 1898 and now in its fourth generation of ownership under Pete Berghoff. The company operates a flagship dine-in restaurant (open 7 days/week, 11:30 AM–8:00 PM), the Berghoff Cafe at O'Hare International Airport Terminal 1 (open 365 days/year), an in-house 15-barrel craft brewery (Adams Street Brewery, opened 2018), and an in-house bakery producing fresh bread and desserts daily. A lower-level downtown Café annex (added 1939) has remained closed since March 2020 and is currently used only for private events.

The company serves four primary customer segments: general diners (local residents, tourists, and multi-generational patrons), private event hosts (corporate functions, weddings, and gatherings in spaces accommodating 20–200 guests), O'Hare airport travelers, and craft beer enthusiasts. Revenue is generated through unit-priced dine-in transactions (entrées $16.50–$29.95; appetizers $7.95–$20.50), private dining events, catering platters for pickup, online ordering through Toasttab, O'Hare cafe sales, and merchandise/gift cards via an online shop. Distribution is entirely domestic through two physical locations plus direct online ordering and reservations via OpenTable.

Pricing includes a 3.5% surcharge on all checks to offset rising costs and an 18% service gratuity on parties of 10 or more. The technology stack is commercial-off-the-shelf: Toasttab for ordering, OpenTable for reservations, Infor for private event management, and SpotHero/InterPark for validated parking. The company carries no debt or equity funding rounds, is wholly family-controlled, and emphasizes its 125+ year heritage, Chicago's first post-Prohibition liquor license (held annually since 1933), and a long-tenured workforce as core differentiators.

Name

The Berghoff Restaurant

Legal name

The Berghoff Restaurant

Website

https://theberghoff.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1898

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Berghoff Restaurant is a 100% family-owned Chicago German-American restaurant founded in 1898, operating a flagship Loop location, an O'Hare airport cafe, an in-house craft brewery (Adams Street Brewery), private dining, and bakery. It serves general diners, corporate and private event clients, and travelers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casual Dining Restaurants

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (7225)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Brasseries, Bistros & Trattorias (THAFACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family-Style Restaurants (THAFACAC), Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Special Occasion & Destination Restaurants (THAFACAK)

Keywords

• German restaurant dining
• Craft beer brewing
• Private event catering
• Airport food service
• American comfort food

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Restaurant Service: The primary revenue stream from serving classic German and contemporary American cuisine, craft beer, wine, and cocktails at the downtown Chicago location.
2. Private Dining Events: Revenue from hosting events in multiple private and semi-private spaces including the Century Room (up to 200 guests), Chef's Room, Bar, and Lower Level. Catering platters available for pickup.
3. O'Hare Airport Cafe: Full-service restaurant at O'Hare International Airport Terminal 1 serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner with hot carved sandwiches, beverages, and full bar.
4. Online Ordering: Direct online ordering through Toasttab platform for takeout orders.
5. Merchandise and Gift Cards: Online merchandise store and gift card sales through Adams Street Brewery shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Berghoff Restaurant operates a historic German and American restaurant in downtown Chicago's Loop serving classic German and contemporary American cuisine, craft beer from its in-house Adams Street Brewery, and an extensive bar program. It also runs a full-service cafe at O'Hare International Airport Terminal 1, hosts private dining events for parties of up to 200 in multiple event spaces, and sells online merchandise and gift cards. All locations are supported by an in-house bakery producing fresh bread and desserts daily.

Product overview

The Berghoff Restaurant operates as a multi-location hospitality business with a core restaurant in Chicago's Loop, an in-house craft brewery (Adams Street Brewery), and an airport cafe location (Berghoff Cafe at O'Hare). The company also offers private dining event spaces, an in-house bakery for fresh bread and desserts, catering services for pickup, and an online merchandise store. All locations serve classic German and contemporary American cuisine, with the bakery supplying fresh-baked goods daily.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Adams Street Brewery: A 15-barrel craft beer brewery opened in 2018, located in the heart of The Berghoff Restaurant. Offers house-brewed beers including German lagers, IPAs, and rotating specialties. Beer is available in flights, 9oz pours, pints, liter steins, and 4-packs to go.

Products and services

• The Berghoff Restaurant Full-service historic German and contemporary American restaurant located at 17 W Adams St, Chicago, serving classic German cuisine, gluten-free friendly options, a full bar, and the in-house Adams Street Brewery. Open 7 days a week, 11:30 AM - 8:00 PM. Family-owned and operated for over 125 years.
• Adams Street Brewery In-house craft beer brewery producing a wide variety of beer styles including classic German lagers, IPAs, and rotating specialties. Beer is available on-site in flights, 9oz pours, pints, and liter steins, with 4-packs available to-go through the online shop.
• Berghoff Cafe at O'Hare Full-service airport cafe at O'Hare International Airport Terminal 1 serving traditional hand-carved sandwiches, Rueben's, sauerkraut, and contemporary items for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with a full-service bar featuring Berghoff Root Beer and house-brewed beer from Adams Street Brewery. Open 365 days a year.
• Private Dining and Events Event hosting services for corporate functions, conventions, weddings, rehearsal dinners, alumni events, happy hours, and tour groups across multiple private and semi-private spaces: the Century Room (up to 200 guests for cocktail reception or 150 for seated dinner), Chef's Room (up to 20 people), Bar (25-40 guests), and Lower Level with private bar. Catering platters available for pickup.
• Catering Services Catering platters available for pickup only, with no off-site delivery. Inquiries are handled by the Private Dining Specialist.
• Online Merchandise and Gift Card Store Online store selling Berghoff-branded merchandise and digital and physical gift cards, including Adams Street Brewery products.

Quantifiable outcome

• Family-owned and operated for 125+ years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ToasttabcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline ordering platform used for direct takeout orders. Provides digital ordering infrastructure for the restaurant's online ordering system.
• OpenTablecoreTechnology or IntegrationRestaurant reservation platform integration allowing customers to book tables online at The Berghoff Restaurant.
• SpotHerominorGTM or Marketing PartnerParking reservations app partnership offering discounted parking rates up to 50% off drive-up rates for restaurant patrons.
• InterParkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDiscounted validated parking at 17 E Adams location for restaurant patrons. Parking tickets validated at host stand.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Boka Restaurant Group: Chicago-based independent restaurant group with multiple upscale dining concepts and event programming. Comparable to The Berghoff as a sophisticated Chicago hospitality operator with strong private-dining capabilities and downtown presence.
• Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises: Large Chicago-based independent restaurant group operating dozens of concepts across the city and nationally. Comparable to The Berghoff as a major Chicago restaurant operator with multiple venues, private dining, and a long local heritage, though far broader in scale and concept diversity.
• Gibsons Restaurant Group: Iconic Chicago steakhouse group with locations in the Gold Coast and Rosemont. Comparable to The Berghoff as a long-standing Chicago hospitality brand emphasizing heritage, private events, and high-touch service in the metro area.

Direct peers

• Revolution Brewing: One of Chicago's largest independent craft breweries with a brewpub serving full food menus. Comparable as a Chicago-based operation pairing craft beer production with sit-down dining and private events.
• Bavarian Lodge: Family-owned German restaurant in Lisle, IL serving authentic German fare and craft beer in a lodge setting. Comparable to The Berghoff as a Midwest family-owned German concept with beer-forward offerings.
• Hofbräuhaus Chicago: German beer hall in Rosemont, IL featuring in-house brewery, live music, and family-style German fare. Most directly comparable to The Berghoff as a Chicago-area German-themed restaurant with on-site beer production and large group seating.
• Lagunitas Brewing Company: National craft brewery with a Chicago taproom experience offering brewery tours and on-site food. Comparable to The Berghoff's Adams Street Brewery as an in-house brewing operation feeding on-premise beer sales.
• Piece Brewery & Pizzeria: Wicker Park brewpub combining an in-house craft brewery with a full restaurant menu. Closely matches The Berghoff's brewery-plus-restaurant model in the Chicago market with food made in-house and craft beer on tap.
• Half Acre Beer Company: Chicago craft brewery operating a taproom with food programming. Overlaps with The Berghoff on the brewpub model and Chicago craft beer market participation.
• Goose Island Brewpub: Chicago brewpub with on-site brewing and full kitchen near the Fulton Market district. Directly comparable to The Berghoff's combination of craft beer and full-service dining in Chicago.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Berghoff Restaurant