McGillycuddys Bar

What McGillycuddys Bar does

McGillycuddy's is a privately held, single-location sports bar and restaurant founded in 1998 at 1135 North Water Street in Milwaukee's downtown entertainment corridor. The venue operates Tuesday through Sunday with extended hours to 2am, offering a full food menu (appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, tacos, wings, Irish specialties, salads), a beverage program spanning domestic and import beers, cocktails, hard seltzers, and THC drinks, plus a happy hour program running Tuesday through Friday 4pm-7pm. The company serves three primary customer segments: walk-in general public and social drinkers, private event hosts booking birthdays and corporate functions, and catering customers ordering off-site food for weddings and corporate events. The business is structured around three revenue streams: on-site food and beverage sales at unit pricing, off-site catering priced per person or per dozen, and private event hosting fees.

The underlying technology stack is intentionally lean and entirely third-party. SpotHopper powers the company website, social media marketing, and email communications, while Toast Tab handles online ordering, private party bookings, and catering invoicing. There is no proprietary technology, no mobile app, no APIs, and no AI/ML capabilities. The customer experience is anchored in physical presence at the venue, with online channels used primarily for reservations, party bookings, and catering lead capture. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through the single storefront, with event-driven traffic generated through live music, trivia nights, DJ events, and themed nights.

The go-to-market relies on a mix of organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok), Google Business Profile for local search, email marketing, and a content-rich website showcasing the menu, events calendar, and specials. The company differentiates primarily through 25+ years of brand recognition as a Milwaukee institution, an inclusive 'watering hole' positioning appealing across age demographics, and a full-service offering spanning casual dining, entertainment programming, and event catering. Pricing is unit-based across all channels, with no subscription or recurring revenue model.

Name

McGillycuddys Bar

Website

https://mcgillycuddysmilwaukee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

McGillycuddy's is a privately held sports bar and restaurant in Milwaukee's downtown entertainment district, founded in 1998, serving walk-in patrons with food, drinks, happy hours, and live events, plus off-site catering and private party hosting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Bar & Restaurant

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Bars (CRANACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Neighborhood & Sports Bars (THAFAEAA), Neighborhood Bars & Taverns (CRANACAA)

Keywords

• Sports bar restaurant
• Casual dining
• Private event hosting
• Off-site catering
• Happy hour specials

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Food and Beverage Sales: On-site consumption of food and drinks at the bar and restaurant. Menu includes appetizers ($8-$16), burgers ($12-$17), sandwiches ($14-$16), tacos ($12-$14), wings, salads, and full bar with beers, cocktails, and specialty drinks.
2. Catering Services: Off-site catering for events including birthday parties, holiday parties, corporate events, and wedding festivities. Offers all-in-one packages with food and event planning.
3. Private Events and Parties: Hosting of private parties and events at the venue including birthday parties, office functions, and special occasions. All-in-one packages with budget considerations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

McGillycuddy's operates a single-location sports bar and restaurant in downtown Milwaukee, serving a full food and drink menu including appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, tacos, wings, salads, cocktails, beers, and THC beverages. The venue also offers private party hosting on-site and off-site catering services for corporate events, birthdays, and weddings.

Product overview

McGillycuddy's is a sports bar and restaurant offering a unified hospitality experience centered around its food and drink menus. The core products include the Food Menu and Drink Menu, supplemented by Happy Hour Specials, Events (live music and trivia), Private Parties & Event Hosting, and Catering Services. The venue also provides Online Reservations for dine-in guests. The company positions itself as an all-in-one destination for casual dining, entertainment, and event catering, with over 25 years of operation in Milwaukee.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Menu Full food menu of appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, tacos, wings, and salads served to dine-in and catering customers at the Milwaukee bar location.
• Beverage Menu Full beverage program including cocktails, beer, wine, and THC-infused beverages served on-premises.
• Happy Hour Specials Time-limited discounted food and drink offerings designed to drive weekday and off-peak traffic at the bar.
• Private Parties and Event Hosting On-site private event hosting service for groups, parties, and gatherings held at the McGillycuddy's venue.
• Off-Site Catering Catering service delivering McGillycuddy's food and beverages to off-site corporate events, birthdays, and weddings.

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

Integration2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Toast TabcoreTechnology or IntegrationToast Tab platform used for online ordering, private party bookings, and catering inquiries. Links to Toast Tab are embedded throughout the website for reservation and catering lead generation.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sobelman's Pub & Grill: Milwaukee sports-bar-and-burger concept with multiple locations, strong pub-grub menu, and event programming. Highly comparable operating model and customer mix in the same metro.
• The Wicked Hop: Milwaukee-based casual bar and restaurant on Old World Third Street with a similar broad demographic appeal, full food and drink menu, and event-driven traffic. Most directly comparable on geography, scale, and customer segments.
• Bryant's Cocktail Lounge: Long-running Milwaukee neighborhood cocktail bar on South 9th Street. Comparable as an independent, institution-style bar serving a loyal repeat-customer base with limited food service.
• Lucille's Piano Bar: Milwaukee piano bar on Wisconsin Avenue combining live entertainment with full bar service. Comparable as an independent Milwaukee nightlife venue monetizing entertainment programming.
• The Loaded Slate: Milwaukee entertainment district (Wisconsin Avenue) sports bar focused on drinks, late-night crowd, and events. Directly comparable on venue type, district location, and target demographic.

Broad incumbents

• Buffalo Wild Wings: National sports-bar chain with a wings-and-beer core menu and heavy sports programming. Competes for the same occasion-based customers but operates at scale across thousands of locations, setting a competitive benchmark on menu pricing and event marketing.
• Applebee's Grill + Bar: National casual-dining chain with a meaningful bar business, happy-hour programming, and neighborhood-bar positioning. Anchors the same casual-bar-and-grill competitive set at scale.
• Hooters: National casual bar-and-grill chain with a sports-bar feel and a bar-led revenue mix. Comparable on bar-centric, entertainment-leaning positioning at national chain scale.
• Dave & Buster's: Large-format eatertainment chain combining a full bar and kitchen with games and entertainment. Comparable on bundled bar-plus-entertainment revenue model, though at significantly larger venue scale.
• Twin Peaks Restaurant: National sports-bar chain built around big-screen sports viewing, full bar, and American grill menu. Closest national chain comparable to the sports-bar positioning of McGillycuddy's.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/McGillycuddys
• Instagraminstagram.com/mcgillycuddys
• TikToktiktok.com/@mcgillycuddysmke?lang=en
• Xx.com/mcgillycuddys

Compliance1 record

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 McGillycuddys Bar