Bar Louie is a neighborhood bar and eatery with more than 70 locations throughout the United States.  The bar provides handcrafted cocktails, wines and local and regional beers with over 20 taps. The restaurant’s menu features a wide variety of American food, which includes salads, small plates, burgers and various wraps and sandwiches.  The establishment has been open and operating since the early nineties. It offers a relaxed, modern vibe with a warm, urban atmosphere for its guests to hang out and enjoy the camaraderie of friends while sampling the food and drink.

The first bar and restaurant location was opened in Chicago, Illinois. The main headquarters is currently located in Addison, Texas. Each location has its own neighborhood flavor, while at the same time, provides the consistency of a comfortable, relaxed and modern environment. The company caters to a wide demographic, both males and females within the age-range of 25-44 years old. The franchise is experiencing tremendous growth, with plans to open over 100 franchises and 100 corporate locations within the next five years. The company prides itself with the ability to deliver remarkable service and experiences that generate loyal clientele who always come back for more.

History

BL Restaurant Operations, LLC is the official corporate name of the company doing business as Bar Louie. Sometime between 1990 and 1991, Roger Greenfield and Ted Kasemir opened the first bar and eatery in Chicago, Illinois. This first bar was located in the River North neighborhood of Chicago, which was considered a trendy area. Like the neighborhood, the restaurant offered a trendy environment with decor consisting of tile mosaics, photography, and murals. This original establishment soon became known for its oversized sandwiches and martinis. Eventually it became a neighborhood favorite.

The owners decided to open nine more locations in the Chicago area, each adhering to the model and concept of the original bar. These new restaurants successfully became neighborhood favorites as well. Eventually, the franchise expanded to several locations in other states, such as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Columbus, Ohio; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Tampa, Florida. It was not until 2005 that the owners decided to utilize the franchise concept, and as a result, Bar Louie Development, Inc. was incorporated to function as the franchising vehicle for the establishment. Operating the establishment as a franchise has allowed it to grow even more with the opening of other locations throughout the country.

As the company expanded over the years, co-owners, Greenfield and Kasemir established a board of directors to assist with overseeing the growing company. These directors include Chief Executive Officer, John Neitzel; Jeff Lloyd, Director of Operations; and Scott Ward, Vice President of Operations, among others. The company currently has both franchise and corporate locations in various States, including for example, Alabama, Arizona, Massachusetts, North Carolina, South Carolina, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Louisiana, New York, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Described as an urban bar known for providing a casual setting with local touches, the franchise has developed a reputation over the years as a neighborhood hang-out spot. It has also become well known for their signature drinks such as their famous handcrafted martinis.  In addition to their popular cocktails, they also serve great food. The restaurant provides both lunch and dinner menus as well as take-out between the hours of roughly 11:00 a.m. to 2 a.m. Some locations even provide delivery service, along with catering to their late night dining guests. The franchise continues to recruit new franchisees, which means that this neighborhood bar and eatery chain will continue to expand across the nation.

Review

Bar Louie’s popularity is partly due to its dedication to remaining a local neighborhood and comfortable hang-out spot for its customers.  The ambiance is casual and relaxed, which allows guests to wind down after a long day at work. The surroundings consist of modern and urban decor. The overall atmosphere is warm and friendly. Reservations are not required, although guests may experience longer wait times on crowded nights. Depending on the location, service may be slower for larger parties. Generally, service seems to be good in some locations and not so great at others.

The drinks are great although pricey. There is a wide selection of cocktails, beer and wine. The signature cocktails, martinis, margaritas and mojitos are definite favorites.  Wines are available by the glass at $7 to $10 or by the bottle at $20 to $39. The wine list includes Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Moscato, Prosecco, Pinot Noir, Malbec, and Merlot. There are over 20 taps of local and regional beer, including Sam Adams, Imperial White, and Stella Artois. Beer prices are usually $5 to $7 (14oz draft). However, the bar offers $1 beer on Wednesdays at 5:00 p.m. onwards. Happy hour specials run from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

While the drinks are considered to be great, the food seems to be okay. The menu includes salads, sandwiches and other food choices. Their sauces, salsa and dip are made from scratch each day. Appetizers range from $8 to $10.  Salads are priced between $4 and $6. The small plates are around $7 to $8. Recommended choices include the chicken nachos, the meatballs, and the voodoo chicken. The burgers are delicious and are a favorite among customers.  Although normally priced at an average of $10 on the regular menu, burgers are available for $1 or $5 on Tuesday nights starting from 5:00 p.m. Half-off specials are available for selected appetizers on certain nights.

This place is well liked mostly because of its atmosphere and happy hour specials. It is spacious for large groups and most locations offer an outside patio. The establishment is considered hygienic for the most part, although certain locations could use some improvement. Some locations also need to work on the wait times for customer seating and service. Nevertheless, there is a wide selection of drinks and bar food in a warm and comfortable setting. The theme of the favorite neighborhood spot has been consistent throughout the years, which has led to loyal customers returning to eat, drink and spend time with friends.