Turnkey Chicago Restaurant, Established Brand, Exceptional Lease Term
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Rare opportunity to acquire Wake ’n Bacon, an established, trademarked Chicago brunch concept in prime East Lakeview. This is more than a restaurant asset sale. A buyer is stepping into a fully operating, turnkey business with a recognizable brand, trained staff, premium buildout, established menu & recipes, digital systems, website, social media, customer database, marketing assets, vendor relationships & intellectual property already in place.
One of the strongest assets is Wake ’n Bacon’s built-in audience: 55,000+ customer/email contacts plus customer phone data & 25,000+ social media followers across platforms. That gives a new owner an immediate base to market catering, private events, loyalty programs, promotions, gift cards, SMS campaigns & new menu launches without having to build an audience from scratch.
The approximately 2,176 SF restaurant was completely built out in 2020 and professionally designed by SPACE Architects + Planners. The space was created for efficient restaurant flow and has a distinctive, highly recognizable interior with strong visual and social-media appeal. The acquisition is intended to include FF&E, commercial kitchen equipment, smallwares, branding, recipes, menus, website, social accounts, customer database, marketing materials, operating systems, intellectual property & applicable licenses and permits, subject to transfer requirements and final agreement.
The lease is a major advantage. Current rent is just $5,700 per month on a gross lease, with real estate taxes, common-area/building operating expenses, trash, water, heat & AC included. Approximately five years remain on the current term, followed by two additional five-year renewal options, providing exceptional long-term stability and predictable occupancy costs in East Lakeview. One dedicated garage parking space is also included.
The business is structured for owner-light operation. Key functions can be monitored digitally, including POS reporting, sales, online ordering, reservations, scheduling, security cameras, marketing & other operational systems. A trained staff is currently in place, allowing an owner to oversee much of the business without needing to be on-site every day. A hands-on owner-operator could potentially improve profitability by directly overseeing operations, reducing management expense & more aggressively developing new revenue streams.
Wake ’n Bacon benefits from a dense, affluent & highly active East Lakeview customer base, with strong neighborhood and destination traffic, proximity to the lakefront, Belmont Harbor, Wrigleyville, entertainment venues & major CTA access. The building itself is also undergoing a major ownership-led renovation program, including a refreshed facade expected to further improve visibility & curb appeal.
There is significant upside without the need for another location or major capital investment. Current operations are concentrated around daytime brunch, leaving room to expand private events, full buyouts, corporate catering, office accounts, holiday parties, brand activations, evening events, pop-ups & ticketed experiences. Additional opportunities include growing direct online ordering & delivery, increasing paid digital marketing, developing hotel, apartment and corporate partnerships, expanding loyalty and SMS programs, & reactivating the existing 55K+ customer database.
For a buyer looking for an established Chicago concept rather than starting from a raw space, Wake ’n Bacon offers a rare combination of brand recognition, a large proprietary customer audience, attractive occupancy costs, premium buildout, long-term lease options, trained staff, established systems and multiple avenues for growth.
Confidential sale. Prospective buyers may visit during normal business hours as customers only. Please do not discuss the sale with employees or patrons. Additional financial information and showings will be provided to qualified buyers subject to confidentiality requirements.
One of the strongest assets is Wake ’n Bacon’s built-in audience: 55,000+ customer/email contacts plus customer phone data & 25,000+ social media followers across platforms. That gives a new owner an immediate base to market catering, private events, loyalty programs, promotions, gift cards, SMS campaigns & new menu launches without having to build an audience from scratch.
The approximately 2,176 SF restaurant was completely built out in 2020 and professionally designed by SPACE Architects + Planners. The space was created for efficient restaurant flow and has a distinctive, highly recognizable interior with strong visual and social-media appeal. The acquisition is intended to include FF&E, commercial kitchen equipment, smallwares, branding, recipes, menus, website, social accounts, customer database, marketing materials, operating systems, intellectual property & applicable licenses and permits, subject to transfer requirements and final agreement.
The lease is a major advantage. Current rent is just $5,700 per month on a gross lease, with real estate taxes, common-area/building operating expenses, trash, water, heat & AC included. Approximately five years remain on the current term, followed by two additional five-year renewal options, providing exceptional long-term stability and predictable occupancy costs in East Lakeview. One dedicated garage parking space is also included.
The business is structured for owner-light operation. Key functions can be monitored digitally, including POS reporting, sales, online ordering, reservations, scheduling, security cameras, marketing & other operational systems. A trained staff is currently in place, allowing an owner to oversee much of the business without needing to be on-site every day. A hands-on owner-operator could potentially improve profitability by directly overseeing operations, reducing management expense & more aggressively developing new revenue streams.
Wake ’n Bacon benefits from a dense, affluent & highly active East Lakeview customer base, with strong neighborhood and destination traffic, proximity to the lakefront, Belmont Harbor, Wrigleyville, entertainment venues & major CTA access. The building itself is also undergoing a major ownership-led renovation program, including a refreshed facade expected to further improve visibility & curb appeal.
There is significant upside without the need for another location or major capital investment. Current operations are concentrated around daytime brunch, leaving room to expand private events, full buyouts, corporate catering, office accounts, holiday parties, brand activations, evening events, pop-ups & ticketed experiences. Additional opportunities include growing direct online ordering & delivery, increasing paid digital marketing, developing hotel, apartment and corporate partnerships, expanding loyalty and SMS programs, & reactivating the existing 55K+ customer database.
For a buyer looking for an established Chicago concept rather than starting from a raw space, Wake ’n Bacon offers a rare combination of brand recognition, a large proprietary customer audience, attractive occupancy costs, premium buildout, long-term lease options, trained staff, established systems and multiple avenues for growth.
Confidential sale. Prospective buyers may visit during normal business hours as customers only. Please do not discuss the sale with employees or patrons. Additional financial information and showings will be provided to qualified buyers subject to confidentiality requirements.
About the Business
- Years in Operation
- 6
- Employees
- 9 (5 Full-time, 4 Part-time)
- Facilities & Assets
- Approx 2,200 SF fully built-out & operating restaurant in East Lakeview. Complete new restaurant buildout completed in 2020 w/ professional architectural and interior design by SPACE Architects + Planners.
Features include:
Fully equipped commercial restaurant operation
FF&E included
Professionally designed dining room
Distinctive floral ceiling & custom color-shifting murals
2 custom outdoor swing tables
4 gender-neutral restrooms, including 2 ADA-compliant facilities
New plumbing & electrical infrastructure w/2 dedicated breaker panels
4 dual heating/AC units providing zoned climate control
2 Security systems wi/internal cameras, DVR, & remote viewing
Toast POS/KDS system
Interactive touchscreen/photo mirror (retail $10K)
Professionally installed DJ-ready audio system
4 integrated TV displays
Installed beer lines
Dedicated garage parking space
Brand assets, recipes, website, social media, customer database, marketing materials and IP are also included, subject to final agreement. - Website
- Show Website URL
- Market Outlook / Competition
- Wake ’n Bacon is located in East Lakeview, one of Chicago’s most active residential, dining and entertainment neighborhoods. The immediate area is dense, affluent, highly educated and heavily concentrated in the 25–44 age range, which aligns well with brunch and social dining. The location benefits from year-round neighborhood traffic plus destination traffic from the lakefront, Belmont Harbor, Wrigleyville, entertainment venues and nearby transit. While Lakeview is competitive, Wake ’n Bacon stands out through its distinctive experiential interior, established brunch brand, creative menu, loyal customer base, 55K+ email/customer database and 25K+ social following.
Unlike a new concept entering the neighborhood, an incoming owner begins with an established digital presence, trained staff, operating infrastructure, direct ordering channels, recognizable brand, and a large built-in audience that can be marketed to immediately. - Opportunities for Growth
- Significant growth opportunities remain without the need for another location or major buildout. The biggest opportunities include expanding private events and full buyouts, corporate catering, office accounts, celebrations, holiday parties and brand activations; extending beyond current daytime brunch hours into evenings, pop-ups and ticketed events; and growing direct online ordering and delivery. The 55K+ customer/email database and 25K+ social following provide a strong built-in audience for reactivation campaigns, loyalty, SMS, gift cards, catering and event marketing. Additional upside includes stronger paid digital advertising, apartment/hotel/corporate partnerships, seasonal promotions, menu expansion, neighborhood collaborations and more aggressive community outreach. A hands-on owner could also improve profitability by directly overseeing operations, reducing management expense and actively developing new revenue channels.
Real Estate
- Owned or Leased
- Leased
- Building Sq. Ft.
- 2,200
- Rent
- $5,700 per month
About the Sale
- Seller Motivation
- Ownership is focusing on demanding professional and other personal commitments.
- Transition Support
- Ownership will provide transition support and training to help ensure a smooth handoff. Training can include day-to-day operations, recipes and food preparation, Toast POS and digital systems, ordering, inventory, vendor relationships, scheduling, catering, private events, marketing tools and other key processes. The business is already set up with documented systems and digital oversight, allowing many functions to be monitored remotely. A trained staff is currently in place, which helps reduce transition friction. The length and scope of training can be tailored to the buyer’s experience and needs. Existing vendor relationships, operating procedures, recipes, menu knowledge, event processes and institutional knowledge can be transferred as part of the sale. Ownership can also provide guidance on customer marketing, email campaigns, social channels, online ordering, reservations and the systems used to oversee the restaurant without being on-site every day.
- Financing Options
- None
Listing Info
- ID
- 2557490
- Listing Views
Attached DocumentsAttachment Disclaimer
Wake 'n Bacon Sale Brochure.pdf
Business Location
Listing ID: 2557490 The information on this listing has been provided by either the seller or a business broker representing the seller. BizQuest has no interest or stake in the sale of this business and has not verified any of the information and assumes no responsibility for its accuracy, veracity, or completeness. See our full Terms of Use. Learn how to avoid scams.
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