HopCat explained

HopCat
Type:Private
Industry:Restaurant
Genre:Gastropub
Parent:BarFly Ventures, LLC[1]
Foundation:2008
Num Locations:11 (2024)
Hq Location City:Grand Rapids, Michigan[2]

HopCat is a restaurant and bar chain based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States, with seventeen locations in eight states. HopCat is best known for having a wide array of beers on tap, with several of their locations offering over 100 different options.[3] [4]

Founded in 2008 in Grand Rapids by Mark Sellers, the original HopCat in Grand Rapids is a brewpub with its own small brewery, which typically supplies 4-6 house-made beers alongside craft beers from around the country. HopCat opened its second location in East Lansing, Michigan in 2013.[5]

In 2015, BarFly Ventures secured $25 million in capital financing to support its effort to expand HopCat, which will open as many as 30 locations over the next several years.[6] [7]

On June 6, 2020, BarFly Ventures filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Grand Rapids, MI.[8]

Accolades

The Grand Rapids location was recognized as one of the best brewpubs in the United States by RateBeer.com from 2013 to 2015.[9] [10] [11] In 2010, HopCat was rated No. 3 on BeerAdvocate's list of "Best Beer Bars on Planet Earth."[12]

Controversy

On December 15, 2018, Barfly Ventures CEO Mark Gray announced that Hopcat would be renaming its famous “Crack Fries” in order to avoid making light of the drug the name refers to as well as addiction to said drug.[13] The fries were renamed "Cosmik Fries" in reference to Frank Zappa's song "Cosmik Debris".[14]

Locations

Current locations

Former locations

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: HopCat Detroit Opening to Include World-Record Tap Takeover . . August 20, 2014 . January 4, 2016.
  2. Robenault, Steve Hop Cat Michigan Journal. March 25, 2016
  3. News: Allen . Robert . December 30, 2015 . Uber: Detroit's Top 10 Nightlife Rides in 2015 . Detroit Free Press . January 4, 2016.
  4. News: White . Laurel . July 10, 2015 . 'Craft Beer Chain' HopCat to Open Saturday off State Street . The Capital Times . Madison, WI . January 4, 2016.
  5. News: Ellison . Garret . Five Years and $13.5 Million in Sales Later, HopCat Has Become a 'Well Respected' Grand Rapids Brand . MLive . January 8, 2013 . January 4, 2016.
  6. News: Walsh . Dustin . HopCat Owners Secure $25 Million to Fund Expansion . Crain's Detroit Business . September 2, 2015 . January 4, 2016.
  7. News: Sidorowicz . Josh . 'It's a Big Deal,' 30 New HopCat Bars to Open up Across Midwest . Grand Rapids, MI . . September 2015 . January 4, 2016.
  8. News: 'HopCat restaurant parent company files for bankruptcy protection' .
  9. Web site: top retailers by country - ratebeer best 2013. www.ratebeer.com. 2016-04-04.
  10. Web site: The Best Beers in the World 2013. www.ratebeer.com. 2016-04-04.
  11. Web site: top retailers by country - ratebeer best for the year 2015. www.ratebeer.com. 2016-04-04.
  12. Web site: Magazine toasts Founders Brewer, HopCat as best in the nation. MLive.com. 20 December 2008 . 2016-04-04.
  13. Web site: A word about our fries HopCat. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20181217062839/https://hopcat.com/blog/post/word-about-our-fries. 2018-12-17.
  14. Web site: Cosmik Fries HopCat. 2019-04-21. 2019-04-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20190421163532/https://hopcat.com/cosmik-fries. dead.
  15. News: Offman . Alysa . HopCat Ann Arbor to Open on Valentine's Day . . February 10, 2015 . January 5, 2016.
  16. News: Howell . Brandon . HopCat East Lansing to Open with Attempted World-Record Tap Takeover of 100 Short's Beers . MLive . August 8, 2013 . January 5, 2016.
  17. News: Bondie. Cassandra. HopCat to open its doors in downtown Holland. Holland Sentinel. April 27, 2019. April 27, 2019.
  18. Web site: HopCat is coming to downtown Kalamazoo. MLive.com. 31 March 2016 . 2016-04-04.
  19. News: Chain Restaurant, Craft Beer Bar Coming to Haymarket. Olberding. Matt. October 29, 2015. Lincoln Journal Star. January 4, 2016.
  20. Web site: Lincoln HopCat. hopcat.com. 2016-03-16.
  21. News: Powers . Sara . HopCat to open new Livonia location this month . . Detroit, MI . July 14, 2023 . August 9, 2024.
  22. News: Baetens . Melody . HopCat returns to downtown Royal Oak this winter, now hiring . . Detroit, MI . October 25, 2022 . March 3, 2024.
  23. News: Hotts . Mitch . HopCat hosts grand opening celebration at Partridge Creek Mall . . Clinton Township . May 10, 2024 . August 9, 2024.
  24. Web site: HopCat, Lincoln Park’s Massive Craft Beer Bar, Closes Eater Chicago. chicago.eater.com. 2024-06-02.
  25. Web site: Kansas City HopCat. hopcat.com. 2017-01-04. 2017-01-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20170105084252/https://hopcat.com/kansas-city. dead.
  26. iNews: Patton . Janet . LexGo Eat: HopCat Opens Saturday; BrewGrass Trail Tavern Opens Monday . . October 22, 2015 . January 5, 2016.
  27. Web site: HopCat craft beer bar to open in Highlands. The Courier-Journal. 2016-04-04.
  28. News: Derby . Samara Kalk . Restaurant News: HopCat Giving Away Fries to Those who Take First Crack . . Madison, WI . July 2, 2015 . January 5, 2016.
  29. Web site: Craft beer galore: HopCat coming to downtown Minneapolis - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170307040731/http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2017/03/02/craft-beer-galore-nic-on-fifth-lands-100-tap.html. 2017-03-07.
  30. Web site: The Sunshine State is getting their own HopCat in late 2017 Bites. 2017-01-06. 2017-01-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20170106144054/http://www.metrotimes.com/table-and-bar/archives/2017/01/05/the-sunshine-state-is-getting-their-own-hopcat-in-late-2017. dead.
  31. News: Baetens . Melody . HopCat in Royal Oak to open in early 2017 . . Detroit, MI . September 23, 2016 . January 6, 2017.
  32. Web site: Hopcat Permanently Closes Royal Oak Restaurant - Eater Detroit. 27 May 2020.
  33. Web site: HopCat to open a St. Louis location - mlive.com. 26 April 2017.
  34. News: Hohulin . Bradley . HopCat Broad Ripple announces it will close this month . . January 18, 2024 . August 8, 2024.