Cooper's Hawk Chain To Be Sold To Private Equity Group: Reports

COUNTRYSIDE, IL — Restaurant Business Magazine is reporting that Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurants has reached a deal to sell the restaurant chain to a private equity group in Los Angeles, Ares Management. Cooper’s Hawk has 35 locations throughout the United States, including 13 restaurants in Illinois. The Los Angeles-based equity firm has reportedly offered to buy the Cooper’s Hawk chain for $700 million.

Described as a daredevil in the restaurant industry by the Wall Street Journal, Cooper’s Hawk founder and south suburban native Tim McEnery opened his first restaurant in Orland Park in 2005 before he was 30. The chain reportedly generated $282.3 million in sales last year and boasts a 350,000-member wine club.

Cooper’s Hawk is famous for its perfect pairings with sophisticated signature dishes, upscale casual dining restaurant, full-service bar, private barrel-aging room, and Napa-style tasting room. The restaurant chain offers 50 varieties of handcrafted wine produced at its own private winery in Woodridge and boasts a loyal wine club.

In addition to the flagship Orland Park restaurant, Cooper’s Hawk Illinois locations include St. Charles, Downers Grove, Arlington Heights, Burr Ridge, Chicago, Naperville, New Lenox, Oak Lawn, Oak Park, South Barrington, Springfield and Wheeling. The restaurant chain is headquartered in Countryside.

McEnery, Cooper's Hawk founder, grew up in Orland Park reading restaurant trade magazines rather than playing baseball as a kid, he said in a 2015 interview with Patch. He is a graduate of Marist High School.

A Cooper’s Hawk representative told Restaurant Business that the company would not be commenting on the deal. “Given our increasing viability in the market, there is bound to be speculation, but it would not be prudent to comment at this time.”