Cooper’s Hawk Opens in Merrillville, IN, Coming Soon to OH and MO

Chicago based Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant opened its ninth location this month in Hobart (Merrillville) Indiana. This year, Cooper’s Hawk also will be opening restaurants and wineries in Cincinnati, Columbus and Kansas City. The Cooper’s Hawk concept of pairing proprietary wines with the restaurant’s menu was launched in Orland Park, Illinois in 2005. Cooper’s Hawk now produces over 125,000 gallons of wine annually in its Countryside, Illinois facility outside Chicago making it the largest wine maker in Illinois, surpassing Blue Sky Winery in Makanda and Lynfred Winery in Roselle. (Cooper’s Hawk founder Tim McEnerny once worked at Lynfred.)  The majority of grapes for Cooper’s Hawk wines come from California, Oregon and Washington. Winemaker Rob Warren is a graduate of Brock’s Cool Climate and Viticulture Institute in Ontario, Canada.

During 2011, Crain’s Chicago Business reported that Cooper’s Hawk Restaurants cost $5 million each to open. Crain’s placed Cooper’s Hawk’s 2011 sales at $50 million.

For more info about the Merrillville opening see Lake Michigan Shore: http://www.nwitimes.com/niche/shore/food-and-drink/cooper-s-hawk-winery-restaurant-debuts-in-northwest-indiana/article_5299093e-471c-5721-b102-a0e69e6177bb.html