Oberweis Dairy
{{Short description|American corporation}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Oberweis Dairy, Inc.
| logo = Oberweis Dairy.png
| logo_size = 300px
| type = Private
| industry = Dairy, Restaurant, home delivery
| foundation = {{start date and age|1927}}
| dissolved =
| location = 951 Ice Cream Dr.
| location_city = North Aurora, Illinois
| locations = 41
| area_served = Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Wisconsin
| key_people = Adam Kraber, President & CEO
| products = Dairy and fast food
| services =
| revenue =
| operating_income =
| net_income =
| num_employees =
| parent = Hoffmann Family of Companies
| divisions =
| subsid =
| footnotes =
| homepage = {{url|http://www.oberweis.com}}
| location_country = United States
}}
Oberweis Dairy, headquartered in North Aurora, Illinois, is the parent company of several dairy-related and fast food restaurant operations in the midwest region of the United States.{{cite web | last=Weldon | first=David | title=How Oberweis Dairy used analytics to boost sales and win customers | website=Information Management | date=August 22, 2017 | url=https://www.information-management.com/news/how-oberweis-dairy-used-analytics-to-boost-sales-and-win-customers | access-date=December 28, 2017}} Its businesses include a home delivery service available in parts of Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Michigan, and Wisconsin, which delivers traditional dairy products, including milk, ice cream, cheese, and yogurt, as well as bacon and seasonal products.
The businesses also include a chain of corporate-owned "Dairy and Ice Cream Stores", in the Chicago area, which sell many of the same products as the home delivery service, a distribution service which allows for some of their products (such as milk) to be available in regional supermarkets, and also includes a franchise service,{{cite book | title=Franchise Times | publisher=Restaurant Finance Corporation | issue=v. 11 | year=2005 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0AgtAQAAMAAJ | access-date=December 28, 2017 | page=38}} which expanded the "Dairy and Ice Cream Stores" into Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri, and Michigan after 2004.
In 2012, Oberweis also began a new franchise of high-end, fast food hamburger restaurants named "That Burger Joint".{{cite news|url=http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20121025/BLOGS09/121029863/oberweis-launches-burger-joint|title=Oberweis launches burger joint|date=October 25, 2012|work=Crain's Chicago Business|access-date=28 March 2016}}
History
In 1915, Peter J. Oberweis began selling his excess milk to his neighbors in Kane County, Illinois; the business became full-time in 1927.{{Cite web |last=Smart |first=Stacey |date=2022-11-12 |title=Oberweis Dairy lets go of its farmer patrons |url=http://dairystar.com/stories/oberweis-dairy-lets-go-of-its-farmer-patrons,15736 |access-date=2024-04-11 |website=Dairy Star |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Glatz |first=Julianne |date=2007-04-18 |title=A better glass of milk |url=https://www.illinoistimes.com/food-drink/a-better-glass-of-milk-11448074 |access-date=2024-04-11 |website=Illinois Times |language=en}} According to the Dairy's website, the family's farm was off of Molitor Road, in Aurora, Illinois. The family used a horse and milk float to deliver milk to their neighbors, beginning in 1927, after Peter J. Oberweis invested in half of the business of the Big Woods Dairy.{{cite web|url=http://www.oberweis.com/web/history.asp|title=How It All Began|work=oberweis.com|access-date=28 March 2016|archive-date=29 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160329120318/http://www.oberweis.com/web/history.asp|url-status=dead}}
During the Great Depression, Peter's son Joe dropped out of high school to help run the business.{{Cite web |last=Lamb |first=Caitlin |date=2022-08-25 |title=The Untold Truth Of Oberweis Dairy |url=https://www.mashed.com/980743/the-untold-truth-of-oberweis-dairy/ |access-date=2024-04-11 |website=Mashed |language=en-US}} The business continued in the family, with Joe running the business through the 1950s.
Jim Oberweis purchased the company from his brother in 1986 and named his son, Joe, CEO in 2007.{{cite news|url=http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20100109/ISSUE01/100032886/jim-oberweis-gets-back-to-business-at-family-dairy|title=Jim Oberweis gets back to business at family dairy|last=Sterrett|first=David|date=January 9, 2010|work=Crain's Chicago Business|access-date=28 March 2016}}{{Cite web |date=2011-12-01 |title=Business Profile {{!}} Joe Oberweis |url=https://napervillemagazine.com/joe-oberweis/ |access-date=2024-04-11 |website=Naperville magazine}}{{Cite web |title=International Dairy Foods Association |url=https://www.idfa.org/experts/joe-oberweis |access-date=2024-04-11 |website=www.idfa.org}} In October 2022, Oberweis Dairy ceased their longstanding practice of purchasing from a select group of family farm patrons and instead began purchasing it from open-market cooperatives.
In April 2024, Oberweis Dairy filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.{{Cite web|url= https://bkdata.com/business-bankruptcies/chicago-illinois/04-12-2024/oberweis-dairy-05385|title=Oberweis Dairy files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy|date=April 12, 2024|access-date=April 13, 2024|website=BKData|language=en}}{{cite news |last1=By ABC7 Chicago Digital Team |title=OBERWEIS DAIRY FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION; NORTH AURORA COMPANY OWES AT LEAST $4M: DOCUMENTS |url=https://abc7chicago.com/amp/oberweis-dairy-chapter-11-bankruptcy-protection-north-aurora-company-owes-at-least-4-million/14658012/ |access-date=April 14, 2024 |agency=ABC 7 |date=April 13, 2024}} In May 2024, the Hoffmann Family of Companies, a private equity firm based in Winnetka, Illinois, won a bid to purchase Oberweis Dairy out of bankruptcy. The new owners have plans to keep the company in operation as well as potentially expanding the brand.{{cite news |last1=By ABC7 Chicago Digital Team |title=Winnetka-based company wins bid to purchase Oberweis Dairy after bankruptcy protection filing |url=https://abc7chicago.com/post/hoffmann-family-companies-wins-bid-buy-oberweis-dairy/14888430/ |access-date=May 30, 2024 |agency=ABC 7 |date=May 30, 2024}} In June 2024, Osprey Capital LLC, the investment arm of the Hoffmann Family of Companies, officially acquired Oberweis Dairy.{{cite news |first1=Allcia|last1=Fabre |title=Hoffman Family of Companies buys Oberweis Dairy|url=https://www.dailyherald.com/20240620/business/hoffman-family-of-companies-buys-oberweis-dairy/ |access-date=June 20, 2024 |work=Daily Herald |date=June 20, 2024}}
= Home delivery =
In 1927, the company's founder began a home delivery service, which has continued since that time. Delivery has been in glass bottles, in the same way milk was delivered throughout the United States in the 1960s. A modern smartphone app supports tracking and timing deliveries.{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/bmoharrisbank/2015/09/24/does-your-business-have-a-culture-of-innovation/#563c2ff37c03|title=Does Your Business Have A Culture Of Innovation?|last=Anderson|first=Leslie|date=September 24, 2015|work=Forbes|access-date=2016-03-28}}
= Dairy and Ice Cream Stores =
In 1951, the Dairy and Ice Cream Stores began operation. The company currently has locations, both corporate-owned and franchised, throughout Chicago, its suburbs, northwest Indiana, around St. Louis, Missouri, near Indianapolis, Indiana, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and near Detroit, Michigan. Some projects for the retail stores were done on a trial basis at the company's corporate office in North Aurora (which also includes a retail store) before being put into place at other locations, such as the stores' drive-through service, and the lunch/sandwich program, which began in 2004 and ended in July 2006. In 2012, Oberweis said that each dairy store generates between $1.25 million and $1.75 million per year.{{cite news|url=http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Skokie-Lands-Sweet-Prize-in-New-Oberweis-Dairy-120566634.html|title=Skokie Lands Sweet Prize in New Oberweis Dairy|year=2012|work=NBC5 Chicago|access-date=28 March 2016}}
= That Burger Joint =
In 2012, Oberweis opened their first quick-service hamburger restaurant, named That Burger Joint, intended to expand as a chain and compete directly with Five Guys.{{cite web | title=Oberweis Dairy to move in Glen Ellyn and join 2 new eateries | website=Chicago Tribune | date=November 8, 2012 | url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-11-08/news/ct-tl-glenellyn-restaurants-20121108_1_oberweis-dairy-joe-oberweis-glen-ellyn | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110071915/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-11-08/news/ct-tl-glenellyn-restaurants-20121108_1_oberweis-dairy-joe-oberweis-glen-ellyn | url-status=dead | archive-date=November 10, 2012 | access-date=2017-12-28 | author=Manchir, Michelle}}
= Woodgrain Neapolitan Pizzeria =
In 2017, Oberweis Dairy acquired Woodgrain Neapolitan Pizzeria, a pizzeria serving custom made personal pizzas.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nwherald.com/2018/06/05/algonquin-officials-approve-plans-for-oberweis-complex-on-randall-road/au6duau/|title=Algonquin officials approve plans for Oberweis complex on Randall Road|last=Gaitan|first=Daniel|date=June 6, 2018|website=Northwest Herald|language=en|access-date=2019-09-07|archive-date=2019-09-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190915055737/http://www.nwherald.com/2018/06/05/algonquin-officials-approve-plans-for-oberweis-complex-on-randall-road/au6duau/|url-status=dead}}
References
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External links
- [http://www.oberweisdairy.com/ Official website]
Category:Dairy products companies of the United States
Category:Drink companies of the United States
Category:Privately held companies based in Illinois
Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2024
Category:Companies based in Kane County, Illinois
Category:Fast-food chains of the United States
Category:Ice cream parlors in the United States
Category:1927 establishments in Illinois
Category:American companies established in 1927
Category:Food and drink companies established in 1927