A fast-growing Chicago countertop cocktail maker that's catching on with celebrities is opening a new headquarters in Fulton Market.
Bartesian said Tuesday it's opening a nearly 10,000-square-foot office at 452 N. Sangamon St. The new space is more than five times larger than its current headquarters at 303 W Erie St., the company said.
The startup has created a Keurig-like machine for making cocktails. Its capsules can make drinks like an old fashioned, margarita, gin martini or a Long Island iced tea, with each pod offering the appropriate amount of bitters, extracts, juice concentrates and other ingredients needed to make the cocktail. Users provide their own alcohol and simply push a button to make their drink.
Bartesian launched its first machine in 2019 and quickly caught the eye of Oprah, who included the Chicago startup in her Favorite Things list in 2019. Actress Mila Kunis is also a fan, having joined the company’s board of advisors last year. Bartesian raised a $20 million funding round in 2021. Its investors include Cleveland Avenue, a Chicago VC firm from former McDonald’s CEO Don Thompson, Stanley Ventures, Chicago Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts and Beam Suntory.
Bartesian's new office features timber beams, brick and iron throughout the space. The startup says it plans to turn the lower level into a private, invite-only speakeasy.
The company currently has 14 employees but plans to add "dozens" of new workers in 2022. Bartesian said it saw triple-digit revenue growth in both 2021 and 2020. It did 975% year-over-year revenue growth in 2020, the company told Chicago Inno last year. The startup sells its device online and through retailers like Macy’s, Williams-Sonoma and Target.
Bartesian is the latest tech firm to open up shop in the trendy Fulton Market neighborhood, joining companies like ag-tech startups Farmers Business Network and Hazel Technologies, biotech hub Portal Innovations, and restaurant reservation startup Tock. Google also has two offices in the area.
