Cooper’s Hawk, which has five locations, plans to expand next year. (CBS)
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WHEELING, Ill. (CBS) — For many people who love wine, they will tell you it’s not just about the drink but about the experience.
That is true for Rob and Katie Nunez of Gurnee, who invited CBS 2’s Rob Johnson to the only full-service restaurant in Illinois that makes its own hand-crafted wines.
Despite the economy, Cooper’s Hawk is thriving.
Rob and Katie have been customers for three years.
“When you come here you can taste whatever you want, anything you want, you can really get to know what flavors you like without having to order a bottle first,” Katie Nunez says.
There are now five Cooper’s Hawks in Illinois and two out of state. It is the brainchild of 33-year-old Tim McEnery, who opened his first one in Orland Park in 2005.
He now employs more than 1,000 people and, despite the economy, expects $50 million in sales this year. What makes Cooper’s Hawk different is they make their own wine, 50 different types, at a facility in Countryside. Then it’s shipped to all of the restaurants, where it ages in barrels.
McEnery says his difference-maker is not being tied to one type of grape from a single vineyard.
“We can purchase grapes from wherever growing conditions have ideal,” he says.
The fact that Cooper’s Hawk makes its own wine is a selling point for Rob and Katie.
“I knew it was their wine and it wasn’t just an overpriced bottle at a restaurant,” Katie Nunez says.
Cooper’s Hawk is opening a new restaurant this year in Arlington Heights and is aiming to open four more next year.
In a down economy, what accounts for its success? One analyst told us consumers are looking for value and also something different. A restaurant that makes its own wine, like a craft brewery, is something that stands out.
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