Will Putt-Putt Pubs be the Next Big Thing in Illinois?

Seems like a natural that we should have seen coming. A logical next step and convergence of things we already enjoy. Mash them together and make money!

Combine the expansion of “Top Golf” type locations to smaller markets, with all the technical and culinary amenities you expect at a multi-level venue. Cross that with mini golf pub crawls that are already implemented as fund raisers across the land and you get “Putt-Putt Pubs” My words not the industry’s (yet)….Should I trademark the label? You get the fun of mini golf indoors meaning that it’s accessible in any weather in any season.

Get our free mobile app

These “putt-putt pubs” are starting to pop up in Illinois. Puttshack has locations in Chicago and several other cities.  Big Mini Putt Club has couple locations in Chicago and also in

Michigan. Both places lean on the game, adult beverages and food. Big Mini approaches the food as more traditional bar food appetizers and pizza. Puttshack embraces things a bit more upscale with their brand of appetizers and micro brews. The Puttery gives you a vibe of playing mini golf in somebody’s house, where you can also get tasty eats.

There are business models that also incorporate other indoor games like bowling, skee ball and other arcade games. They seem geared at a younger demo and not the twenty-somethings that are looking for activities to participate in together that aren’t online based. Leagues, events and parties are built for competition.

Look for these types of businesses to pop up in the Illinois college towns. Bloomington, Champaign, Carbondale first and then spread out from there whether in singular models or part of larger franchises.