# HopCat

HopCat is a restaurant and bar chain based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States, with seventeen locations in eight states. HopCat is best known for having a wide array of beers on tap, with several of their locations offering over 100 different options.
Founded in 2008 in Grand Rapids by Mark Sellers, the original HopCat in Grand Rapids is a brewpub with its own small brewery, which typically supplies 4-6 house-made beers alongside craft beers from around the country. HopCat opened its second location in East Lansing, Michigan in 2013.
In 2015, BarFly Ventures secured $25 million in capital financing to expand HopCat to several additional locations.
On June 6, 2020, BarFly Ventures filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Grand Rapids, MI.
BarFly Ventures’ HopCat bought out of bankruptcy by Congruent Investment Partners and Main Street Capital. After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June as a result of COVID-19 pandemic-related challenges, Grand Rapids, Mich.-based BarFly Ventures LLC sold its assets — including craft beer bar/restaurant HopCat, Stella’s Lounge, and Grand Rapids Brewing Co. — to Congruent Investment Partners and Main Street Capital for $17.5 million, the company announced on Tuesday. Longtime investors Congruent Investment and Main Street Capital formed a new operating company, Project BarFly LLC upon acquisition of the brands.

## Accolades

The Grand Rapids location was recognized as one of the best brewpubs in the United States by RateBeer.com from 2013 to 2015. In 2010, HopCat was rated No. 3 on BeerAdvocate's list of "Best Beer Bars on Planet Earth."

## Cultural Impact

On December 8, 2024, HopCat Detroit hosted the Motor City Dan Campbell Look-Alike Contest, coinciding with the Detroit Lions’ football season. The contest took place at HopCat in Metro Detroit after it was advertised with fliers and went viral on social media. It drew 22 contestants. Four randomly selected judges scored the contestants from 1 to 10 in four categories: resemblance, style, energy and creativity. The five contestants who reached the final were then asked questions by the judges and the winner was decided by applause. It was won by 55-year-old machinist Jeff Randall, who received free Cosmik Fries at the restaurant for a year as well as a golden game ball, a reference to Campbell's tradition of giving balls to the best performers of the week. In a press conference, Campbell responded to the fliers, stating that "I don't know why you'd waste your time with that," and that "there's got to be better things to do unless the prize is something worth having. Is there a legitimate prize to it? Maybe I'll get in it." He did not appear at the contest.
The event gained national attention and was featured in the New York Times The Athletic in a story titled "Goateed Lions fans gather for Dan Campbell look-alike contest'' written by Colton Pouncy. The viral campaign didn't stop there, the contest ESPN Monday Night Football docuseries - HopCat's Director of Marketing, Michele Ary, was interviewed on ESPN along side 14 Dan Campbell look-alike contestants, who now call themselves Motor City Dans, as they recreated the viral look-alike contest.

## Controversy

On December 15, 2018, Barfly Ventures CEO Mark Gray announced that Hopcat would be renaming its famous “Crack Fries” in order to avoid making light of the drug the name refers to as well as addiction to said drug. The fries were renamed "Cosmik Fries" in reference to Frank Zappa's song "Cosmik Debris".

## Locations
### Current locations

* Ann Arbor, Michigan - Downtown
* Detroit, Michigan - Midtown
* East Lansing, Michigan
* Grand Rapids, Michigan (original location, opened in 2008) - Heartside
* Grand Rapids, Michigan - Knapp's Corner
* Holland, Michigan
* Kalamazoo, Michigan - Downtown
* Lincoln, Nebraska - West Haymarket
* Livonia, Michigan
* Royal Oak, Michigan - Main St
* Clinton Township, Michigan - Partridge Creek

### Coming Soon locations

* Southgate, Michigan

### Former locations

* Chicago, Illinois - Lincoln Park
* Kansas City, Missouri - Westport
* Lexington, Kentucky
* Louisville, Kentucky - Bardstown Road
* Madison, Wisconsin - Capitol
* Minneapolis, Minnesota - Downtown
* Port St. Lucie, Florida - Tradition
* Royal Oak, Michigan - W. 5th St
* St. Louis, Missouri - Delmar Loop
* Indianapolis, Indiana - Broad Ripple