Oberweis Dairy
Oberweis Dairy is an Illinois-based dairy and restaurant company known for home-delivered milk, ice cream stores, regional grocery distribution, and related quick-service restaurant concepts.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Oberweis Dairy is a privately owned dairy and food-service company headquartered in North Aurora, Illinois. Its roots extend to 1915, when Peter J. Oberweis began selling surplus milk from the family operation to neighbors in Kane County. The business became a full-time enterprise in 1927, when Oberweis invested in half of Big Woods Dairy and established a horse-drawn milk delivery route. The company remained family operated across subsequent generations, with Peter's son Joe helping run it during the Great Depression and leading the business through the 1950s. The company developed around a traditional dairy model in which milk was delivered directly to households, typically in reusable glass bottles. Home delivery remains one of Oberweis Dairy's defining businesses, although the service has been adapted for modern customers through digital ordering and delivery-tracking tools. Depending on location, the delivery assortment includes milk, ice cream, cheese, yogurt, bacon, and seasonal products. The service operates in portions of Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Michigan, and Wisconsin rather than across the entire United States. Oberweis also operates branded Dairy and Ice Cream Stores. The retail concept began in 1951 and combines dairy products, ice cream, beverages, and food-service offerings. Corporate-owned and franchised stores have been established in the Chicago metropolitan area, northwest Indiana, the St. Louis region, the Indianapolis area, Milwaukee and surrounding Wisconsin markets, and areas near Detroit. Store formats have included drive-through service and prepared-food programs, with some operating ideas tested at the North Aurora headquarters before wider deployment. The company reported 39 retail locations in 2025. A third part of the business is regional distribution. Oberweis products, especially milk, are sold through selected supermarkets, extending the brand beyond its own delivery routes and stores. The business therefore combines direct-to-consumer dairy distribution, retail shops, and grocery-channel sales. Ice cream stores and home delivery have each historically represented substantial parts of the operation, while grocery distribution provides an additional route to market. The company has also experimented with adjacent food concepts. In 2012 it introduced That Burger Joint, a higher-end quick-service hamburger concept designed to compete with chains such as Five Guys. In 2017, Oberweis acquired Woodgrain Neapolitan Pizzeria, a business focused on made-to-order personal pizzas. These initiatives broadened the company beyond dairy while retaining an emphasis on prepared food and neighborhood retail. Ownership and operating conditions changed significantly in the 2020s. In October 2022, Oberweis ended its longstanding arrangement of sourcing milk from a selected group of family-farm patrons and shifted to purchases from open-market cooperatives. In April 2024, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and began a sale process. Adam Kraber was promoted to president to supervise that process. Osprey Capital LLC, affiliated with the Hoffmann Family of Companies, acquired the company in June 2024 after winning the bankruptcy-court sale process. The new ownership stated that it intended to keep the business operating and considered future expansion. Oberweis subsequently resumed new-store development, including a new ice cream store in August 2025 and an ice-cream-only co-branded outlet with Giordano's in Naperville, Illinois, reported for 2026. In December 2025, Renato DePaolis II became chief executive officer, while Kraber continued as senior vice president of sales and growth.
History
Oberweis Dairy traces its origins to Peter J. Oberweis's sale of surplus milk to neighbors in Kane County, Illinois, beginning in 1915. The activity became a full-time business in 1927, when Oberweis invested in half of Big Woods Dairy and established a household delivery route. The early service used a horse and milk float, reflecting the neighborhood milk-delivery model common in the United States before widespread supermarket shopping and home refrigeration changes transformed the dairy industry. The business remained within the Oberweis family. During the Great Depression, Peter's son Joe left high school to help operate the company, and he continued to lead it through the 1950s. Oberweis's retail-store history began in 1951 with the creation of Dairy and Ice Cream Stores. These locations allowed customers to purchase milk, ice cream, and other dairy products directly from the company while extending the brand beyond delivery routes. Home delivery continued as a central business over the following decades. Oberweis retained glass-bottle delivery as a point of distinction, later adding digital ordering and mobile tools for delivery scheduling and tracking. The company expanded its retail presence in and around Chicago and subsequently used franchising to enter markets in Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri, and Michigan after 2004. Retail experimentation included drive-through service and prepared-food programs, some of which were tested at the North Aurora corporate site before being introduced elsewhere. In 1986, Jim Oberweis purchased the company from his brother. The next generation also entered management: Jim's son, Joe, was named chief executive officer in 2007. During the 2010s the business expanded into adjacent restaurant categories. In 2012 it introduced That Burger Joint, a higher-end fast-food hamburger concept intended to compete with brands such as Five Guys. In 2017, Oberweis acquired Woodgrain Neapolitan Pizzeria, adding a made-to-order pizza operation to its group of food businesses. The company's operating model combined three principal channels: direct home delivery, Dairy and Ice Cream Stores, and distribution through regional supermarkets. Its assortment included milk, ice cream, cheese, yogurt, bacon, and seasonal goods, while the stores also served prepared food and beverages. The retail footprint covered the Chicago area, northwest Indiana, the St. Louis region, the Indianapolis area, Milwaukee and nearby Wisconsin communities, and markets near Detroit. The company reported 39 retail locations in 2025. A significant sourcing change occurred in October 2022, when Oberweis stopped purchasing milk from a selected group of family-farm patrons and began buying through open-market cooperatives. The change marked a departure from a long-established supply relationship and represented an adjustment to the company's procurement model. In April 2024, Oberweis Dairy filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Adam Kraber was promoted to president and tasked with overseeing the sale process. In May, the Hoffmann Family of Companies won the bid to purchase the business, and its investment affiliate Osprey Capital LLC completed the acquisition in June 2024. The new owners stated that they intended to continue operating the company and considered expansion opportunities. Oberweis later reported a return to new-store growth with an ice cream store opened in August 2025. In December 2025, Renato DePaolis II was appointed CEO, with Kraber continuing as senior vice president of sales and growth. A 2026 co-branded partnership with Giordano's added an ice-cream-only outlet in Naperville, Illinois.
- 2026
Giordano's co-branded ice-cream outlet opens
[1]The company opened an ice-cream-only location in Naperville, Illinois, through a co-branded partnership with Giordano's.
- 2025
New ice cream store opens
[1]Oberweis opened its first new ice cream store since emerging from Chapter 11.
- 2025
Renato DePaolis II becomes CEO
[1]Renato DePaolis II succeeded Adam Kraber as chief executive officer.
- 2024
Chapter 11 filing and ownership transition
[1]The company filed for Chapter 11 in April and was acquired by Osprey Capital LLC in June after a bankruptcy sale process.
- 2022
Milk procurement shifts to open-market cooperatives
[1]Oberweis changed from buying through a selected family-farm network to sourcing from open-market cooperatives.
- 2017
Woodgrain Neapolitan Pizzeria is acquired
[1]Oberweis acquired Woodgrain Neapolitan Pizzeria, a custom-made personal-pizza business.
- 2012
That Burger Joint launches
[1]Oberweis introduced a higher-end quick-service hamburger concept called That Burger Joint.
- 2007
Joe Oberweis becomes CEO
[1]Jim Oberweis's son Joe was named chief executive officer.
- 2004
Franchising expands the store network
[1]The company used franchising to extend its Dairy and Ice Cream Stores into additional Midwestern states.
- 1986
Jim Oberweis purchases the company
[1]Jim Oberweis purchased Oberweis Dairy from his brother.
Products and positioning
A regional, heritage-oriented dairy and food-service brand emphasizing home delivery, glass-bottle milk, ice cream, neighborhood stores, and vertically connected retail and distribution operations.
Dairy delivery · 1927
Home-delivered dairy products
Oberweis's traditional home-delivery service supplies dairy products directly to households in selected Midwestern markets. Milk is associated with reusable glass-bottle delivery, while the broader assortment includes ice cream, cheese, yogurt, bacon, and seasonal products. The historic route-based model has been supplemented by digital ordering and delivery-tracking tools.
Retail and food service · 1951
Dairy and Ice Cream Stores
The Dairy and Ice Cream Stores are Oberweis's branded retail locations. They sell the company's dairy products and ice cream and may also provide beverages, prepared food, and drive-through service. The network includes corporate-owned and franchised stores serving the Chicago region and selected Midwestern markets including Indiana, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
Grocery-channel dairy
Regional grocery distribution
Quick-service restaurant · 2012
That Burger Joint
That Burger Joint was introduced as a higher-end fast-food hamburger concept. Oberweis positioned it as a restaurant expansion intended to compete with established better-burger chains such as Five Guys.
Pizzeria · 2017
Woodgrain Neapolitan Pizzeria
Woodgrain Neapolitan Pizzeria served custom-made personal pizzas. Oberweis added the business to its restaurant portfolio through an acquisition in 2017.
Brand decisions
2026
Co-branded ice-cream-only outlet with Giordano'sProduct launchBackground
Oberweis sought a focused ice-cream format and a partnership-based retail presence.
Action taken
The company opened an ice-cream-only outlet with Giordano's in Naperville, Illinois.
Aftermath
The outlet added a co-branded format to Oberweis's store portfolio.
2025
Post-bankruptcy retail expansionProduct launchBackground
Following its emergence from Chapter 11 and ownership transition, Oberweis resumed new-store development.
Action taken
The company opened its first new ice cream store since the bankruptcy process.
Aftermath
The opening signaled continued investment in the retail-store format.
2024
Chapter 11 restructuring and saleOtherBackground
Oberweis Dairy filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in April 2024 and began a sale process.
Action taken
Adam Kraber was promoted to president to oversee the process, and Osprey Capital LLC later acquired the company through the bankruptcy sale.
Aftermath
The acquisition was completed in June 2024. The new owners stated that they intended to keep the company operating and considered expansion.
2022
Change in milk procurementStrategyBackground
Oberweis had historically purchased milk from a selected group of family-farm patrons.
Action taken
In October 2022, the company shifted procurement to open-market cooperatives.
Aftermath
The change altered a longstanding supply arrangement; the available reference does not provide further operating or financial results.
2017
Acquisition of Woodgrain Neapolitan PizzeriaM&ABackground
Oberweis pursued an adjacent prepared-food business in the pizzeria category.
Action taken
The company acquired Woodgrain Neapolitan Pizzeria.
Aftermath
The acquisition broadened Oberweis's restaurant portfolio beyond dairy and ice cream.
2012
Launch of That Burger JointProduct launchBackground
Oberweis sought to extend beyond dairy retail into higher-end quick-service food.
Action taken
The company introduced That Burger Joint as a hamburger restaurant concept.
Aftermath
The concept became part of Oberweis's broader set of dairy and restaurant operations; the available reference does not establish its later store count or current status.
Recent events
- 2026
Oberweis plans a co-branded ice-cream outlet with Giordano's[1]
Product launch · Campaign
The company opened an ice-cream-only outlet in Naperville, Illinois, through a co-branded partnership with Giordano's.
- 2025
Oberweis opens a new ice cream store after bankruptcy emergence[1]
Product launch
The company opened its first new ice cream store since emerging from Chapter 11.
- 2025
Renato DePaolis II appointed chief executive officer[1]
Leadership change
Renato DePaolis II became CEO, while Adam Kraber remained with the company as senior vice president of sales and growth.
- 2024
Oberweis Dairy files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection[1]
Bankruptcy · Leadership change
Oberweis Dairy entered Chapter 11 proceedings and began a court-supervised sale process. Adam Kraber was promoted to president to oversee the process.
- 2024
Hoffmann-affiliated buyer acquires Oberweis Dairy[1]
M&A · Bankruptcy
Osprey Capital LLC, the investment arm of the Hoffmann Family of Companies, completed its acquisition of Oberweis Dairy after winning the bankruptcy sale process.
- 2022
Oberweis Dairy changes its milk-sourcing model[1]
Other
The company ended its longstanding practice of purchasing milk from a selected group of family-farm patrons and moved to open-market cooperatives.
Sources1 sources
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