Barstool Sports Gives Financial Boost To Northbrook Business

NORTHBROOK, IL — Though he was driving, Pete Weiss saw his phone ringing and knew he had to pick it up. The owner of Little Louie's, a longtime Northbrook restaurant struggling to stay open like so many others during the coronavirus pandemic, was receiving a FaceTime call from a special person. It was David Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, and he had some good news for Weiss.

"The reaction is that you're just amazed. There was a lot going on. One, you're on the phone with David Portnoy. Two, I was in the car driving. Three, you know it's being recorded. Four, it's really emotional stuff," said Weiss, who was able to pull his car over and talk to Portnoy. "I was so elated with joy because with COVID-19, it's just been a long road."

Portnoy, who donated $500,000 of his own money to kick things off, and his company have raised nearly $30 million for small businesses impacted by COVID-19 through the Barstool Fund. To date, the digital media company that specializes in sports and pop-culture content has helped 182 businesses like Little Louie's.

Portnoy said that someone from Barstool Sports reaches out to recipients within 72 hours and the funds are available immediately.

Located at 1342 Shermer Road, Little Louie's has been "a part of growing up" in Northbrook since 1967. The menu includes creative wraps, hot dogs, burgers, authentic tacos, old-school favorites and Louie's famous french fries. Obviously during the pandemic, the take-out portion of the business has been the main source of revenue.

In addition, Little Louie's also offers a wide array of catering options provided on its catering menu. An onsite food truck has been part of the Little Louie's experience since 2015.

"We have 5 1/2 decades of memories. You have great-grandparents that bring their kids in. It's just the evolution of being kind of the fabric of the town," Weiss said. "We feel like we have the greatest customers on the planet. We're also proud to be part of the community."

For Weiss, who has owned Little Louie's since 1999, the call and funding means everything. In 2017, the Highland Park native lost his 9-year-old daughter, Alexa, to a relentless brain tumor. She was a fixture at the restaurant, known for greeting and ringing up customers with what's been described as her "gorgeous smile" and "radiant blue eyes."

"She was magic. She was the ultimate warrior. She had no fear. She's definitely my hero," Weiss said. "Her spirit I think had a lot to do with making things come together as they did. Where this could be really sad, which it already is tragic, I feel her hand in this whole thing. She was all about love."

Weiss said the Alexa Rose Weiss Foundation was set up in her memory with a mission to help families affected by pediatric brain tumors and childhood cancers by providing scholarships and aiding families in need of financial assistance.

The staff at Little Louie's rallied around Weiss and his family at their darkest time. When things went south for the restaurant last year due to the pandemic, he was determined to keep everyone on payroll, one of Portnoy's stipulations to qualify for the Barstool funding. Weiss said everyone who frequents his restaurant knows his employees.

"My staff is like my family. I made the decision early on that I was going to do whatever it took —whether it was strategize here or strategize there — to make it that no one lost their job," Weiss said. "These guys have been with me through some really dark times. I wasn't going to give up on them now."

Weiss said the staff was so excited when they found out the news regarding Barstool Sports. He said the hard-working crew, whom he describes as "proud," has been on television amidst "a lot of great momentum for Little Louie's."

During the FaceTime call, Portnoy told Weiss he would be in Chicago for a few weeks in March. Weiss promised to bring him some of Little Louie's food and Portnoy said he would make a point to meet up.

To find out more about Little Louie's, visit little-louies.com. Small businesses impacted by COVID-19 can apply for funding from Barstool Sports at: TheBarstoolFund.com/apply. Those wishing to contribute to the fund, can also do so here.

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