Burhop's Seafood

Burhop's Seafood

Company type	Private
Industry	Seafood retail and wholesale
Founded	1 January 1926 (1926-01-01) in Chicago, Illinois, United States
Founder	Albert E. Burhop
Headquarters	Chicago , United States
Area served	Chicago metropolitan area
Key people	Jeff Burhop, Jim Burhop, Greg Burhop
Products	Seafood (live shellfish, fin fish, wild caught freshwater fish, frozen seafood), prepared gourmet items, wine, desserts, soups, sauces, marinades

Burhop's Seafood is a family-owned seafood retailer with a history as a wholesaler and full-service dining establishment, established in 1926 by Albert E. Burhop in Chicago, Illinois.

The company rose to prominence through an early collaboration with Clarence Birdseye during the 1920s, pioneering the refrigerated shipment of seafood to the Midwestern United States. This breakthrough positioned Burhop's as the premier seafood supplier to upscale restaurants, hotels, and private clubs throughout Chicago during much of the twentieth century. By 1988, Burhop's had become the largest retail seafood chain in the United States.

Local media outlets such as the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Magazine frequently endorse Burhop's seafood, underscoring its significant market presence and esteemed reputation within the Chicago region.

History

Throughout its history, Burhop's has functioned as a seafood wholesaler, retailer, and full-service restaurant, operating locations in downtown Chicago—specifically on North State Street and LaSalle Street—as well as in suburban communities like Glenview, Hinsdale, and Wilmette. As of 2016, retail stores continue to operate in Hinsdale and Wilmette.

Prior to 1926, limitations in refrigeration technology hindered the transport of fresh seafood to the interior of the country. Albert E. Burhop collaborated with Clarence Birdseye to apply "plate freezer" technology for shipping refrigerated fish from New York to Chicago. This advancement enabled Burhop's to launch its wholesale distribution operation on North State Street. By 1933, the company was a seafood supplier for the World's Fair themed "A Century of Progress," signaling its expanding industry stature.

From 1926 until 1979, the State Street location attracted prominent figures both locally and nationally, including Abram Nicholas Pritzker, John Patrick Cardinal Cody, Milton Florsheim, William Wrigley III, Gene Siskel, Mike Royko, James Beard, Julia Child, and Katharine Hepburn.

Following World War II, Albert Burhop contributed to broadening nationwide access to quality seafood by joining the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Fish Advisory Committee in 1947. A second downtown outlet opened at LaSalle and Chicago in 1955.

Between 1936 and 1981, Vernon Burhop led the enterprise, steering its growth from wholesale into retail with seven locations spread across Chicago and its suburbs. Key suburban expansions included Glenview, Wilmette, and Hinsdale (which opened in 1979).

After Vernon retired in 1981, his sons Jeff and Jim took over management. In 1988, Burhop's inaugurated a full-service seafood restaurant on LaSalle Street. That same year saw marketing director Nancy Burhop raise awareness about fresh fish quality through national media appearances.

By 1993, all downtown venues—including the restaurant—had closed; the LaSalle Street property was purchased by investors including Michael Jordan and transformed into Michael Jordan's Restaurant. In 1998, under new leadership, Burhop's reestablished a presence in Chicago with a store on North Avenue.

During the 2000s, Burhop's broadened its operations by adding delivery services and fine wine boutiques at suburban locations. The company also increased customer interaction by offering complimentary cooking classes and producing viral online tutorials on fish preparation led by Greg Burhop—a fourth-generation family member—demonstrating forward-thinking digital marketing strategies.

Sustainability is a core focus for Burhop's, which sources products from certified aquaculture farms. Its extensive inventory features oysters, clams, lobsters, mussels, soft shell crabs, crayfish, yellowfin tuna, barramundi, hake, halibut, mackerel, mahi-mahi, opah, pacific cod, sablefish; various salmon species (Keta, King, Silver, Sockeye); scallops; several sole varieties (Lemon, Petrale, Rock); swordfish; wahoo; striped bass; bluefish; cod; grouper; haddock; monkfish; shrimp; skate fish species; crab claws (Jonah, Stone, Snow); Northern red snapper; perch including smelts and walleye varieties (freshwater whitefish); trout including tilapia varieties; crab legs (King and Snow); squid; along with smoked/cured/frozen prepared foods plus desserts, wines, and culinary condiments.

This broad product selection underpins Burhop’s competitive edge in serving gourmet clientele throughout Chicago’s metropolitan area while fostering business expansion through innovation and family-driven strategic leadership.

Reviews

In 2015, the Chicago Tribune acknowledged Burhop's as a top provider of lobster rolls in Chicago, commending the establishment for its "freshness and variety" of seafood along with its "knowledgeable team." Meanwhile, Chicago Magazine recognized Burhop's yellowfin tuna as among the finest in the city. The book A Cook's Guide to Chicago refers to Burhop's as one of Chicago's earliest and most reputable seafood retailers. Jennifer Olvera from Serious Eats describes it as an "upscale" purveyor offering the "freshest selections" and unique frozen products. Additionally, Burhop's recipe booklets are preserved in the Chef Louis Szathmáry Collection of Culinary Arts at the University of Iowa.

Products

With a history spanning more than ninety years, Burhop's expertise lies in providing:

• Live Shellfish
• Fin Fish
• Wild Caught Freshwater Fish
• Frozen Seafood
• Prepared Gourmet Items
• Wine
• Desserts
• Soups
• Sauces
• Marinades

External links

• (Hinsdale)
• (Wilmette)