Firebirds Wood Fired Grill

What Firebirds Wood Fired Grill does

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill is a polished-casual restaurant chain operating 50+ full-service locations across 25+ U.S. states, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company's core offering is a wood-fired grill dining experience featuring hand-cut, 21-day aged steaks butchered in-house, fresh seafood, locally sourced vegetables, and a signature FIREBAR craft cocktail program. The cooking methodology uses sustainably harvested, locally sourced hardwoods that are dried prior to use, central to the brand's culinary identity and flavor differentiation. Supporting products include Firebirds ToGo (takeout/curbside/delivery via DoorDash), catering services with a $150 minimum order, digital and physical gift cards (via CashStar), and accessibility-compliant online ordering.

The business model is primarily transaction-based dine-in and off-premise restaurant sales, supplemented by a tiered loyalty ecosystem. The free Inner Circle email loyalty program drives customer acquisition ($10 off first visit, birthday rewards), while the Inner Circle+ premium subscription ($19.95/month) provides $30 monthly dining credit, VIP reservations (via OpenTable), and unlimited free delivery. The Jr. Chefs Kids Club family program targets households with children ages 12 and under. Charitable partnership with Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation has generated nearly $5 million in donations since 2012, providing brand differentiation and community goodwill. Customer segments include casual dining guests (primary), families with children, corporate/event catering buyers, and corporate gift card purchasers.

The company operates as Firebirds International, LLC (North Carolina LLC), and was acquired by private equity firm Garnett Station Partners in March 2023. Recent strategic moves include unit expansion into Liberty Township, New Albany, Concord, and Wilmington; promotion of Steve Sturm to COO and Andy Seiple to Executive Chef (March 2025); appointment of Jeff Uttz as CFO (effective May 2026) with prior CFO experience at Shake Shack, Kura Sushi, and Yard House USA; and the launch of both Inner Circle+ and Jr. Chefs Kids Club in March 2026. Technology integrations include DoorDash (delivery), OpenTable (reservations), CashStar (gift cards), and SiteImprove (accessibility compliance monitoring).

Name

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill

Legal name

Firebirds International, LLC

Website

https://firebirdsrestaurants.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill is a polished-casual restaurant chain operating 50+ full-service locations across 25+ U.S. states, serving wood-fire grilled steaks, seafood, and craft cocktails to casual diners, families, and catering customers under PE ownership by Garnett Station Partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Polished-Casual Restaurant Dining (Wood-Fired Grill Steakhouse)

NAICS

Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Pubs & Gastropubs (CRANACAB)

Keywords

• Polished casual dining
• Wood fired steakhouse
• Restaurant catering services
• Loyalty subscription dining
• Full service restaurant chain

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Dine-In Restaurant Sales: Traditional full-service restaurant revenue from dine-in guests ordering from the full menu including hand-cut steaks, fresh seafood, wood-grilled chicken, and craft cocktails. Average check driven by entree selection, beverages, and dessert.
2. Off-Premises Dining (ToGo, Curbside, Delivery): Takeout, curbside pickup, and DoorDash delivery orders. Online ordering available through website. Firebirds ToGo service with minimum $15 for delivery orders. Delivery fees and service charges apply for third-party orders.
3. Inner Circle+ Subscription: Monthly subscription program at $19.95 plus tax providing $30 monthly dining credit, VIP reservations, and free delivery. Recurring monthly billing with automatic renewal unless cancelled. Drives customer retention and predictable recurring revenue.
4. Catering Services: Catering menu with minimum $150 order. Provides appetizers, boxed lunches, travel trays, entrees, sides, and desserts for events. 24 hours notice appreciated. Tax and gratuity not included.
5. Gift Card Sales: Digital and physical gift cards sold through website. Volume discounts available for corporate buyers (5-25% off based on quantity). No expiration date on gift cards. Corporate buying program for bulk purchases.
6. Alex's Fresh Lemonade Donations: For every Alex's Fresh Lemonade purchase, $1.25 is donated to Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation to fight childhood cancer. This charitable program drives customer engagement while supporting a cause (nearly $5 million donated since 2012).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill operates a chain of polished-casual restaurants (over 50 U.S. locations) serving hand-cut steaks, fresh seafood, wood-grilled chicken, and locally sourced vegetables cooked over open-flame hardwood. Core revenue is generated through full-service dine-in experiences complemented by off-premises ToGo/curbside/delivery, catering, gift cards, and the FIREBAR craft cocktail program. The company is differentiated by its signature wood-fire grilling method, in-house 21-day-aged steaks, and sustainability-led sourcing practices.

Product overview

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill is a polished-casual restaurant chain offering a unified dining experience centered on wood-fired cooking. The core offering consists of full-service dine-in restaurant service featuring hand-cut steaks, fresh seafood, and seasonal American cuisine cooked over open flame hardwood. Supporting products include Firebirds ToGo (takeout/curbside/delivery), FIREBAR® (full-service bar), and catering services for events. Loyalty offerings include the free Inner Circle program and premium Inner Circle+ subscription ($19.95/month), while the Jr. Chefs Kids Club engages younger guests. Gift cards and health/nutrition information round out the service portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Inner Circle: Firebirds loyalty program that allows communication with guests through email regarding special menus, promotions, exciting news and exclusive offers.
• Inner Circle+
• Jr. Chefs Kids Club
• FIREBAR

Products and services

• Dine-In Restaurant Service Full-service wood-fired grill restaurant experience serving hand-cut steaks, fresh seafood, wood-grilled chicken, and locally-sourced vegetables cooked over open-flame hardwood. Available at 50+ locations across 25+ U.S. states. Targets diners seeking polished-casual meals with craft cocktails, including date nights, family meals, and business dining.
• Firebirds ToGo Off-premise ordering service providing takeout, curbside pickup, and delivery of Firebirds menu items. Customers order online through firebirdsrestaurants.com for pickup at any location; delivery fulfilled via DoorDash with free delivery benefit for Inner Circle+ subscribers on orders over $15. Minimum $15 for delivery orders.
• FIREBAR® Full-service in-restaurant bar experience featuring an extensive wine list, seasonal craft cocktails, and bar bites. Includes signature drinks such as Double Black Diamond Martini and Firebirds Perfect Margarita with seasonal rotations. Distinctive backlit waterfall bottle display serves as a visual focal point of each location's backbar.
• Catering Service Off-premise catering service for events including appetizers, boxed lunches, travel trays, salads, entrees, pastas, sides, desserts, and beverages. Minimum order $150 with 24 hours notice appreciated. Tax and gratuity not included. Available to order through website or directly at local restaurant.
• Gift Cards Digital and physical gift cards accepted at all Firebirds locations with no expiration date. Sold through firebirdsgrill.cashstar.com. Corporate volume discounts range from 5% ($500–$999) to 25% ($2,500+). Used for consumer gifting and corporate bulk purchasing for employee rewards and customer appreciation.
• Inner Circle Loyalty Program Free email-based loyalty program for Firebirds diners. New members receive $10 off their first visit, birthday rewards ($10 off valid for 2 weeks), and access to exclusive promotions and new menu announcements. Communication delivered via email.
• Inner Circle+ Premium Subscription Premium subscription loyalty tier at $19.95/month plus tax. Includes a $30 monthly dining credit (valid for dine-in food and non-alcoholic beverages), VIP reservation experience, and unlimited free delivery on DoorDash orders over $15. Available exclusively through the Inner Circle+ mobile app (iOS and Android). Non-refundable monthly credit; 30-day billing cycle with auto-renewal.
• Jr. Chefs Kids Club Free family loyalty program for children ages 12 and under. Enrolled children receive an Honorary Chef t-shirt, birthday surprises including a Jr. Chef Kids Sundae with kids meal purchase, and culinary-related content. Parents/guardians receive emails and opt-in SMS messages (up to 4 per month) about promotions, recipes, and Kids Club updates.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly $5 million donated to Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation since 2012
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Alex's Lemonade Stand FoundationcoreOthers · 1 January 2012Firebirds is a proud partner of Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, working together to fight childhood cancer. For every Alex's Fresh Lemonade purchased, $1.25 is donated to the foundation. The company also participates in Alex's Lemonade Days with lemonade stands. Total donations exceed $3.5 million, with nearly $5 million donated since 2012.
• DoorDashminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDoorDash provides delivery services for Firebirds ToGo orders. Inner Circle+ members receive free delivery benefit on orders placed through firebirdsrestaurants.com with minimum $15 purchase. Orders subject to DoorDash policies.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ruth's Chris Steak House: Upscale steakhouse chain known for sizzling butter-topped steaks and polished-casual service. Direct comparable in target customer (special-occasion diners), price point, and full-service dining model.
• Bonefish Grill: Polished-casual chain specializing in fresh seafood and wood-grilled preparation. Closest direct peer given shared wood-fire/signature-grill positioning, similar price tier, and full-service bar-and-dining model.
• Seasons 52: Darden-owned polished-casual grill concept focused on seasonal menus and a fresh, wood-fire-inspired approach. Direct comparable in elevated-casual positioning, grill-centric menu, and craft cocktail bar.
• The Capital Grille: Darden-owned upscale steakhouse known for dry-aged steaks and an extensive wine program. Comparable in steakhouse focus, polished service, and FIREBAR-style premium bar experience.
• Fleming's Prime Steakhouse: Bloomin' Brands-owned upscale steakhouse with a 100 wines by the glass program. Comparable in prime steak focus, polished-casual service, and emphasis on craft beverage program.
• Morton's The Steakhouse: Legacy upscale steakhouse chain specializing in prime steaks and an iconic club-like atmosphere. Direct comparable in steakhouse heritage, polished service, and bar-driven revenue.

Broad incumbents

• Outback Steakhouse: Bloomin' Brands' flagship casual steakhouse chain with hundreds of U.S. units. Comparable steakhouse menu at a more casual price tier; relevant for traffic and value-tier competitive dynamics.
• LongHorn Steakhouse: Darden's largest steakhouse chain with broad U.S. footprint. Comparable grilled-steak focus and casual dining experience, and a key scale benchmark in the category.
• Texas Roadhouse: Public casual steakhouse chain known for hand-cut steaks and value pricing. Comparable hand-cut steak preparation and casual dining model, and a benchmark for traffic-driving operational execution.
• The Cheesecake Factory: Iconic polished-casual chain with broad menu, full bar, and high average check. Comparable in full-service dining experience, large menu breadth, and bar-driven beverage revenue.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/firebirdsgrill
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC0H4uY3B3ecjT4mqtve8idg
• Facebookfacebook.com/firebirdsgrill
• Instagraminstagram.com/firebirdsgrill

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Firebirds Wood Fired Grill