What Think Food Group does

Think Food Group, doing business as the José Andrés Group, is a Washington DC-headquartered private restaurant and consumer products company founded in 1993 that operates a multi-concept portfolio of more than 30 restaurants across roughly 10 US cities plus the Bahamas. Its concepts span a wide price and cuisine spectrum — from the 2-Michelin-starred minibar tasting counter in Washington DC, to mid-tier flagships like Zaytinya (Mediterranean), Jaleo (Spanish), Bazaar Meat (steakhouse), Oyamel (Mexican), China Chilcano (Peruvian-Chinese fusion) and The Bazaar (modern American with molecular gastronomy), to fast-casual Spanish formats. Locations are concentrated in premium real estate including Caesars Palace Las Vegas, Hudson Yards New York, and (forthcoming 2026) W Nashville.

Beyond restaurants, the company operates three integrated business pillars. José Andrés Foods sells Spanish pantry staples — olive oils, sherry vinegars, olives, tinned seafood (including the FishSnax line), and the Family Meal kit — through a dedicated e-commerce storefront and through retail distribution at Costco. José Andrés Media (JAM) is a content production arm that produced Netflix's "Chef's Table: Legends" (April 2025), NBC's "Yes, Chef!" (April 2025), and multiple cookbooks. A separate Capital One Landings airport restaurant concept, launched in November 2024 in partnership with Capital One, represents a co-branded financial-services distribution channel. The company's go-to-market is community- and celebrity-chef-led, leveraging José Andrés' personal brand, humanitarian reputation (founder of World Central Kitchen, recipient of the 2025 Presidential Medal of Freedom), and extensive earned media across TODAY, The View, CBS Sunday Morning, and The Tonight Show. Pricing models are not publicly disclosed; the company serves individual diners, retail CPG consumers, and media audiences, with no disclosed enterprise customers or B2B contracts.

Name

Think Food Group

Legal name

Think Food Group

Website

https://thinkfoodgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Think Food Group operates the José Andrés restaurant empire — 30+ dining concepts across US cities plus a Spanish food products line at Costco and a media production arm — anchored by celebrity chef José Andrés' brand and humanitarian profile.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Restaurant Services

NAICS

Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), All Other Specialty Food Retailers (445298)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Chef’s Table & Tasting Menu Restaurants (THAFACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Olive Oil, Vinegar & Condiment Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAJ), Local Chef/Restaurant Meal Boxes & Marketplace Prepared Meals (CRAHAJAI)

Keywords

• Restaurant operations
• Spanish cuisine
• Culinary concepts
• Consumer packaged goods
• Food media

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Operations: Fine dining and casual restaurant concepts generating direct customer revenue through dine-in service. Multiple price points from tasting counter to fast casual. Concepts include Bazaar Meat, Zaytinya, Jaleo, Oyamel, China Chilcano, China Poblano, minibar, é by José Andrés, and more across multiple US cities and international locations.
2. Consumer Packaged Goods (José Andrés Foods): Sales of Spanish food products including olive oils, sherry vinegars, olives, tinned seafood, and preserved pantry staples. Distributed through e-commerce (own storefront), retail partners like Costco, and potentially other grocery channels.
3. Media and Entertainment (José Andrés Media/JAM): Television programming, books, and content creation. Netflix series (Chef's Table: Legends, Yes Chef!), cookbooks (Change the Recipe, Spain My Way), and media partnerships creating brand awareness that drives restaurant and product sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Think Food Group operates a portfolio of more than 35 restaurants under the José Andrés Group umbrella spanning fine dining (minibar, 2 Michelin stars), casual concepts (Jaleo, Zaytinya, Oyamel, Bazaar Meat), fusion formats, and fast-casual venues across more than 10 US cities. The company also sells Spanish consumer packaged goods (olive oils, sherry vinegars, tinned seafood, FishSnax, Family Meal kits) through e-commerce and retail partners like Costco, and produces culinary media through José Andrés Media (JAM), including Netflix's Chef's Table: Legends, NBC's Yes, Chef!, and cookbooks.

Product overview

Think Food Group operates a portfolio of restaurant concepts under the José Andrés Group brand, spanning fine dining, casual, and fast-casual concepts across multiple cuisines and price points. The portfolio includes 30+ restaurant locations featuring Spanish cuisine (Jaleo, Oyamel), Mediterranean dining (Zaytinya), molecular gastronomy experiences (Bazaar Meat, The Bazaar), Mexican and fusion concepts (China Chilcano, China Poblano), and exclusive tasting counter experiences (minibar, é by José Andrés). Beyond restaurants, the company operates José Andrés Foods (consumer packaged goods including olive oils, sherry vinegars, tinned seafood, and preserved pantry staples), José Andrés Media (television and digital content production), and partnership-enabled ventures like Capital One Landings airport restaurants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bazaar Meat: Restaurant concept featuring Spanish-inspired meat preparations
• Zaytinya
• Oyamel
• Jaleo
• China Chilcano
• The Bazaar
• José Andrés Foods
• José Andrés Media (JAM)

Products and services

• Zaytinya Mediterranean restaurant concept featuring mezze-style small plates, creative cocktails, and distinctive design, with locations in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York, Palo Alto, and Washington, DC.
• Jaleo Spanish restaurant concept showcasing traditional and modern Spanish cuisine, paella, and Iberian specialties, with locations in Las Vegas, Orlando, and Washington, DC.
• Bazaar Meat Spanish-inspired steakhouse concept featuring innovative meat preparations, molecular gastronomy techniques, and theatrical presentation, with locations in Chicago, Las Vegas, New York, and Washington, DC.
• Oyamel Mexican restaurant concept featuring tacos, ceviches, and Mexican-inspired cocktails with Spanish influence, with locations in New York and Washington, DC.
• minibar Ultra-exclusive fine dining experience in Washington, DC featuring innovative multi-course tasting menus by Chef José Andrés, holding 2 Michelin stars.
• China Chilcano Peruvian-Chinese fusion restaurant concept in Las Vegas combining Chinese and Peruvian culinary traditions with Japanese influences.
• China Poblano Mexican-Chinese fusion restaurant concept in Las Vegas blending flavors and techniques from both cuisines.
• é by José Andrés Intimate eight-seat restaurant inside China Poblano in Las Vegas offering a curated tasting menu experience.
• The Bazaar Modern American restaurant concept featuring creative small plates, molecular gastronomy, and innovative cocktail program, with locations in New York and Washington, DC.
• Bar Mar Seafood-focused restaurant concept featuring ceviche, raw bars, and maritime-inspired cuisine, with locations in Chicago and Nashville (debuting 2026 at W Nashville).
• Bazaar Mar Seafood-focused restaurant concept in Las Vegas featuring maritime-inspired cuisine.
• Butterfly Restaurant concept in Los Angeles featuring innovative global cuisine.
• San Laurel Restaurant concept in Los Angeles featuring Spanish-inspired cuisine.
• Nubeluz Restaurant concept in New York featuring innovative cuisine and cocktails.
• Leña Restaurant concept in New York featuring wood-fired cooking and grilled specialties.
• Txula Steak Steakhouse concept in New York featuring premium cuts and Spanish influences.
• La Barra Spanish tapas bar in New York featuring traditional Spanish dishes and cocktails.
• Fish by José Andrés Seafood restaurant concept located in the Bahamas featuring fresh catches and Spanish-influenced preparations.
• Bazaar Bar Bar concept in New York featuring creative cocktails and small plates.
• barmini Cocktail bar in Washington, DC featuring innovative mixology and small bites.
• Bar Centro Spanish tapas bar in Las Vegas featuring traditional and modern Spanish small plates and cocktails.
• José Andrés Foods Consumer food products including olive oils, sherry vinegars, olives, tinned seafood, and preserved Spanish pantry staples sold through retail and e-commerce channels including Costco.
• FishSnax Tinned fish product line featuring Spanish-style preserved seafood with bold flavors, sold as part of the José Andrés Foods range.
• Family Meal Prepared meal kit product line inspired by Spanish cuisine, available at Costco warehouse locations.
• José Andrés Media (JAM) Media production company producing food-related content including television shows, documentaries, and digital media. Productions include Netflix's 'Chef's Table: Legends' and NBC's 'Yes, Chef!'
• Capital One Landings Airport restaurant concept launched in partnership with Capital One, offering dining at airport locations combining food with brand experience.
• Yes, Chef! (NBC television series) NBC television series starring José Andrés, produced by José Andrés Media (JAM).
• Chef's Table: Legends (Netflix series) Netflix documentary series featuring José Andrés alongside other culinary stars, produced by José Andrés Media (JAM).
• Spain My Way (cookbook) Cookbook by José Andrés titled 'Spain My Way: Eat, Drink, and Cook Like a Spaniard,' accompanied by a live book tour.
• Change the Recipe (cookbook) Cookbook by José Andrés, featured in People's Best Books of April 2025.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Capital OnecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 November 2024José Andrés Group launched Capital One Landings in partnership with Capital One - an airport restaurant concept that combines dining with banking/financial services brand experience. This represents a significant GTM partnership leveraging financial services customer base.
• CostcocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJosé Andrés Foods products distributed through Costco warehouse locations, specifically the Family Meal line featuring Spanish cuisine products for home consumers. Costco partnership provides access to millions of warehouse club members.
• ArcosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJosé Andrés x Arcos collaboration - likely involving Arcos branded products or restaurant concept collaboration with the Spanish cutlery/tableware brand.
• W NashvillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive partnership with W Nashville hotel for José Andrés Group's Nashville debut in 2026. The hotel will host multiple concepts including Zaytinya and Bar Mar, representing significant market expansion through hospitality partnership.
• Caesars Palace (Las Vegas)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZaytinya restaurant opened at The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, expanding presence in key hospitality market through casino/hotel partnership.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Major Food Group: Celebrity-chef-driven multi-concept restaurant group behind Carbone, Torrisi, Sadelle's and other premium concepts. Closely comparable in strategy (multi-brand chef portfolio), customer base (fine dining and high-end casual), and growth profile (rapid multi-city expansion).
• Union Square Hospitality Group: Danny Meyer's multi-concept restaurant group spanning fine dining (Eleven Madison Park, Gramercy Tavern) and broader casual concepts. Highly comparable celebrity-chef-led portfolio model with similar cross-format strategy.
• Nobu Hospitality: Celebrity chef (Nobu Matsuhisa) global restaurant group with hotel partnerships and branded lifestyle businesses. Comparable in chef-driven brand monetization across restaurants, hotels, and consumer goods.
• Gordon Ramsay Group: Gordon Ramsay's global restaurant empire spanning fine dining, casual, and media-driven brand extensions. Comparable in celebrity-chef-led multi-concept strategy and heavy media presence.
• The Dinex Group (Daniel Boulud): Daniel Boulud's multi-restaurant group with fine dining anchors and broader casual formats. Comparable as celebrity-chef multi-concept operator with Michelin aspirations and international footprint.
• Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises: Large multi-concept restaurant group with 60+ concepts across casual and fine dining. Comparable scale and concept-portfolio breadth, though without the celebrity-chef brand halo.
• Wolfgang Puck Worldwide: Celebrity chef restaurant group with consumer packaged goods (Wolfgang Puck soups, pizzas) and catering operations. Closely comparable in combining restaurants, CPG, and event services under a chef brand.

Broad incumbents

• Darden Restaurants: Large public multi-concept restaurant group (Olive Garden, LongHorn, Capital Grille, etc.). Comparable as a multi-brand restaurant operator at scale, but operates mass-market concepts rather than celebrity-chef premium dining.
• Bloomin' Brands: Public multi-concept restaurant group (Outback, Carrabba's, Bonefish Grill). Comparable as a multi-brand restaurant operator, though focused on casual dining rather than celebrity-driven fine dining.

Emerging players

• HelloFresh: Direct-to-consumer meal kit company. Adjacent comparison for Think Food Group's Family Meal product line at Costco; both compete for at-home meal occasions but with different distribution models.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thinkfoodgroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/pepefoodtruck
• Instagraminstagram.com/joseandresgroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/think-food-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors1 record

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

M&A

Investments2 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Think Food Group