Sonsie

What Sonsie does

Sonsie is a single-location American bistro and wine bar operating at 327 Newbury Street in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, founded in 1993 and run as a privately-held company with 11–50 employees. The restaurant operates seven days per week across three dayparts — weekend brunch (9:30 AM–3 PM), weekday lunch (starting 11:30 AM Monday–Friday), and dinner — with European-style French doors opening onto a Newbury Street sidewalk café patio and a brick oven producing signature pizzas across all service periods. The core product set includes a raw bar / oyster program (with Massachusetts-sourced Island Creek and Wellfleet oysters), an extensive bottled wine list, a craft cocktail program, and prix fixe holiday menus ($75 Thanksgiving, $95–$120 wine/bourbon pairing dinners).

The business monetizes across multiple concurrent revenue streams: dine-in table service (booked via Resy), private event hosting in the Wine Room (capacity up to 40 seated / 50 standing, managed through Tripleseat), ticketed wine and bourbon pairing dinners with producer partners (Duckhorn Portfolio, Jackson Family Wines, Michter's), gift card sales via swipeit.com (with $20 bonus-per-$100 promotions), and direct online ordering for takeout and delivery via order.online. Customer acquisition is omnichannel but direct-to-consumer: walk-in traffic on Newbury Street, third-party reservations, event inquiries, email newsletter signups, and organic social on Facebook and Instagram supplemented by earned media from Boston Globe, Eater Boston, and Phantom Gourmet.

Operationally, Sonsie's GTM is rooted in its 30+ year heritage as one of the oldest restaurants on Newbury Street, prime Back Bay foot-traffic, and a versatile day-to-night operating model that captures tourists, Boston Marathon spectators, neighborhood residents, local professionals, and corporate/private event bookers. The company sits within the Northeast US market, has no disclosed subsidiaries or parent entity, and reports no funding rounds, M&A activity, or institutional investors. A separately-organized beauty brand also named 'Sonsie' has emerged in 2025–2026 with its own product line and SoHo pop-up; that entity is distinct from the Boston restaurant and is not consolidated here.

Name

Sonsie

Legal name

Sonsie

Website

https://sonsieboston.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sonsie is a privately-held, single-location American bistro and wine bar at 327 Newbury Street in Boston's Back Bay, founded in 1993. It operates seven days a week across brunch, lunch, and dinner, and serves Back Bay residents, tourists, private event bookers, and shoppers via dine-in, online ordering, and ticketed wine dinners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Full-Service Restaurants

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Family-Style Restaurants (THAFACAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wine Bars (THAFAEAF)

Keywords

• American bistro dining
• Wine bar services
• Private event hosting
• Brick oven pizza
• Prix fixe menus

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Restaurant Service: Full-service dining offering brunch, lunch, and dinner across multiple daily service periods. Revenue generated from food, beverages, cocktails, and wine sales.
2. Private Events & Catering: Hosting private events including corporate gatherings, rehearsal dinners, baby showers, birthday parties, and holiday celebrations. Event inquiries managed through Tripleseat platform.
3. Gift Cards: Sale of gift cards through swipeit.com platform with promotional offers such as $20 bonus card for every $100 purchase.
4. Special Dining Events: Ticketed wine dinners, bourbon dinners, and special pairing events with set pricing ($95-$120 per person).
5. Online Ordering: Direct food and beverage ordering through order.online platform for takeout and delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sonsie is a full-service American bistro and wine bar on Newbury Street in Boston's Back Bay, operating seven days a week across brunch, lunch, and dinner dayparts. It sells international/eclectic cuisine, brick oven pizzas, craft cocktails, an extensive wine program, raw bar oysters, and hosts private events in its Wine Room along with ticketed wine and bourbon pairing dinners.

Product overview

Sonsie is a single-location American bistro and wine bar restaurant in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, established in 1993. The establishment operates as a unified dining concept offering multiple daypart services (brunch, lunch, dinner), an extensive wine bar program, raw bar selections, craft cocktails, and private event hosting. The restaurant features a brick oven for pizza preparation and maintains a curated wine cellar. Key product components include the core dine-in restaurant services, specialty prix fixe holiday menus, private event venues (Wine Room and patio), wine and bourbon dinner events, gift card programs, and an oyster bar with daily specials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dine-In Restaurant Services Full-service American bistro and wine bar offering brunch, lunch, and dinner seven days a week, featuring international eclectic cuisine, brick oven pizzas, craft cocktails, an extensive wine selection, and a raw/oyster bar in a European-style sidewalk cafe ambiance on Newbury Street.
• Private Events

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• SunLife OrganicsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2025Collaboration at Sonsie's first in-person pop-up shop in SoHo, New York City. SunLife Organics participated alongside the launch of Sonsie's Adapt Cream and Basic Balm products.
• Jackson Family WinesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 March 2025Presented Sonsie's Women of Wine Pairing Dinner event on March 26th. Jackson Family Wines selected wines to pair with each course of the five-course dinner.
• Duckhorn PortfoliominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 November 2024Hosted Duckhorn Portfolio Wine Dinner featuring wines from Duckhorn Vineyards, Goldeneye, and Decoy paired with crafted dishes in Sonsie's Wine Room.
• Michter'sminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 August 2024Hosted Michter's Bourbon Dinner featuring Richard Kolack from Michter's Kentucky distillery. Four-course menu paired with Michter's bourbon selections.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Pastis: NYC French bistro by Keith McNally serving classic French fare with oyster bar and wine program. Comparable European-style bistro and wine bar concept in a different but analogous major urban market.

Direct peers

• Abe & Louie's: Upscale Back Bay steakhouse on Boylston Street serving a similar affluent professional and tourist clientele with classic American dining, full bar, and private event capabilities. Directly comparable upscale single-location Back Bay operation.
• Grill 23 & Bar: Iconic Back Bay steakhouse with long-standing institutional status, full bar, extensive wine program, and private dining. Closest comparable established Back Bay institution with similar premium pricing and event capability.
• Post 390: Back Bay American restaurant and bar serving seasonal New England cuisine with strong cocktail and wine programs in a similar upscale casual-dining format.
• The Gallows: Boston gastropub known for a strong wine and craft cocktail program with eclectic American fare. Comparable urban gastropub positioning with emphasis on beverage program.
• Select Oyster Bar: Back Bay raw bar and restaurant specializing in oysters and seafood with a curated wine list. Directly comparable in raw-bar/oyster focus and Back Bay customer base.
• Deuxave: Back Bay modern American/French restaurant offering prix-fixe and tasting menus with strong wine pairings. Comparable upscale Back Bay dining concept with similar prix-fixe and event programming.

Broad incumbents

• Balthazar Restaurant: Iconic NYC French brasserie and bistro by Keith McNally operating as an established institution since 1997. Comparable enduring European-style bistro concept with full bar, oyster program, and brunch/lunch/dinner service.
• Legal Sea Foods: Long-established Boston-area seafood restaurant group with multiple locations, including Back Bay presence, offering oyster programs and full-service dining. Broader incumbent with overlapping oyster/seafood positioning.
• Tatte Bakery & Café: Boston-born bakery and café chain with strong Back Bay footprint offering all-day brunch, coffee, and pastries. Comparable Boston dining brand with daypart versatility and strong tourist/locals appeal.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SonsieBoston
• Instagraminstagram.com/sonsieboston
• Xx.com/Sonsie_Boston

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Sonsie