What Culinary Backstreets does

Culinary Backstreets is a privately held culinary tourism company founded in 2009 as Istanbul Eats and headquartered in Washington, US, with operational roots in Istanbul. It operates guided food walking tours across 28 cities worldwide (Europe, Asia, North America, South America, and the Caucasus), with half-day to full-day tours priced at $125-$195 per adult and a strict cap of 2-7 guests per group. Tours are led by food journalists, chefs, and longtime neighborhood residents and include 9-12 tasting stops. The company serves independent travelers, couples, families, corporate groups, food enthusiasts, and culinary professionals seeking authentic local food experiences that bypass tourist-oriented establishments.

The business model is direct-to-consumer, transacted through a website-based booking platform with Stripe payment processing. Revenue streams include food tour tickets, multi-day immersive trips ($3,900-$8,500 per adult), gift certificates, corporate retreats, private family trips, and student trips. Premium multi-day trips are offered both as proprietary itineraries and as co-branded experiences (notably Milk Street on the Road with Christopher Kimball, plus specialty trips with creators Dan Pashman and Scott Wiener). A 10% multi-walk loyalty discount incentivizes repeat bookings, and the company is B-Corp certified. Distribution relies on earned media (Atlantic, NYT, CNN, Guardian, National Geographic Traveler, Netflix), an editorial content funnel (Stories, City Guides, Travel Boards), email newsletter, and organic social.

Operationally, the company runs on a lean headcount of 11-50 employees, is founder-led (co-founder Yigal Schleider is publicly identified), and has no disclosed institutional investors, venture funding, or parent company. The technology footprint is intentionally minimal — no mobile app, no public API, no disclosed integrations — and competitive advantage is derived from the editorial content archive, 15+ year vendor and tour-leader network, and brand recognition built since 2009 rather than from software or AI capabilities.

Name

Culinary Backstreets

Legal name

Culinary Backstreets

Website

https://culinarybackstreets.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Culinary Backstreets is a privately held culinary tourism company founded in 2009, operating small-group guided food tours across 28 global cities for independent travelers, families, and corporate groups, supplemented by multi-day immersive trips and editorial city guides.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Tourism Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Food, Market & Culinary Culture Tours (THAJAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Escorted Coach & Bus Package Tour Operators (THAKADAA), Culinary & Wine Travel Agencies (THAKAFAH), Cooking Classes & Chef-Led Workshops (THAJAGAI)

Keywords

• Culinary food tours
• Guided food walks
• Culinary travel experiences
• Neighborhood food tours
• Small group food tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Food Tour Tickets: One-time ticket sales for guided food tours in cities worldwide, ranging from $125-$195 per adult. Tours include all food consumed during the walk with 9-12 stops across multiple tastings.
2. Multi-Day Immersive Trips: Week-long culinary trips ranging from $3,900-$8,500 per adult, including accommodations, multiple meals, activities, and expert guides. Partnerships include Milk Street on the Road collaborations.
3. Gift Certificates: Gift certificates available through the shop, usable toward any food tour across all cities.
4. Corporate Retreats: Private group bookings for corporate outings and team-building experiences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Culinary Backstreets designs, markets, and operates guided small-group food walking tours in 28 cities worldwide, plus week-long immersive culinary trips co-branded with partners like Milk Street. All tours are led by food journalists, chefs, or longtime neighborhood residents, capped at 2-7 guests, and include 9-12 food tastings with prices ranging from $125-$195 for half/full-day walks and $3,900-$8,500 for multi-day trips. The company also publishes editorial content (city guides, stories, travel boards) that supports the booking funnel.

Product overview

Culinary Backstreets is a global food tourism platform offering immersive culinary experiences across 27 cities worldwide. The core offerings include Food Tours (half-day to full-day guided walking tours with 2-7 guests, priced $125-$195 per adult), Multi-Day Immersive Trips (week-long culinary journeys, $3,900-$8,500 per adult), and curated editorial content including Stories, City Guides, and Travel Boards. Additional services include Corporate Retreats, Private Family Trips, Student Trips, and Cooking at Home recipe content. The company also operates the Milk Street on the Road partnership program, offering co-branded premium trips. All offerings are available through the Shop with Gift Certificates available as a gifting option.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Tours Guided walking food tours in 28 cities worldwide, limited to 2-7 guests per group, led by food journalists, chefs, and local residents. Tours include 9-12 food stops with local specialties, priced $125-$195 per adult depending on city and duration (5-6.5 hours).
• Multi-Day Immersive Trips Week-long culinary journeys combining food tours with cultural immersion, rural excursions, cooking workshops, and exclusive access to producers and chefs. Prices range from $3,900-$8,500 per adult and include accommodations, multiple meals, activities, and expert guides.
• Gift Certificates Digital gift certificates redeemable toward any Food Tour across all covered cities, available through the online shop.
• Corporate Retreats Customized team-building culinary experiences for corporate groups, including private tours and team activities, available for private booking arrangements.
• Private Family Trips Tailored culinary travel experiences designed for private family groups.
• Student Trips Culinary-focused educational travel programs for student groups.
• Milk Street on the Road Collaborative multi-day culinary trips co-branded with Milk Street, offering exclusive access to culinary destinations not available through standard tours. Prices range from $5,000-$8,500 per adult.
• Shop (Merchandise and Pocket Guides) Online store featuring gift certificates, pocket guides, and travel-related merchandise.

Quantifiable outcome

• Direct money goes to local businesses on the route, not tourist-oriented establishments

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Milk Street (Christopher Kimball)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerOngoing collaboration offering 'Milk Street on the Road' multi-day culinary trips. These co-branded trips leverage Culinary Backstreets' local networks and expertise combined with Milk Street's audience and brand. Includes destinations such as Catalonia, Oaxaca, Mexico City, Istanbul, Naples and Sorrento Coast, Seoul, Venice Islands, Trás-os-Montes Portugal, Sardinia, Penang, Osaka to Kyoto, Yucatán, Emilia-Romagna, Thessaloniki and Pelion Peninsula, Cotswolds and London, and Dão Portugal.
• Dan PashmanminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCulinary podcast host and food writer Dan Pashman offers specialized trips including 'Dan Pashman's Mysteries of Mexico City Tour' and 'Dan Pashman's Pasta Pilgrimage' (Rome and Puglia) through the Culinary Backstreets platform.
• Scott Wiener (Scott's Pizza Tours)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPizza expert Scott Wiener leads 'Pizza Pilgrimage to Naples with Scott Wiener', a weeklong exploration of pizza's birthplace combining Culinary Backstreets' local expertise with Scott's pizza knowledge.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Eating Europe: Multi-city food tour operator running small-group culinary walks across European cities. Directly comparable on product format (guided neighborhood food tours), target customer (culinary travelers), and pricing tier.
• Devour Tours: Food tour company operating across Europe, the US, and Latin America with small-group formats. Closely mirrors Culinary Backstreets on guided tastings, multi-city presence, and culinary storytelling positioning.
• Secret Food Tours: Global food tour brand operating in dozens of cities with multi-stop guided tastings. Direct competitor on city footprint, guided tour format, and culinary travel positioning.
• Context Travel: Expert-led small-group walking tours with a focus on cultural and culinary themes in major global cities. Comparable on docent-led format, premium pricing, and travel-themed storytelling.
• Walks: Tour operator offering small-group guided experiences including food tours in European and US cities. Comparable on guided format, premium pricing, and multi-city culinary coverage.
• Withlocals: Marketplace and tour operator offering local-led food and cultural experiences across many global cities. Comparable on local-expert model, small-group culinary experiences, and multi-city footprint.
• Tours by Locals: Private guided tour platform with local experts across global destinations, including culinary experiences. Comparable on private guide-led model and city-level culinary coverage.

Emerging players

• EatWith: Platform connecting travelers with local hosts for dining and culinary experiences. Adjacent competitor sharing the local-food-and-storytelling angle but more focused on hosted meals than walking tours.

Broad incumbents

• GetYourGuide: Global tours and activities marketplace listing food tours across hundreds of cities. Provides distribution for and competition against boutique food tour operators like Culinary Backstreets.
• Airbnb Experiences: Marketplace of host-led culinary experiences offered alongside Airbnb stays. Competes for the same food-curious traveler and provides a low-cost distribution channel for individual tour hosts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CBackstreets
• Facebookfacebook.com/CulinaryBackstreets
• Instagraminstagram.com/culinarybackstreets

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Culinary Backstreets