Richard Sandoval Restaurants

What Richard Sandoval Restaurants does

Richard Sandoval Restaurants (operating as Modern Mexican LLC) is a family-owned hospitality group founded in 1992 by Chef Richard Sandoval, headquartered in Denver, Colorado. The company operates 60+ restaurant locations across 4 continents, 13 countries, and 10 US states, with concepts including Toro, Toro Toro, Zengo, Maya, Tamayo, Lona, El Centro, dLeña, Venga Venga, Aqimero, Casa Chi, tán, Cayao, La Hacienda, Raya, Ciclo, Noyane, Bayou and Bottle, and Sora. A significant portion of the portfolio is operated through partnerships with luxury hotel operators including Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Fairmont, Marriott, InterContinental, Conrad, Kempinski, Le Royal Meridien, and Six Senses.

The company's technology stack is standard hospitality retail: OpenTable for reservations, Yiftee for gift cards, and Google Analytics, Meta, and Google Ads for digital marketing. Revenue is generated through multiple streams: on-premise dining, gift card sales, private events, event ticket sales, and DTC merchandise (including an Amazon storefront). The go-to-market model is a hybrid of (a) B2B partnerships with luxury hotel operators that provide built-in foot traffic and brand prestige, and (b) DTC consumer engagement through merchandising, events, and digital marketing.

The business is privately held and bootstrapped, with no external funding rounds disclosed. Next-generation leadership transition is underway, with Giancarlo and Isabella Sandoval taking on operational roles. The company has also launched the Viva Abejas sustainability initiative (in partnership with the World Bee Project) and the Old Ways New Hands mentorship program for culinary talent development. Award recognition includes the National Toque d'Oro, Bon Appetit Restaurateur of the Year, and James Beard Semi-Finalist honors.

Name

Richard Sandoval Restaurants

Legal name

Modern Mexican LLC

Website

https://richardsandoval.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Richard Sandoval Restaurants is a family-owned hospitality group founded in 1992, operating 60+ restaurant concepts across 4 continents through partnerships with luxury hotel operators and standalone locations, serving upscale diners globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Latin Cuisine Hospitality and Restaurants

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251), Caterers (722320), Special Food Services (7223)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Hotel & Resort Restaurants (THAFACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Chef’s Table & Tasting Menu Restaurants (THAFACAG), Private Culinary Experiences (Chef’s Table, Home Dining, Market-to-Meal) (THAJALAH), Exclusive Dining Access & Chef’s Table Reservations (HSACAMAJ)

Keywords

• Latin cuisine restaurants
• Hospitality group
• Pan-latin dining
• Luxury hotel restaurants
• Chef-driven concepts

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

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, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Dining: Core revenue from food and beverage sales across 60+ restaurant locations globally, including Pan-Latin, modern Mexican, Nikkei, and Latin-Asian concepts.
2. Gift Cards: E-gift cards and physical gift cards sold for use at select Richard Sandoval Hospitality locations across the USA.
3. Private Events: Revenue from private event bookings including corporate events, celebrations, and catering services at restaurant locations.
4. Brand Merchandise: Sale of branded products including the Viva Abejas children's book, New Latin Flavors cookbook, and Amazon storefront merchandise.
5. Event Tickets and Experiences: Revenue from special dining experiences, tasting dinners, and event tickets such as the Chef's Table at Toro Toro Dubai.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Richard Sandoval Hospitality operates a global portfolio of over 60 chef-driven restaurant locations across 4 continents and 13 countries, primarily embedded within luxury hotel and resort properties. The portfolio spans 20+ distinct Latin and Latin-fusion concepts including Pan-Latin steakhouses (Toro, Toro Toro), modern Mexican (Maya, Tamayo, Lona, La Hacienda), Latin-Asian and Nikkei fusion (Zengo, Casa Chi, Cayao), and specialty concepts (tán, Raya, Aqimero). The company also runs private events, eGift cards, branded cookbooks, the Viva Abejas bee conservation children's book, and experiential dining services such as Chef's Table dinners and Boozy Tea.

Product overview

Richard Sandoval Hospitality operates a portfolio of 60+ restaurant locations across 4 continents, 13 countries, and 10 US states, representing a diverse collection of Latin and Latin-fusion dining concepts. The portfolio spans multiple restaurant brands including Pan-Latin steakhouses (Toro, Toro Toro), modern Mexican (Maya, Tamayo, Lona, La Hacienda), Latin-Asian fusion (Zengo, Aramara), Nikkei cuisine (Casa Chi, Cayao), and various other concepts. The company also operates experiential dining services including Chef's Table experiences, Boozy Tea events, and private event capabilities. Beyond restaurants, the portfolio includes consumer products (Viva Abejas children's book, New Latin Flavors cookbook, eGift Cards) and social impact programs (Viva Abejas bee conservation initiative, Old Ways New Hands mentorship program). The restaurant concepts include elevated Pan-Latin concepts (Toro), Mexican cantinas (El Centro, Venga Venga), and specialty concepts like tán (Tulum-inspired), all unified under the leadership of Chef Richard Sandoval.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Viva Abejas: Sustainability initiative focused on bee conservation and environmental awareness, including children's books, hive installations, and global food & drink collections.
• Old Ways New Hands

Products and services

• Toro Toro Pan-Latin steakhouse concept offering elevated Latin-inspired cuisine with steakhouse elements, serving affluent diners at multiple global locations.
• Toro Elevated Pan-Latin cuisine concept operating across multiple luxury hotel and standalone properties globally.
• Zengo Latin-Asian cuisine concept combining Latin American flavors with Asian culinary techniques.
• Maya Modern Mexican cuisine concept with locations in New York and Dubai.
• Tamayo Modern Mexican restaurant located in Denver, Colorado's Larimer Square.
• Lona Modern Mexican concept operating in Ft. Lauderdale FL, Nashville TN, and Tampa FL.
• El Centro Mexican Cantina & Tequila Bar located in Washington D.C. and Arlington VA.
• dLeña Wood-Fire Mexican Cocina located in Washington D.C.'s Mt. Vernon Triangle.
• Venga Venga Mexican Cantina & Tequila Bar located in Snowmass Mall, Colorado.
• Aqimero Wood-Burning Latin Grill located in the Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia.
• Casa Chi Nikkei Cuisine (Latin-Japanese fusion) located in the InterContinental Chicago.
• tán Tulum-inspired cuisine concept located in Midtown East, New York City.
• Cayao Nikkei Cuisine located at the Four Seasons Cabo Del Sol in Los Cabos, Mexico.
• La Hacienda Modern Mexican restaurant located in Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, Arizona.
• Raya Pan-Latin Coastal cuisine located in Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, Dana Point CA.
• Ciclo Modern Latin Kitchen located in the Four Seasons Hotel Austin, Texas.
• Bayou & Bottle Bourbon-Centric American restaurant located in the Four Seasons Hotel Houston, Texas.
• Sora Oceanfront Rooftop Bar at the Four Seasons Cabo Del Sol in Los Cabos, Mexico.
• eGift Cards Digital gift cards redeemable at select Richard Sandoval restaurant locations across the USA, distributed via the Yiftee platform.
• Private Events Customizable private event planning for celebrations, corporate events, weddings, and catering services at restaurant locations.
• New Latin Flavors Cookbook Cookbook offering 125+ vibrant Latin dish recipes authored by Chef Richard Sandoval, sold via Amazon.
• Viva Abejas Children's Book Children's book on bee sustainability and the food cycle for early readers; 100% of book sales are donated to the World Bee Project.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100,000+ children educated on bee conservation annually through Viva Abejas program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KOPU WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRSH partnered with KOPU Water, a domestic mission-driven bottled water brand and stewardship solution for restaurants and hotels. The partnership is based on shared beliefs that guests should enjoy the best tasting, healthiest spring water served in a manner that harmonizes with the planet and local communities.
• World Bee ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal partner for the Viva Abejas program. 100% of all book sales from the Viva Abejas children's book are donated to the World Bee Project to support bee conservation efforts globally.
• The Ritz-Carlton Maui / Kapalua Wine & Chef SeriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua's Executive Chef Glenn Thompson, and Far Niente Vineyards for the Kapalua Wine & Chef Series featuring Chef Richard Sandoval's Latin-inspired cuisine.
• Far Niente VineyardsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured wine partner for the Kapalua Wine & Chef Series event, pairing iconic wines with Chef Sandoval's cuisine.
• Greater Chicago Food DepositoryminorOthersCharitable partner for the Bloom to Table: 4-Hands Dinner event supporting Viva Abejas and the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• Nobu Hospitality: Nobu operates ~50 luxury hotel-embedded restaurants globally inside partners like Four Seasons, Nobu Hotels, and Eden Roc, co-founded by chef Nobu Matsuhisa — directly analogous to RSH's celebrity-chef-anchored, hotel-embedded, multi-concept international restaurant model with strong brand-led pricing power.
• José Andrés Group: José Andrés operates a portfolio of restaurants (including multiple concepts inside Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, and Cosmopolitan Las Vegas), a catering/events arm, and impact programs. It mirrors RSH on every axis: celebrity chef, hotel-embedded concepts, multi-cuisine portfolio, social mission programming (World Central Kitchen).
• Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group: Puck operates Spago, CUT, and other concepts embedded inside luxury hotels (Four Seasons, Hotel Bel-Air, Resorts World), with deep Hollywood/Hotel partnerships. Comparable celebrity-chef-founded, luxury hotel-anchored multi-concept restaurant operator with international footprint.
• Jean-Georges Restaurants: Jean-Georges Vongerichten's group runs multiple hotel-embedded fine-dining restaurants globally (Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, various international flagships). Direct comparable as a chef-led, multi-concept, luxury hotel-embedded restaurant portfolio.
• Gordon Ramsay Restaurants: Gordon Ramsay operates ~40 global restaurants including multiple hotel-embedded concepts (The London, Savoy Grill, Las Vegas properties) plus Hell's Kitchen licensing. Celebrity-chef-led, internationally scaled, hotel-anchored restaurant company with a global licensing and media ecosystem parallel to RSH.

Broad incumbents

• Tao Group Hospitality: Tao Group operates celebrity-chef adjacent Asian-anchored and steakhouse concepts globally (Tao, Hakkasan, Lavo, Catch) inside hotel and entertainment venues. Comparable luxury positioning, hotel partnership distribution, and multi-concept strategy, though more nightlife/group-dining oriented.
• Major Food Group: Major Food Group operates Carbone, Sadelle's, Dirty French, and others inside luxury hotels (the Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, and other partners). Highly comparable high-end, hotel-embedded, chef-driven U.S. restaurant group expanding into multiple international markets.
• SPB Hospitality: SPB is a large-scale multi-brand restaurant operator with extensive hotel licensing/embedding relationships (Embassy Suites, Hilton, Marriott). Comparable scalable multi-brand hotel F&B platform, though less celebrity-chef-driven and broader in cuisine mix.

Emerging players

• Chicas Divertidas / Peyotito / Rosa Negra (Latin luxury peers): Independent Latin/luxury resort restaurant operators such as Peyotito and Rosa Negra operate chef-driven Mexican/Latin concepts inside luxury hotels (Four Seasons, 1 Hotels) globally — directly comparable single-brand or small-portfolio Latin restaurant operators competing for similar hotel F&B partnerships.

Regional players

• El Grupo Gastronómico (Spanish hotel F&B operators, e.g., Grupo Lae): Spanish and Mediterranean hotel-embedded restaurant management groups (Grupo Lae, Isabel Maestre) provide turnkey luxury F&B operations inside 5-star hotels. Comparable as regional hotel F&B operators managing celebrity-chef-style concepts across multiple properties, though focused primarily on Spain and southern Europe.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/chefrichardsandoval
• Xx.com/chefrsandoval
• Facebookfacebook.com/chefrichardsandoval
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/richard-sandoval-hospitality

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Richard Sandoval Restaurants