Ristorante Bartolotta

What Ristorante Bartolotta does

The Bartolotta Restaurants, operating under the umbrella name Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993 at its flagship, is a privately held, family-controlled restaurant group headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded in 1993 by brothers Joe and Paul Bartolotta, the company has grown into a portfolio of approximately 18 owned-and-operated restaurants and catering facilities across the Greater Milwaukee region, spanning fine dining (Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993, Bacchus, Lake Park Bistro, Harbor House, The Commodore), steakhouses (Mr. B's in Brookfield and Mequon, and the newly launching High Stakes concept), casual and supper club concepts (Joey Gerard's, The Rumpus Room), corporate campus dining at Kohl's (The Kitch, Bar Code Coffee, Max's), food halls (Downtown Kitchen), airport concessions (via SSP America at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport), and three dedicated catering venues (Discovery World, The Grain Exchange, Italian Community Center). Culinary technology centers on traditional Italian techniques including wood-fired cooking and high-heat josper oven preparation for premium steaks, complemented by a rotating "Un Viaggio in Italia" regional Italian menu program at the flagship.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer go-to-market across all owned units, supported by a sales-led catering and private-events motion staffed by dedicated event planners, and a Bartolotta Rewards loyalty program that converts points to reward dollars across participating locations. Revenue mechanics are almost entirely transactional (dine-in food and beverage, catering event contracts, gift cards), with no subscription or licensing layer. Pricing is segmented by concept: $75 four-course regional Italian menus at the flagship, $62-$140 premium steakhouse cuts at Mr. B's, $2.35-$5.80 coffee and smoothies at Bar Code, and $4.50-$12.25 cafeteria pricing at The Kitch. The customer base spans affluent fine-dining enthusiasts and steakhouse patrons (primary), corporate office workers at the Kohl's campus, event/party hosts (weddings, corporate galas, nonprofit fundraisers), and casual diners.

The company is led by CEO Keith Trafton (appointed 2019), Chef-Owner and Co-Founder Paul Bartolotta — a two-time James Beard Award winner (1994 Midwest, 2009 Southwest) — and COO Kai Speth. Ownership remains family-controlled with no disclosed external private equity or institutional investment. Brand reputation is anchored by James Beard recognition, Wisconsin's sole Marchio Ospitalità Italiana certification, and consecutive Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence recognition at Harbor House since 2017. Charitable activity is channeled through the Care-a-lotta program, including a workforce development partnership with Milwaukee Public Schools' ProStart program serving 300-500 students annually.

Name

Ristorante Bartolotta

Legal name

The Bartolotta Restaurants

Website

https://bartolottas.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The Bartolotta Restaurants is a privately held, family-owned Milwaukee restaurant group operating 18 fine-dining, steakhouse, casual, catering, corporate-campus, and airport concepts across Greater Milwaukee, led by Chef-Owner Paul Bartolotta and CEO Keith Trafton.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Dining Restaurants

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Food Services and Drinking Places (722), Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Fine Dining Restaurants (THAFACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Steakhouses & Seafood Restaurants (THAFACAE), Supper Clubs & Dinner-Theater Restaurants (THAFACAL)

Keywords

• Fine dining restaurants
• Italian cuisine
• Catering services
• Steakhouse dining
• Event venues

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Restaurant Sales: Core revenue from food and beverage sales across all restaurant locations including fine dining, steakhouses, casual dining, and food halls. Customers pay per visit for meals.
2. Catering & Events: Private dining, corporate events, weddings, holiday parties, and nonprofit events across dedicated catering venues including Discovery World, The Grain Exchange, and Italian Community Center.
3. Gift Cards: Sale of physical and electronic gift cards valid at participating Bartolotta Restaurants. Gift cards have no expiration and can be used for food, beverage, tax, and gratuity.
4. Bartolotta Rewards Program: Loyalty program where members earn points on qualifying purchases that convert to Reward Dollars. Hurdle rate of 250 points earns $25 Reward Dollars. Birthday rewards, wine rewards, and refer-a-friend incentives drive repeat visits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Bartolotta Restaurants operates a portfolio of 18 owned restaurants and catering facilities across the Greater Milwaukee region. Offerings span fine dining (Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993, Mr. B's Steakhouse, Bacchus, Harbor House, Lake Park Bistro, The Commodore, Joey Gerard's, High Stakes), food halls and quick-casual concepts (Downtown Kitchen, The Kitch, Bar Code Coffee, Max's, Pizzeria Piccola), and catering and event venues (Discovery World, The Grain Exchange, Italian Community Center).

Product overview

The Bartolotta Restaurants operates a portfolio of 17+ one-of-a-kind restaurants and catering facilities in the Greater Milwaukee region. The portfolio includes fine dining restaurants (Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993, Mr. B's Steakhouse in Brookfield and Mequon, Bacchus, Bartolotta's Lake Park Bistro, Harbor House, Joey Gerard's, The Commodore, High Stakes), upscale food halls (Downtown Kitchen, The Kitch at Kohl's), quick-casual concepts (Pizzeria Piccola, Bar Code Coffee, Max's beverage lounge), and catering venues (Discovery World, Grain Exchange, Italian Community Center). The company also offers loyalty programs (Bartolotta Rewards) and gift cards. Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993 is the flagship Italian restaurant featuring rotating regional Italian cuisine through its 'Un Viaggio in Italia' menu series.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993 Flagship Italian restaurant in Wauwatosa Village set in a historic brewery building. Features authentic regional Italian cuisine with a rotating 'Un Viaggio in Italia' (Tour of Italy) menu series highlighting different Italian regions monthly through a four-course customizable menu.
• Mr. B's - A Bartolotta Steakhouse

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ weddings planned in 2018 alone
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) ProStart ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2016Care-a-lotta charitable partnership supporting MPS two-year culinary workforce development program. Local hospitality companies including Aurora, SURG Group, Hospitality Democracy, Wolf Peach/Supper, Dan Jacobs, Goodwill, Marcus Hotels and Resorts, and MATC all pledged support for ProStart in pilot MPS high schools.
• SSP AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing business relationship with SSP America to operate dining concepts at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, including Pizzeria Piccola and Nonna Bartolotta's & Nonna's To-Go.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ristobartolotta

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries17 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 Ristorante Bartolotta