Wild Ginger

What Wild Ginger does

Wild Ginger is a Seattle-based, founder-owned full-service restaurant group operating three locations across the Seattle and Bellevue metropolitan area since 1989. The company was founded by Rick and Ann Yoder after their 1984 travels through Southeast Asia and serves an Asian menu spanning China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia in a family-style format designed for shared dining. Its three sites occupy premium real estate: the flagship in the historic Mann building at Third and Union in Downtown Seattle (opened 2000, original Western Avenue site opened 1989), the McKenzie location in Seattle's South Lake Union (opened August 2018, ground floor of a luxury apartment tower, approximately 150 seats), and Bellevue at Lincoln Square South (originally opened at The Bravern in 2009, relocated to current space in 2017).

Revenue is generated through dine-in service (appetizers $3-$18, entrees $9-$52, desserts $5-$8.50), an award-winning wine program that earned Wine Spectator's Grand Award ten consecutive years (2009-2018) with both an everyday list and a reserve list of rare verticals, craft cocktails, and a daily happy hour at Bellevue. Ancillary revenue streams include private dining and events for groups of 5-500+ guests (with private rooms such as the Lion, Dragon, Lotus, and Orchid rooms), gift card sales, an online merchandise store carrying branded apparel and wine accessories, a house-labeled Wild Ginger NOIR Pinot Noir produced with Windy Bay Cellars, and event-driven wine/spirits partnership dinners. Distribution extends through five third-party delivery platforms — ChowNow, Uber Eats, DoorDash, Caviar, and Grubhub — alongside its own online ordering.

The technology stack is conventional for the segment: a ChowNow-integrated online ordering system, location-specific social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, an email newsletter, and an SEO-optimized blog. The company employs 251-500 staff and remains privately held by the Yoder family, with no disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, or external investors. Sister venture The Triple Door, a music and performance venue, opened in 2003.

Name

Wild Ginger

Legal name

Wild Ginger

Website

https://wildginger.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Wild Ginger is a privately held Seattle restaurant group operating three full-service Asian restaurants across Seattle and Bellevue since 1989, serving family-style Chinese and Southeast Asian cuisine with an award-winning wine program, private events, and merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Asian Restaurants

NAICS

Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251), Special Food Services (7223)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants (THAFACAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

International & Ethnic Packaged Foods (CRADAAAG)

Keywords

• Asian restaurant dining
• Southeast Asian cuisine
• Private event catering
• Restaurant wine program
• Corporate event venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dine-In Restaurant Service: Full-service restaurant operations at three locations with family-style Asian dining, cocktails, and wine service. Revenue generated from food, beverages, alcohol sales, and service.
2. Takeout and Delivery: Takeout orders placed via phone or online through ChowNow, plus delivery partnerships with third-party aggregators (Uber Eats, DoorDash, Caviar, Grubhub).
3. Private Events and Catering: Private dining rooms and event spaces available for groups from 5 to 500+ guests. Special event hosting including wine dinners, cocktail events, and corporate functions.
4. Merchandise Sales: Branded merchandise including apparel (t-shirts, hats), wine accessories (corkscrews, stoppers), and specialty food items (Sichuan Peppercorn Salt).
5. Gift Cards: Gift card sales for Seattle and Bellevue locations, providing prepaid dining value.
6. Wine Program: Award-winning wine program with everyday wines and rare reserve list. Wine pairings with Asian cuisine, wine dinners, and half-price bottle specials on Sundays at Bellevue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Wild Ginger is a family-owned operator of three full-service Asian restaurants in the Seattle and Bellevue, Washington area, serving Southeast Asian cuisine alongside an award-winning wine list. The restaurants offer dine-in service, private and corporate event catering, online takeout and delivery ordering, gift cards, and branded merchandise. The business is built around in-person hospitality and food and beverage sales rather than a packaged product or software offering.

Product overview

Wild Ginger operates as a multi-location restaurant chain offering a unified dining experience across three Seattle/Bellevue locations. The core product is the restaurant service itself, featuring authentic cuisines from China and Southeast Asia with family-style dining. The portfolio includes the main restaurant dining (Downtown Seattle, McKenzie, Bellevue), supplemented by private dining and event services, an online merchandise store selling branded apparel and wine accessories, a gift card program, online ordering with third-party delivery integrations, and an award-winning wine program. The restaurant is known for its signature satay bar, diverse menu spanning multiple Asian cuisines, and extensive wine selection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wild Ginger NOIR: A Pinot Noir wine made by Sarah Cabot of Windy Bay Cellars, specifically produced as a house wine for Wild Ginger restaurants. The wine is designed as a transparent expression of the Oregon wine region and pairs well with the diverse menu offerings.

Products and services

• Full-Service Asian Restaurant Dining On-premise dine-in service serving Southeast Asian cuisine across three locations in Seattle and Bellevue, Washington, with a curated wine and beverage program. Aimed at local diners, tourists, and group guests.
• Private Events and Corporate Catering Bookable private dining rooms and off-premise catering for corporate gatherings, weddings, and private celebrations, providing prix fixe and custom menus with beverage service. Targeted at corporate clients, event planners, and private hosts.
• Online Ordering for Takeout and Delivery Direct-to-consumer online ordering from the Wild Ginger website for takeout and delivery from its restaurant locations. Aimed at local consumers who want Wild Ginger food at home.
• Gift Cards Stored-value gift cards redeemable for dine-in, takeout, or catering purchases at Wild Ginger restaurants. Targeted at consumers and corporate gifting purchasers.
• Wild Ginger Branded Merchandise Wild Ginger-branded apparel and related merchandise available for retail purchase, extending the restaurant brand beyond food and beverage.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ChowNowcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline ordering platform integration enabling direct food ordering and delivery scheduling for Bellevue and McKenzie locations.
• Uber EatscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery platform for Bellevue and McKenzie locations, extending delivery reach to Uber's user base.
• DoorDashcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery platform for Bellevue location, enabling on-demand food delivery service.
• CaviarcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery platform offering free delivery for McKenzie location with GPS tracking.
• GrubhubminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery platform for McKenzie location.
• SKB ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesigned Wild Ginger McKenzie and Wild Ginger Bellevue locations with stylistically blended interiors merging cultural influences with contemporary design.
• NBBJcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm that designed the flagship Downtown Seattle location in the historic Mann building.
• Clise PropertiescoreOthersOwner of McKenzie luxury apartment building where Wild Ginger McKenzie location operates on ground floor at 8th and Blanchard in South Lake Union.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bonefish Grill: National polished-casual chain with bar-forward dining and wine program; useful comparable for full-service restaurant economics, wine-led AUV, and multi-location operating model rather than cuisine overlap.
• P.F. Chang's: Larger US-based Asian casual dining chain offering Pan-Asian menus comparable in breadth to Wild Ginger; not regional, but directly comparable in concept of broad Asian menu and full-service dining format.
• Benihana: Established teppanyaki-style Asian chain offering experiential full-service dining; comparable as a multi-unit Asian concept with experiential positioning and event/group appeal similar to Wild Ginger's private dining business.

Regional players

• The Pink Door: Long-running, iconic Seattle Italian restaurant near Pike Place Market with entertainment-driven dining; comparable as an established (1981) Seattle institution with a strong brand, event programming, and tourist + local appeal.
• Purple Cafe and Wine Bar: Pacific Northwest wine-forward restaurant group with multiple locations; comparable to Wild Ginger's Seattle wine-program emphasis and regional positioning, though cuisine is American/Mediterranean rather than Asian.
• Momiji Restaurant: Upscale Japanese restaurant in Seattle's Capitol Hill; comparable as a Pacific Northwest full-service Asian restaurant with curated beverage program targeting similar downtown/professional diners.
• Japonessa: Sushi and Japanese fusion restaurant in downtown Seattle; comparable as a Pacific Northwest Asian upscale-casual operator competing for similar downtown office and tourist diners.

Direct peers

• Din Tai Fung: Global upscale Asian restaurant chain best known for Xiao Long Bao; comparable to Wild Ginger as a multi-location premium Asian dining brand targeting experience-driven diners and tourist/business clientele.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WildGingerRes
• Facebookfacebook.com/WildGingerRestaurant
• Instagraminstagram.com/wildgingerseattle
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wild-ginger-the-triple-door

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 Wild Ginger