Restaurant Iris
Restaurant Iris is a single-location, fine dining Creole restaurant in East Memphis, Tennessee, founded in 2008 by Chef Kelly English. It serves lunch, dinner, bar service, and private events to Memphis-area residents and visitors seeking upscale Creole cuisine and themed private dining experiences.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersMemphis, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Restaurant Iris does
Restaurant Iris is a single-location, fine dining Creole restaurant founded in 2008 and operated by Chef Kelly English in Memphis, Tennessee. After fifteen years in midtown Memphis, the restaurant relocated in 2023 to a larger East Memphis space at 4550 Poplar Avenue. The restaurant operates daily from 11am to 9pm with full-service lunch (11am-2pm), dinner (5pm-8:30pm), and a bar program running Monday-Saturday from 11am until close. The menu emphasizes Gulf seafood, prime beef, and Creole-influenced preparations, including signature dishes such as Creole Shrimp & Grits, Crawfish Fettuccine, Prime Beef Filet, Lamb Saddle, and Pan Roasted Cobia.
The restaurant's core product is the dine-in experience, supplemented by a craft cocktail program, an oyster bar, and a distinctive 29-bottle wine cruvinet system described as one-of-a-kind in Memphis. Five private dining spaces are available for events ranging from 4 to 30 guests: Fish Room (6 seats), Library (4 seats), Garden Room (14 seats), Iris Bar (private events only), and Demo Room (30 seats with A/V inputs). The restaurant's underlying technology stack is standard third-party SaaS with no proprietary systems, including Resy and SevenRooms for reservations, TogoOrder for online to-go ordering, Central Delivery for local delivery, Instagift for eGift cards, and Grind City Designs for merchandise fulfillment.
The revenue model combines one-time dine-in and event revenue with multiple ancillary streams. Core revenue derives from lunch, dinner, and bar service. The Wine Locker Club is an annual subscription at $500/year requiring minimum 12 bottle purchases, providing priority reservations, bar seating privileges, and tasting access. Private events generate per-room and per-package revenue including a $125/hour filming demonstration package ($375 minimum) and a $30/person influencer package. Additional streams include corkage fees ($25-$35 per bottle), gift cards (physical and digital), and merchandise sales through the Iris, etc. sub-brand. The business serves Memphis-area residents and visitors seeking upscale Creole dining for individual meals, special occasions, business entertainment, and private events.
Restaurant Iris firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Restaurant Iris
- Legal name
- Restaurant Iris
- Website
- https://restaurantiris.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Restaurant Iris is a single-location, fine dining Creole restaurant in East Memphis, Tennessee, founded in 2008 by Chef Kelly English. It serves lunch, dinner, bar service, and private events to Memphis-area residents and visitors seeking upscale Creole cuisine and themed private dining experiences.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Restaurant Iris industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Upscale Creole Dining
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Food Services and Drinking Places (722), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fine Dining Restaurants (THAFACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants (THAFACAD)
Keywords
Where Restaurant Iris is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Memphis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Restaurant Iris business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Dine-in Service: Revenue from seated customers ordering from lunch, dinner, bar food, and cocktail menus. Full service dining with table service during lunch (11am-2pm) and dinner (5pm-8:30pm) hours.
- Bar Revenue: Full bar service offering cocktails, wine, and other beverages. Bar operates Monday-Saturday 11am-until. Includes unique wine offerings through 29 wine cruvinet system.
- Wine Locker Club Membership: Annual membership program at $500/year offering wine locker storage, name plates, priority reservations, bar seating before 6:30pm, wine tastings, and requiring minimum 12 bottle purchases.
- Private Event Packages: Revenue from hosting private events in multiple rooms (Fish Room seats 6, Library seats 4, Garden Room seats 14, Demo Room seats 30). Includes filming demonstration package at $125/hour with $375 minimum.
- Influencer Package: 2-hour private room booking for influencers with photographer, sparkling wine service, and lunch at $30/person.
- Corkage Fees: Charges for guest-bought wine: $25/bottle not on list, $30/bottle on list, $35 for 1.5L bottles. Requires minimum 12 bottles purchased from restaurant.
- To-Go and Delivery: Online ordering for takeout and local delivery services through third-party delivery platforms.
- Merchandise: Sales of branded merchandise through Iris etc. online shop (Grind City Designs platform).
- Gift Cards: Physical gift cards sold in restaurant and eGift Cards available through Instagift platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Wine Locker Club annual membership |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Filming/Demonstration Package |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Influencer Package |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Corkage Fees |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Private Room Deposits |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Restaurant Iris product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Restaurant Iris is a single-location Creole dining restaurant in Memphis, Tennessee, offering full-service lunch, dinner, and bar programs with a focus on Gulf seafood, prime beef, and local ingredients. The restaurant operates a one-of-a-kind 29 wine cruvinet system, five themed private dining rooms for events, and ancillary offerings including a Wine Locker Club annual membership, gift cards, branded merchandise, and specialty packages for filming and influencer experiences.
Product overview
Restaurant Iris is a single-location Creole dining restaurant in East Memphis, Tennessee, offering a unified hospitality experience centered on its lunch and dinner service. The restaurant operates as a full-service dining establishment with a craft cocktail program, wine cellar, and bar food menu, supplemented by venue rental offerings including five private dining rooms for events ranging from 4 to 30 guests. Ancillary revenue streams include a Wine Locker Club membership program ($500/year), gift cards (physical and digital), merchandise, and special event packages including film demonstration rental and influencer experiences. The restaurant moved from midtown to its current East Memphis location after fifteen years.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Iris, etc. Merchandise and retail brand operated by Restaurant Iris, selling merchandise such as wine locker programs and branded items.
Products and services
- Lunch Menu
Companies that use Restaurant Iris
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Restaurant Iris technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Restaurant Iris partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ResycoreReservation platform integration enabling online table bookings. Used for general dining reservations through resy.com/cities/mem/restaurant-iris.
- SevenRoomscoreReservation platform for dining and private event bookings. Website links to sevenrooms.com/reservations/restaurantiris for reservations.
- Central DeliveryminorLocal delivery service partner for Memphis-area food delivery through centraldelivery.tech/single.php/order/restaurant/restaurant-iris/8.
- Grind City DesignsminorMerchandise partner operating Iris etc. online shop at grindcitydesigns.com/iris/shop/home for branded merchandise sales.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Restaurant Iris competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Galatoire's: Historic New Orleans French-Creole fine-dining restaurant. Comparable on Creole cuisine heritage, full lunch and dinner service with bar program, and long-standing brand reputation in a regional market.
- Lüke: John Besh Group restaurant in New Orleans serving Creole-German cuisine with a strong bar and oyster program. Comparable on chef-driven Creole concept, full bar, and lunch/dinner service.
- August: Chef John Besh's contemporary Creole fine-dining restaurant in New Orleans. Similar upmarket Creole positioning, private dining, and chef-driven brand identity.
- Palace Cafe: Brennan-family Creole restaurant in New Orleans with full bar, private dining, and live jazz. Comparable as a Creole full-service concept with event and bar revenue streams.
- Commander's Palace: Iconic New Orleans Creole fine-dining institution with private dining rooms and a deep wine program. Closely mirrors Restaurant Iris's Creole cuisine, fine-dining positioning, and event-driven revenue model.
- Hog & Hominy: Chef-driven Memphis upscale restaurant with wood-fired cuisine and craft cocktails. Direct local peer competing for chef-driven dining and bar guests in Memphis.
- Emeril's New Orleans: Chef Emeril Lagasse's flagship Creole fine-dining restaurant in New Orleans. Directly comparable as a celebrity-chef-driven Creole concept; Chef Kelly English trained under Emeril, making this a tight operational and culinary peer.
- The Beauty Shop: Well-known upscale Memphis restaurant in a converted midtown space. Direct local peer competing for the same fine-dining and private-event clientele in the Memphis market.
- Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen: Chef-owned Memphis fine-dining restaurant. Comparable local competitor for upscale diners, private events, and chef-driven brand reputation.
Broad incumbents
- Brennan Family of Restaurants: Multi-property Creole fine-dining group including Commander's Palace and Palace Cafe. Broader incumbent whose restaurant concepts overlap directly with Restaurant Iris's Creole, full-service, and event-driven model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Restaurant Iris social profiles
Digital presenceRestaurant Iris financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Restaurant Iris leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Restaurant Iris funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Restaurant Iris M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Restaurant Iris
What does Restaurant Iris do?
Restaurant Iris is a single-location Creole dining restaurant in Memphis, Tennessee, offering full-service lunch, dinner, and bar programs with a focus on Gulf seafood, prime beef, and local ingredients. The restaurant operates a one-of-a-kind 29 wine cruvinet system, five themed private dining rooms for events, and ancillary offerings including a Wine Locker Club annual membership, gift cards, branded merchandise, and specialty packages for filming and influencer experiences.
Is Restaurant Iris a public or private company?
Restaurant Iris is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Restaurant Iris founded?
Restaurant Iris was founded in 2008. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Restaurant Iris based?
Restaurant Iris is headquartered in Memphis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Restaurant Iris make money?
Nine revenue lines are on record. Dine-in Service is the primary driver. The others are bar Revenue, wine Locker Club Membership, private Event Packages, influencer Package, corkage Fees, to-Go and Delivery, merchandise and gift Cards.
Who are Restaurant Iris's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Galatoire's, Lüke, August, Palace Cafe, Commander's Palace, Hog & Hominy, Emeril's New Orleans, The Beauty Shop and Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen. Brennan Family of Restaurants is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Restaurant Iris have an API?
No public API is recorded for Restaurant Iris.
What industry is Restaurant Iris in?
Restaurant Iris's product category is Upscale Creole Dining. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFACAA, Fine Dining Restaurants, with a secondary code of THAFACAD, Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants. Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.