Doolittles Woodfire Grill

What Doolittles Woodfire Grill does

Doolittles Woodfire Grill is a privately held American casual dining restaurant operator founded in 1989 and headquartered under parent company Roca Restaurants in Bloomington, Minnesota. The company operates three restaurant locations — Eagan MN, Golden Valley MN, and Fargo ND — each featuring woodfired rotisserie cooking as its signature technique, with the open-flame rotisserie positioned as a dining-room centerpiece. The menu spans appetizers, bowls, salads, woodfire entrees (including Spit-Roasted Chicken and award-winning Woodfire Buffalo Wings), steaks, seafood, sandwiches, burgers, pasta, and desserts, supported by a full bar program (cocktails, mocktails, wine, beer, happy hour). Hours run 11am–10pm weekdays (11pm Fri/Sat) with limited lunch specials Mon-Fri 11am-2pm.

The business operates four primary revenue streams: dine-in service (with reservations and patio seating), online ordering for pickup and delivery via third-party platforms DoorDash and Grubhub, private and semi-private event dining (Fireplace Rooms seating 35-80 guests plus atrium/bar options), and gift card sales (physical plastic and digital eCards through SecureTree). Each location is staffed by a dedicated General Manager and Executive Chef, with corporate-level support from a Corporate Chef, regional managers (east/west), and regional training chefs. The company is co-owned by Lynn Reimer and John Sheehan under a hands-on ownership approach.

The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer with no third-party retail or distribution partners beyond delivery aggregators. Marketing is conducted through an in-house eNewsletter (1-2 emails/month), organic social media, website content, and event marketing for private dining. The "Citizen for Life" program ties the signature Mudslide Pie to quarterly charitable donations ($1 per pie to rotating nonprofit partners including the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, NEXUS Family Healing, Adult & Teen Challenge, and regional food banks), serving as a community-engagement anchor. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; menu PDFs exist but price points are not surfaced in the input data.

Name

Doolittles Woodfire Grill

Legal name

Doolittles Woodfire Grill

Website

https://doolittles.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Doolittles Woodfire Grill is a privately held Minnesota-based casual dining operator, founded in 1989 under parent Roca Restaurants, running three woodfired rotisserie restaurants in Eagan MN, Golden Valley MN, and Fargo ND serving consumer diners and event bookers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casual Dining Restaurants

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Farm-to-Table & Contemporary American Restaurants (THAFACAF)

Keywords

• Casual dining restaurant
• Woodfire rotisserie cooking
• American grill restaurant
• Private event dining
• Online food ordering

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Service: Traditional restaurant dine-in service at three Minnesota/North Dakota locations. Doors open at 11am daily. Reservations encouraged but not required. Full bar service with cocktails, wine, and beer.
2. Online Ordering: Online ordering for pickup and delivery through DoorDash and Grubhub platforms. Pickup orders have no fees; delivery orders may incur fees.
3. Event Dining: Private and semi-private dining spaces for events. Fireplace Room available at each location (seats 35-80 guests), plus semi-private options.
4. Gift Cards: Traditional plastic gift cards delivered via mail and eCards delivered instantly or pre-scheduled. Sold through SecureTree platform.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Doolittles Woodfire Grill operates three casual dining restaurants in Minnesota (Eagan, Golden Valley) and North Dakota (Fargo) featuring woodfired rotisserie cooking as the culinary centerpiece. The restaurants serve an American menu of rotisserie chicken, ribs, steaks, seafood, burgers, sandwiches, pasta, salads, and desserts, alongside a full bar. The company also provides online pickup and delivery ordering through DoorDash and Grubhub, hosts private and semi-private event dining, and sells gift cards through the SecureTree platform.

Product overview

Doolittles Woodfire Grill is a Minnesota-based restaurant company operating three locations (Eagan MN, Golden Valley MN, and Fargo ND) under the parent company Roca Restaurants. The core offering is American dining featuring woodfired rotisserie cooking, with rotisserie chicken and award-winning Woodfire Buffalo Wings as signature items. The product portfolio includes the main restaurant service, online ordering via DoorDash and Grubhub integrations, event dining facilities with private and semi-private spaces, gift cards (plastic and digital), and comprehensive menu offerings spanning Appetizers, Bowls, Salads, Woodfire entrees, Steaks, Seafood, Sandwiches, Burgers, Pasta, and Desserts. The company also offers Bar Menu, Lunch Specials, Kids Menu, and a Dessert Menu as supporting offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dine-In Restaurant Service Full-service casual dining at three locations (Eagan MN, Golden Valley MN, Fargo ND) featuring a woodfired rotisserie cooking method as the centerpiece, with American menu offerings for individual consumers, families, and walk-in guests. Reservations are encouraged but not required, and doors open daily at 11am.
• Online Ordering for Pickup and Delivery Online ordering service available through DoorDash for both pickup (no fees) and delivery (fees may apply), with the menu also featured on Grubhub for delivery. Designed for individual consumers who want Doolittles' rotisserie and American menu items off-premise.
• Event Dining (Private and Semi-Private) Private and semi-private event dining at all three locations featuring spaces such as the Fireplace Room (seats 35-80), Atrium, South Dining, and Bar Area for parties, corporate dining, birthday parties, and celebrations, staffed by experienced event personnel.
• Gift Cards Two gift card options for individual and gifting consumers: a traditional plastic Gift Card delivered via mail, and an eCard delivered instantly or pre-scheduled to an inbox, both sold through the SecureTree platform.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Pancreatic Cancer Action NetworkminorOthersCitizen for Life charitable partner receiving $1 donation from every Mudslide Pie sold during July 1 - September 30 quarter. Supports pancreatic cancer research and awareness.
• NEXUS Family HealingminorOthersCitizen for Life charitable partner receiving $1 donation from every Mudslide Pie sold during April 1 - June 30 quarter. Organization focused on helping children and families.
• Great Plains Food BankminorOthersCitizen for Life charitable partner (visible in partner logos). Supports local food security initiatives in the Fargo region.
• 2 HarvestminorOthersCitizen for Life charitable partner (visible in partner logos). Regional food bank organization supporting local food shelves.
• The Open Door PantryminorOthersCitizen for Life charitable partner (visible in partner logos). Local food pantry organization.
• Adult & Teen ChallengeminorOthersCitizen for Life charitable partner receiving $1 donation from every Mudslide Pie sold during October 1 - December 31 quarter. Organization helping individuals overcome life-controlling problems.
• Local Food ShelvesminorOthersCitizen for Life charitable partner receiving $1 donation from every Mudslide Pie sold during January 1 - March 31 quarter.
• Minnesota Timberwolves & LynxminorOthersPartner organization (visible in partner logos). Sports team partnership supporting the local Minnesota community.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Famous Dave's: Casual American BBQ and wood-smokehouse chain featuring live-fire smoking as the centerpiece cooking method. Comparable fire-cooking narrative, full-bar service, and private event space offerings.
• Texas Roadhouse: Casual American steakhouse chain using open-flame grilling as a brand pillar, with fire-cooked steaks, ribs, and chicken. Comparable fire-kitchen identity, casual full-service model, and family/casual-dinner use cases.
• Boston Market: Rotisserie-focused American casual dining chain centered on wood- and oven-roasted chicken as the menu anchor. Most direct comparison to Doolittles' open-flame rotisserie centerpiece and self-basting cooking technique.

Emerging players

• El Pollo Loco: Fast-casual chain centered on fire-grilled citrus-marinated rotisserie chicken with drive-thru and delivery. Direct rotisserie-cooking parallel though faster service model and different price tier.
• Fogo de Chão: Premium Brazilian steakhouse built around open-flame wood-fired rotisserie carving at the table. Highly comparable wood-fire cooking centerpiece and experiential dining model, though upscale price point and broader footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Outback Steakhouse: Large national casual dining chain specializing in flame-grilled steaks and American fare with full bar. Overlaps on casual full-service model, fire-grilled protein focus, and event/group dining, though broader menu and much larger footprint.
• Cracker Barrel: National casual American dining chain with broad comfort-food menu, full bar in some locations, and gift card programs. Comparable family/casual positioning and multi-generational appeal, though larger scale and broader footprint.
• Applebee's: Long-standing national casual dining chain serving American fare with full bar, online ordering, and gift cards. Comparable menu breadth, dine-in-plus-delivery model, and event/gift card revenue diversification, though far larger footprint.

Regional players

• Perkins Restaurant & Bakery: Midwestern-based casual dining chain with bakery, breakfast through dinner menu, and a strong regional presence that overlaps Doolittles' Minnesota/North Dakota footprint. Comparable regional guest base and casual family dining positioning.
• Cafe Steam (or another Minnesota-based casual chain): Regional Upper Midwest casual dining competitors operating in the Minnesota market. Provide direct head-to-head competition for the same local guest base, dinner day-part, and suburban trade areas Doolittles serves.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/doolittles-woodfire-grill

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Doolittles Woodfire Grill