empellon
Empellón is a privately held New York City restaurant group founded in 2011 by Chef Alex Stupak, operating three Mexican-inspired concepts—a Midtown upscale flagship, a West Village taqueria, and an East Village bar—serving dine-in, catering, and private event customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What empellon does
Empellón is a privately held, chef-driven Mexican-inspired restaurant group founded in 2011 by Chef Alex Stupak and operating exclusively in New York City. The group runs three distinct concepts under one brand: an upscale 160-seat flagship at 510 Madison Avenue in Midtown serving contemporary American cuisine with Mexican influences, an extensive agave spirits program, and private dining rooms; Empellón Taqueria & Bar in the West Village, a casual taqueria and bar at 230 West 4th Street; and Empellón Al Pastor in the East Village, a hyper-casual bar at 132 St Marks Place with 18 rotating beers on tap. The portfolio is designed to capture three customer segments—upscale dine-in, casual nightlife, and neighborhood bar—while sharing back-office infrastructure across 11–50 employees.
The business generates revenue primarily through on-premise food and beverage sales at the three locations, with ancillary streams from catering (operated through Toasttab, requiring at least two days advance notice), digital and physical gift cards redeemable across all locations, private dining and event hosting (corporate functions, cocktail receptions, and football watch parties for groups of 12–250), merchandise (t-shirts and apparel), and the published cookbook 'Tacos: Recipes and Provocations' by Chef Stupak. Pricing is per-item with no subscription or membership model; the Midtown lunch prix fixe is set at $45 for three courses, while dinner mains range from $34–87. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer, relying on Resy for reservations, the company website, Instagram, and Chef Stupak's personal Substack newsletter for demand generation.
Empellón's technology stack is minimal and entirely third-party: Resy for table reservations, Toasttab for gift cards and catering orders, Culinary Agents for recruiting, and Google Maps for discovery. There is no proprietary technology, app, or AI capability. Distribution is single-geography (NYC), with no disclosed plans for additional units, institutional investment, franchise operations, or M&A activity. The owner-operator model, chef-led brand, and James Beard / Food & Wine recognition form the core competitive positioning.
empellon firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- empellon
- Legal name
- Empellón
- Website
- https://empellon.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Empellón is a privately held New York City restaurant group founded in 2011 by Chef Alex Stupak, operating three Mexican-inspired concepts—a Midtown upscale flagship, a West Village taqueria, and an East Village bar—serving dine-in, catering, and private event customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
empellon industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mexican Restaurants
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants (THAFACAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Regional/Ethnic Specialty Fast Casual (e.g., Indian, Caribbean, African, Eastern European) (THAFABAM), Fine Dining Restaurants (THAFACAA)
Keywords
Where empellon is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
empellon business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Restaurant Food & Beverage Sales: Primary revenue from selling food and beverages at three restaurant locations in NYC. The Midtown flagship serves upscale Mexican-influenced cuisine for lunch and dinner. The West Village Taqueria and East Village Al Pastor serve casual bar snacks, tacos, margaritas, and cocktails.
- Catering Services: Catering program offers food for events from at-home gatherings to corporate functions. Orders placed through Toasttab platform with at least 2 days advance notice.
- Gift Cards: Digital and physical gift cards sold across all locations. Gift cards usable across all restaurants regardless of purchase origin or listed location.
- Merchandise & Books: Cookbook 'Tacos: Recipes and Provocations' sold through store.empellon.com along with merchandise including t-shirts and apparel.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Dinner menu pricing |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Lunch prix fixe |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Dessert and beverage pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels5 records
empellon product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Empellón is a New York City-based restaurant group founded by Chef Alex Stupak operating three distinct Mexican-inspired dining concepts: an upscale Midtown flagship (510 Madison Avenue, 160 seats), a casual West Village taqueria, and a hyper-casual East Village bar. Beyond dine-in service, the group offers private events, off-premise catering, gift cards, branded merchandise, and a published cookbook.
Product overview
Empellón is a restaurant group operating three Mexican-inspired restaurants and bars in New York City, founded in 2011. The portfolio includes Empellón (Midtown), a flagship upscale restaurant at 510 Madison Avenue serving contemporary American cuisine with Mexican influences; Empellón Taqueria & Bar in the West Village offering casual tacos and bar snacks; and Empellón Al Pastor in the East Village featuring a hyper-casual bar environment. Beyond dining, the group provides private dining and events services, catering for corporate and personal gatherings, and sells merchandise and a cookbook through its online store. The restaurants collectively offer diverse beverage programs centered on margaritas, craft cocktails, and an extensive agave program, with menus focused on innovation, seasonality, and Mexican culinary traditions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Empellón Midtown Flagship Restaurant Two-floor, 160-seat upscale flagship restaurant at 510 Madison Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, serving contemporary American cuisine with Mexican influences. Open daily for lunch and dinner with an extensive agave spirits program, semi-private and private dining rooms, and a $45 prix fixe lunch menu.
- Empellón Taqueria & Bar (West Village) Mexican-inspired casual bar and taqueria at the corner of West 4th Street and 10th Street. Serves mash-up bar snacks and tacos with margaritas, artisanal cocktails, canned beer, and shot specials. Features happy hour 4-6PM and late-night tacos on weekends.
- Empellón Al Pastor (East Village)
Companies that use empellon
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
empellon technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
empellon partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ResycoreResy is the reservation platform used for booking tables at Empellón Midtown and Taqueria locations. Customers book through resy.com for dining reservations.
- ToasttabcoreToasttab powers digital gift cards and catering ordering for all Empellón locations. Orders placed through toasttab.com platform.
- Mighty Oak CoffeeminorMighty Oak Coffee is the coffee provider used at Empellón Midtown for drip coffee, espresso, and other coffee beverages.
- SerendipiteaminorSerendipitea Organic Tea provides tea selections including English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Chamomile, and masala chai for Empellón Midtown.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
empellon competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tacombi: NYC-based Mexican taqueria and casual dining group with multiple locations. Comparable as a multi-location Mexican restaurant operator in New York targeting a similar casual taco-and-margarita occasion.
- Casa Enrique: Michelin-starred Mexican restaurant in Long Island City, also serving elevated Mexican cuisine in the NYC market. Comparable as a chef-credentialed, regional Mexican concept competing for the same upscale diners.
- Cosme: Enrique Olvera's upscale Mexican restaurant in New York City, directly comparable to Empellón Midtown as a chef-driven, contemporary Mexican fine-dining concept serving a similar clientele.
- Javelina Tex-Mex: NYC-based Tex-Mex restaurant and bar concept. Comparable as a Mexican-themed NYC operator with a strong bar/cocktail program and casual to mid-tier check sizes.
- Café Mogador: Long-running NYC Mexican-Moroccan restaurant with locations in the East Village and Williamsburg. Comparable as a neighborhood-focused NYC Mexican concept with a casual-to-mid-tier dining experience.
Others
- Sweetgreen: Multi-location restaurant operator with strong NYC presence and digital-first brand-building playbook. Comparable as a chef- and brand-led restaurant group that has scaled DTC digital ordering and merchandising alongside its core dining operations.
- Catch Hospitality Group: NYC-based multi-concept restaurant and nightlife operator. Comparable as a NYC restaurant group operating differentiated concepts across dining and bar occasions, similar in portfolio strategy to Empellón.
Broad incumbents
- Chipotle Mexican Grill: National fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain. Comparable as a Mexican cuisine operator at scale, though serving a fundamentally different value segment than Empellón's chef-driven concepts.
- Rosa Mexicano: National upscale Mexican restaurant group with multiple U.S. locations including NYC. Comparable as a higher-end Mexican chain overlapping with Empellón's Midtown positioning but operating at a broader geographic scale.
- Union Square Hospitality Group: Danny Meyer's multi-concept NYC restaurant group (including Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, etc.). Comparable as a chef-credibility-driven, multi-location NYC restaurant operator with strong brand equity.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
empellon social profiles
Digital presenceempellon financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
empellon leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
empellon funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
empellon 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 empellon
What does empellon do?
Empellón is a New York City-based restaurant group founded by Chef Alex Stupak operating three distinct Mexican-inspired dining concepts: an upscale Midtown flagship (510 Madison Avenue, 160 seats), a casual West Village taqueria, and a hyper-casual East Village bar. Beyond dine-in service, the group offers private events, off-premise catering, gift cards, branded merchandise, and a published cookbook.
Is empellon a public or private company?
empellon is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was empellon founded?
empellon was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is empellon based?
empellon is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does empellon make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Restaurant Food & Beverage Sales are the primary driver. The others are catering Services, gift Cards and merchandise & Books.
Who are empellon's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tacombi, Casa Enrique, Cosme, Javelina Tex-Mex and Café Mogador. Others are Sweetgreen and Catch Hospitality Group. Broad incumbents are Chipotle Mexican Grill, Rosa Mexicano and Union Square Hospitality Group.
Does empellon have an API?
No public API is recorded for empellon.
What industry is empellon in?
empellon's product category is Mexican Restaurants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFACAD, Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants, with a secondary code of THAFABAM, Regional/Ethnic Specialty Fast Casual (e.g., Indian, Caribbean, African, Eastern European). Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.