River Street Jazz Cafe

What River Street Jazz Cafe does

River Street Jazz Cafe is a privately held live music venue and restaurant established in 1993 in Plains, Pennsylvania (Northeastern Pennsylvania / NEPA). For more than three decades it has operated as the region's premier intimate live entertainment venue, hosting over 2,000 shows that span legendary legacy acts (Maynard Ferguson, Lionel Hampton, Leon Russell, Average White Band, Jefferson Starship, Breaking Benjamin), contemporary touring artists (Billy Strings, Goose), an extensive roster of tribute bands (Tool, Oasis, CCR, Billy Joel/Elton John, Grateful Dead), and regional favorites (Cabinet, Clarence Spady, Strawberry Jam).

The core product offering is a live performance experience built on a touring-grade sound and lighting infrastructure: a 32-channel Behringer X-32 digital mixing console, RCF HDL 20 line array mains, eight EV PXM-12MP powered floor monitors, a Telefunken/Sennheiser drum mic package, and an Enigma lighting console driving LED wash and spot fixtures. This technical platform differentiates the venue within its regional market. Revenue is generated through three primary streams: ticket sales ($10 general admission up to $40 premium touring acts, with advance and day-of-show pricing tiers, distributed via HoldMyTicket and at the door), food and beverage service (full kitchen and bar open before and during shows), and special-event catering packages ($54-$67 multi-course dinners with partner caterers Grico's and Bank+Vine for events such as New Year's Eve).

The venue operates as part of the Friedman Hospitality Group portfolio of restaurants and venues in NEPA. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through online ticketing, door sales, and phone/text/email dinner reservations; marketing leverages Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, email newsletter, and a music blog. The company serves local and regional music enthusiasts in NEPA plus performing artists seeking a professionally-equipped intimate venue, with no disclosed geographic expansion, no funding history, and no AI/ML capabilities.

Name

River Street Jazz Cafe

Legal name

The River Street Jazz Cafe

Website

https://riverstreetjazzcafe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

River Street Jazz Cafe is an intimate live music venue and full-service restaurant in Plains, Pennsylvania, serving Northeastern Pennsylvania music enthusiasts and touring/regional performing artists with professional sound and lighting, ticketed shows ($10-$67), food and beverage service, and special-event catering.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Musical Groups and Artists (711130)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Live Music Clubs & Venues (MPAGAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Live Music Bars & Venues (CRANACAH), Live Music Venues & Concert Bars (THAFAEAD)

Keywords

• Live music venue
• Concert ticketing
• Food and beverage service
• Tribute band performances
• Private event booking

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilkes Barre

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from advance and day-of-show ticket sales for live performances, priced between $10-$40 depending on act and timing of purchase
2. Food & Beverage Sales: Kitchen operations serving food before and during shows, full-service bar with beer and mixed drinks, reservations recommended for dinner seating
3. Table Reservations: Reserved dinner seating for shows, available via phone, text, or email reservation system
4. Special Event Catering Packages: Premium dining packages for special events such as New Year's Eve with multi-course dinner options at higher price points ($54-$67)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

River Street Jazz Cafe operates an intimate live music venue that hosts ticketed performances by regional, national, and tribute acts across genres such as rock, jazz, blues, and jam. The venue combines live entertainment with a full-service kitchen and bar serving food before and during shows, dinner table reservations, and premium special-event dinner packages.

Product overview

River Street Jazz Cafe is an intimate live music venue established in 1993 in Plains, Pennsylvania, offering a unified experience combining live music performances, food service, and event ticketing. The venue operates as a single establishment featuring multiple interconnected offerings: live music shows hosting local and national acts across various genres, a full-service restaurant and bar with a menu of bar food and comfort items, and event ticketing through third-party platforms. The venue also provides booking opportunities for musicians and maintains an archive of recordings. The experience centers on the intimate performance space with professional sound and lighting systems, complemented by dining options available before and during shows.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2000 shows hosted since 1993
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HoldMyTicketcoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party ticketing platform used for online ticket sales for all shows. Provides online sales infrastructure, e-ticketing, and door sales tracking with convenience fees built into ticket pricing.
• Grico'sminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatering partner for special events, providing dinner menu options for events like New Year's Eve celebrations at River Street Jazz Cafe.
• Bank+Vine RestaurantminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatering partner providing dinner service for specific shows like the Good Stuff Steely Dan tribute event.
• Friedman Hospitality GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company and property management group overseeing the venue along with multiple other establishments including The Beaumont Inn, Grico's, Kevin's, Cork Bar & Restaurant, Fire and Ice, Le Manhattan Bistro, The Green at Irem Club, and The 16th Ward.
• Friedman Property ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProperty management company and parent organization for Friedman Hospitality Group establishments including River Street Jazz Cafe.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Brooklyn Bowl: Multi-location live music venue-bowling-alley concept founded in Brooklyn with food service and touring acts. Comparable live-music-plus-F&B model but at materially larger scale and broader operational footprint.

Direct peers

• World Cafe Live: Philadelphia-based live music venue and restaurant offering ticketed performances with full food and beverage service. Closest comparable Pennsylvania peer with overlapping music programming, food-driven model, and ticketing approach.
• The Sinclair: Cambridge, MA restaurant and live music venue with full food service and national touring acts. Comparable multi-tier ticket pricing, intimate capacity, and genre-bending programming approach.
• Cafe Lena: Historic Saratoga Springs, NY coffeehouse and live music venue hosting folk, jazz, and Americana acts for over 60 years. Highly comparable long-tenured, intimate venue with a notable heritage artist roster.
• Sweetwater Music Hall: Mill Valley, CA intimate live music venue with full bar and food service hosting national touring acts. Comparable intimate-capacity model with full F&B programming and tiered ticketing.
• The Stone Pony: Iconic intimate live music venue in Asbury Park, NJ combining live performances with food and beverage service. Directly comparable to River Street Jazz Cafe in size, concept (intimate stage, national touring acts, F&B), and regional East Coast positioning.
• Rams Head On Stage: Intimate seated venue in Annapolis, MD hosting national touring acts with full dinner service. Comparable intimate-capacity model with premium dining attached, similar to River Street Jazz Cafe's reserved dinner + show structure.
• The Ardmore Music Hall: Suburban Philadelphia music venue hosting national touring acts with table seating and full bar service. Directly comparable in capacity, ticketing model, and combination of dining + live music to River Street Jazz Cafe.

Others

• Powerhouse Brewing / Brewws Taproom: Sister properties under Friedman Hospitality Group that share operational support, customer base, and cross-promotion with River Street Jazz Cafe. Most relevant for understanding corporate context rather than direct competition.
• HoldMyTicket: Ticketing platform partner that powers River Street Jazz Cafe's online ticket sales. Relevant ecosystem player enabling the venue's e-commerce distribution rather than a competing venue.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/results?search_query=river+street+jazz+cafe
• Facebookfacebook.com/riverstreetjazzcafe
• Instagraminstagram.com/riverstreetjazzcafe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/river-street-jazz-cafe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 River Street Jazz Cafe