Dan & Louis Oyster Bar

What Dan & Louis Oyster Bar does

Dan & Louis Oyster Bar is a historic Portland, Oregon seafood restaurant established in 1907 by Louis C. Wachsmuth and continuously operated by the Wachsmuth family for five generations. The restaurant operates from a single downtown location at 208 Southwest Ankeny Street, featuring three dining rooms — the sailing-ship-themed Main room (built 1937), the Galley (originally the Reserve, built 1940 and renovated 2017), and outdoor sidewalk seating — and houses historical artifacts including the Captain's Wheel from the S.S. Brother Jonathan shipwreck. It serves local Portland residents, regional visitors, and tourists drawn by its 119+ year heritage, with a menu built around fresh Northwest oysters, Pacific Northwest seafood, traditional New England clam chowder, oyster stew, and a full bar program featuring Oregon craft beers and regional wines.

The core product offering spans roughly 20 menu items including raw oysters on the half shell ($18/half dozen, $35/dozen), oysters Rockefeller and Parmesan ($13 each), clam chowder ($8–$13), oyster stew ($9–$16), fish & chips ($22–$31), and entrées such as seafood gumbo, prawn sauté, and seafood cioppino ($24–$30). Digital infrastructure is provided entirely through third-party SaaS platforms — Spoton handles online ordering and eGift Cards, while SpotHopper manages the website, email marketing, and social media. The company has no proprietary technology, no patents, no AI/ML capabilities, no mobile app, and no disclosed data assets; its primary differentiator is the historical authenticity of five-generation family recipes passed down unchanged.

The revenue model is a traditional brick-and-mortar restaurant operation with four streams: dine-in service (primary, pay-as-you-go), online ordering and takeout via Spoton, catering and private event hosting, and a happy hour program (Mon/Thu/Fri 4–6pm). Pricing is à la carte unit pricing across the menu. The business is privately held by the Wachsmuth family with no outside investors, no funding rounds, and no parent company. Customer segments split across general public diners (primary), private event hosters (mid-market), and catering customers. The restaurant operates with restricted hours (closed Tuesday and Wednesday), reflecting a maintainable single-location footprint rather than an expansion-oriented growth posture.

Name

Dan & Louis Oyster Bar

Legal name

Dan & Louis Oyster Bar

Website

https://danandlouis.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1907

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dan & Louis Oyster Bar is a historic Portland seafood restaurant founded in 1907 and operated by the Wachsmuth family for five generations. The single-location establishment serves Pacific Northwest oysters, seafood entrées, and traditional chowders to local diners, tourists, and private event clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Seafood Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Steakhouses & Seafood Restaurants (THAFACAE)

Keywords

• Seafood restaurant service
• Fresh oyster dishes
• Pacific Northwest seafood
• Private event catering
• Historic dining establishment

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Restaurant Service: Traditional sit-down restaurant service with full menu including oysters, seafood, sandwiches, and entrées. Revenue from food and beverage sales during operating hours.
2. Online Ordering and Takeout: Customer orders through Spoton online platform for pickup and potentially delivery. One-time transaction-based revenue.
3. Catering and Events: Private party hosting and catering services for groups and celebrations. Bookable through the restaurant's party reservations system.
4. Happy Hour Program: Monday, Thursday, and Friday afternoon happy hour with discounted oysters, beer, wine, and appetizers from 4pm-6pm.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Dan & Louis Oyster Bar runs a historic full-service seafood restaurant in downtown Portland, Oregon, serving fresh oysters (raw on the half shell, Rockefeller, Parmesan, and oyster stew), New England clam chowder, fish & chips, Prawn Sauté, Seafood Gumbo, Seafood Cioppino, sandwiches, salads, and a full bar featuring Oregon craft beers and regional wines. Operations span dine-in service across three historic dining rooms, online ordering for takeout, table reservations, catering, and private event hosting.

Product overview

Dan & Louis Oyster Bar is a historic Portland seafood restaurant (est. 1907) operated by the Wachsmuth family for five generations. The core offering is dine-in restaurant service featuring fresh oysters (served raw, Rockefeller, Parmesan, or in stew), premium seafood entrees (Seafood Gumbo, Prawn Sautée, Seafood Cioppino, Fish & Chips), and a full bar with Oregon craft beers and wines. Additional services include online ordering via SpotOn platform, table reservations, catering, and private event hosting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dine-In Restaurant Service Full-service seafood restaurant offering fresh oysters, seafood platters, fish & chips, grilled fish, sandwiches, salads, soups and stews, and a full bar with Oregon craft beers and regional wines across three historic dining rooms in downtown Portland.
• Online Ordering for Takeout Customer-direct online ordering system enabled by the SpotOn platform, allowing guests to place takeout orders for pickup from Dan & Louis Oyster Bar.
• Fresh Northwest Oysters on the Half Shell Fresh shucked Northwest oysters served raw on the half shell, sourced from Pacific Northwest waters including Yaquina Bay and Willapa Bay, available year-round in half-dozen ($18) or dozen ($35) portions.
• Signature Oyster Preparations (Rockefeller and Parmesan) Baked oyster signature dishes including Oysters Rockefeller ($13) baked with spinach, shallots, garlic, bacon and Gruyere cheese, and Oysters Parmesan ($13) baked with garlic butter and Parmesan cheese.
• Traditional New England Clam Chowder Traditional creamy New England-style clam chowder, gluten free, served in cup ($8) or bowl ($13) portions.
• Oyster Stew Made from Louis' original seasoned stew milk (whole milk, butter and seasoning) with large oysters floating in the broth, offered in Cup (2 oysters, $9), Bowl (3 oysters, $13), Large Bowl (4 oysters, $15), and Triple Bowl (5 oysters, $16); gluten free.
• Premium Seafood Entrees (Traditional Fry, Seafood Gumbo, Prawn Sauté, Seafood Cioppino) Entrees include Traditional Fry (Fish & Chips, $22-$31), Seafood Gumbo with prawns, cod, calamari and okra ($24), Prawn Sauté in garlic and white wine cream sauce ($26), and Seafood Cioppino in tomato-red wine broth with shrimp, cod, calamari, mussels, and clams ($30).
• Full Bar Service (Beer, Wine, Cocktails) Full bar service featuring draft beer ($7), bottles/cans ($5-$7), wines by the glass or bottle ($10-$55) including regional selections from Columbia Winery and Erath, and cocktails ($8-$12).
• Private Events and Parties Group reservations and private party hosting for celebrations, corporate events, and intimate gatherings at the historic restaurant venue across the Main dining room, Galley dining room, and outdoor seating.
• Catering Services Off-site catering services for events and gatherings utilizing the restaurant's authentic seafood recipes and Portland seafood heritage.
• Table Reservations Online table reservation system allowing guests to book tables in advance via the SpotOn reservation platform.
• Digital Gift Cards Digital gift cards sold through the SpotOn eGift Cards platform for use at Dan & Louis Oyster Bar.

Quantifiable outcome

• Oregon native oysters available year-round (defying traditional 'R-month' oyster myth due to clean, cold Yaquina Bay waters)

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• SpotHopperminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWebsite design, social media marketing, and email marketing services provider. SpotHopper manages the restaurant's digital presence and online marketing operations.
• SpotoncoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides online ordering platform and eGift Cards system. The restaurant uses Spoton for direct customer ordering through order.spoton.com and gift card distribution.
• Portland Cider Co.minorOthersPortland-based cidery offering seasonal and Kinda Dry cider on draft at the restaurant.
• Columbia WineryminorOthersWashington State winery featured in wine selections and wine flight. Offers Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Red Blend at the restaurant.
• ErathminorOthersWillamette Valley winery supplying Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris for the restaurant's wine program.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• Legal Sea Foods: Established East Coast seafood restaurant chain with deep oyster heritage. Comparable as a heritage seafood brand with full bar and oyster program, though operating in a different geography and as a multi-unit chain rather than a single landmark.
• King's Fish House: West Coast seafood restaurant group with extensive oyster and shellfish menus. Comparable seafood category and oyster-heavy offering, with broader geographic footprint and chain operations versus Dan & Louis's single-location heritage model.
• McCormick & Schmick's Seafood & Steaks: National multi-unit seafood and steakhouse chain with multiple Portland-area locations. Comparable seafood/oyster menu and full-service format, but operates at broader scale without the single-landmark heritage story.
• The Oceanaire Seafood Room: Upscale national seafood restaurant chain featuring fresh fish and oyster bars. Comparable seafood-first full-service positioning and oyster bar focus, but operating as a broader chain rather than a single-location Portland landmark.

Direct peers

• Southpark Seafood: Portland seafood-focused restaurant and bar emphasizing sustainable Pacific Northwest sourcing and oyster program. Closely comparable seafood category, Portland geography, and oyster-forward menu positioning.
• Higgins Restaurant and Bar: Long-standing Portland institution focused on Pacific Northwest cuisine with strong oyster and seafood offerings. Comparable heritage positioning, Portland downtown presence, and farm/sea-to-table sourcing narrative.
• Flying Fish Restaurant: Portland sustainable seafood restaurant with a long-running oyster and shellfish program. Directly comparable Pacific Northwest seafood category, Portland market, and full-service oyster bar format.
• Jake's Famous Crawfish: Historic Portland seafood restaurant operating since 1892, serving Pacific Northwest oysters, seafood, and cocktails in a downtown location. Directly comparable as another multi-generational Portland seafood landmark competing for the same downtown diner and tourist base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/282045985403
• Instagraminstagram.com/oysterbarpdx

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Dan & Louis Oyster Bar