Fire & Rice

Name

Fire & Rice

Legal name

Fire & Rice

Website

https://fireandrice.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fire & Rice is a Naples, Florida-based paella catering and food service company founded in 2011, offering on-site live-cooked paella for private events and selling at farmers markets, with a franchise network across at least seven US states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Paella Catering Services

NAICS

Caterers (722320), Food Service Contractors (722310)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Chef & In-Home Dining Services (HSACAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Culinary Experiences (Chef’s Table, Home Dining, Market-to-Meal) (THAJALAH), Local Chef/Restaurant Meal Boxes & Marketplace Prepared Meals (CRAHAJAI)

Keywords

• Paella catering
• Food truck operations
• Farmers market sales
• Restaurant franchising
• Artisanal hot sauce

Headquarters

HQ city

Naples

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Catering & Private Events: On-site paella catering for private parties, corporate events, and weddings. Provides full-service experience including cooking, serving, and cleanup with plates, utensils, and napkins included.
2. Farmers Market Sales: Direct paella sales at farmers markets in Naples, Marco Island, and Vanderbilt. Online pre-ordering available for pickup at market booths. Prices range from $14-29 for individual servings.
3. Hot Sauce & Merchandise: Artisanal hot sauce sold at $8 per bottle at farmers markets and online. Small-batch handcrafted products.
4. Franchise Royalties: Franchise model with locations in Michigan (Lansing, Ann Arbor), South Carolina (Low Country), and others. Franchisees pay for systems and processes to operate Fire & Rice parties.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fire & Rice provides on-site paella catering for private parties, weddings, and corporate events, where chefs cook authentic Spanish paella live in shallow open pans using imported saffron and Calasparra rice. The company also sells individual paella servings directly at Southwest Florida farmers' markets (Third Street, Vanderbilt, Marco Island) and licenses its paella-party operating system to franchisees across multiple US states.

Product overview

Fire & Rice is a paella-focused food service company offering on-site catering, food truck operations, and farmers' market sales across multiple U.S. locations. The core product portfolio includes various paella varieties (Mixta, Valencia, Paella de Marisco) along with tapas menu items and an artisanal hot sauce. The company operates through a franchise model with locations in Florida, Michigan, South Carolina, and Connecticut, providing paella preparation and communal dining experiences for private events and public markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Paella Catering Services
• Food Truck Operations
• Farmers' Market Paella Sales
• Mixta Paella
• Paella Valencia
• Paella de Marisco
• Fire & Rice Hot Sauce
• Tapas Menu
• Fire & Rice Franchise Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 15,000 patrons served at single festival event
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Rotary District 6960minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Fire & Rice partnered with Rotary District 6960 to provide nourishment to Hurricane Milton relief workers in Venice, Florida. Cooked and served over 200 hot meals to those working to restore the community.
• Bonnaroo Music FestivalminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2023Featured food vendor at Bonnaroo 2023 in Tennessee. Introduced new hot sauce brand at the festival.
• Naples Craft Beer FestcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual participation at Naples Craft Beer Festival, competing for People's Choice and Grand Champion awards. Festival benefits Naples North Rotary Club foundation.
• CME Group Tour ChampionshipcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerServed as host caterer during LPGA Tour season-ending championship at Tiburón Golf Club in Naples.
• Naples North Rotary ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing charitable partnership supporting fundraising events including Barn Dance for Naples Equestrian Challenge. Proceeds support special rider therapy programs.
• Surfers for AutismminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteered food services for Surfers for Autism event at Barefoot Beach, feeding hundreds of participants.
• Children's Advocacy Center of Collier CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided paella catering for live auction fundraising events benefiting abused children in Collier County.
• St. Matthews HouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided food donations and support for homeless shelter programs in Naples area.
• Grace PlaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonated catering services for fundraising events supporting community development programs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Aramark: Global food services and facilities company providing catering, concessions, and food service contracts to enterprises, sports venues, and events. Comparable to Fire & Rice's enterprise catering arm (e.g., CME Tour Championship) but at vastly larger scale and broader cuisine portfolio.
• Sodexo: Large multinational food service and facilities management contractor serving corporate, healthcare, education, and event clients. Comparable in event and contract catering model, though operates at scale with broader cuisine and service offerings.
• Compass Group: World's largest contract foodservice company with operations across corporate, sports, leisure, and education catering. Comparable to Fire & Rice in contract catering and event hospitality revenue streams, though as a broad incumbent rather than a niche specialist.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill: Large publicly-traded fast-casual franchise model centered on a focused cuisine (Mexican). Comparable to Fire & Rice's franchise expansion approach and single-cuisine brand positioning, though at vastly greater scale and a different daypart and price-point.
• Tijuana Flats: Franchise Tex-Mex fast-casual chain with regional Southeast U.S. concentration. Comparable to Fire & Rice in franchise unit model and Florida regional origin, though operating in restaurant format rather than catering/events.
• Moe's Southwest Grill: Franchise-based fast-casual chain serving Tex-Mex cuisine with a focused menu and franchise unit growth. Comparable to Fire & Rice in franchise-driven scale-out model and cuisine specialization, though at significantly larger footprint and lower price point.

Others

• Bonefish Grill: Casual-dining seafood restaurant chain. Adjacent comparable through overlapping seafood ingredient expertise (relevant to Fire & Rice's Paella de Marisco) and Florida market overlap, but operates in dine-in format rather than catering/events.

Direct peers

• Paella Guys: U.S.-based paella-focused catering and food-truck operator offering on-site live paella cooking for private events. Most directly comparable to Fire & Rice in product (paella), delivery model (live on-site cooking), and target market (private parties, corporate events).
• Paella Ole: Paella catering specialist serving events with traditional Spanish recipes. Comparable to Fire & Rice in cuisine focus, event-driven catering model, and reliance on authentic Spanish cooking methodology as a brand differentiator.

Emerging players

• Bolay: Emerging fast-casual franchise concept serving build-your-own bowls with a focused menu. Comparable to Fire & Rice as a smaller, growing franchise food concept pursuing unit expansion with a streamlined cuisine narrative.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FireandRiceFranchises

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 Fire & Rice