Gulu Gulu Cafe

What Gulu Gulu Cafe does

Gulu Gulu Cafe is a privately held, single-location bohemian cafe and craft beer bar operating at 247 Essex Street in Salem, Massachusetts. Founded in 2005 by Steve Feldmann and Marie Feldmannova (inspired by the Prague cafe where they met) with an original site in Lynn, MA, the business relocated to Salem in 2007 and has operated continuously there since. Ownership transferred in 2024 to Jessica and Eric Crescimano, service industry veterans local to Salem. The core offering combines a light food menu (artisan sandwiches, crepes, salads, baked goods), coffee and specialty beverages, and an award-winning craft beer program with a notable Belgian focus, supplemented by cocktails, wine, and cordials (limited by the cafe's Massachusetts cordials license). Programming layers on top of the food-and-beverage base include live music three or more nights per week, an open mic night, Sunday drag brunch, bingo, and monthly rotating local art exhibitions, collectively positioning the venue as a community cultural hub rather than a transactional foodservice operator.

The technology stack is entirely third-party and non-proprietary: the website runs on Squarespace, online ordering and gift card sales are handled through Toasttab, and delivery is fulfilled via GrubHub and UberEats. There is no mobile app, no proprietary digital platform, and no AI/ML capability. The business operates on a walk-in, first-come-first-served basis with no reservations, a maximum party size of six, and extended operating hours (8am-1am Thu-Sat). The brand has accumulated significant regional recognition including 11+ years of Best of Northshore beer menu awards (2009-2025) and six consecutive TripAdvisor Certificates of Excellence (2013-2018), with regular press features in Boston Globe, Zagat, North Shore Magazine, and Travel Channel.

The revenue model is straightforward retail foodservice: per-transaction sales of food, coffee, beer, wine, and cocktails to walk-in customers, supplemented by third-party delivery commissions and direct online pickup orders via Toasttab. There is no subscription, licensing, or enterprise revenue component. Marketing relies almost exclusively on earned media (regional press), community word-of-mouth, Facebook community management for event programming, and the venue's physical presence in Salem's tourist-heavy downtown corridor. Headcount is in the 11-50 range. The customer base is highly local and persona-driven (community/bohemian culture seekers, craft beer enthusiasts, and remote workers), with no enterprise accounts, catering contracts, or wholesale relationships identified.

Name

Gulu Gulu Cafe

Legal name

Gulu Gulu Cafe

Website

https://gulugulucafe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gulu Gulu Cafe is a privately held, single-location bohemian cafe and craft beer bar in downtown Salem, MA, serving light food, coffee, and an award-winning Belgian-focused beer program to local residents, tourists, and the Salem arts community, with live music and rotating art exhibitions layered on top.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Cafe & Craft Beer Bar

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Espresso Bars & Coffee Bars (THAFADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Taprooms & Brewpubs (CRANACAF), Cocktail Lounges & Speakeasies (MPAGAIAD)

Keywords

• Artisan sandwich shop
• Craft beer bar
• Bohemian coffeehouse
• Live music venue
• Light food cafe

Headquarters

HQ city

Salem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Food and Beverage Sales: Primary revenue from selling prepared food items (sandwiches, crepes, salads, baked goods) and beverages (coffee, craft beer, wine, cocktails, cordials). Walk-in and takeout customers.
2. Third-Party Delivery: Revenue share from delivery orders placed through GrubHub and UberEats platforms.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gulu Gulu Cafe is a single-location bohemian cafe and craft beer bar in Salem, MA serving artisan sandwiches, crepes, soups, salads, and baked goods alongside locally brewed coffee, specialty drinks, an award-winning craft beer selection (notable Belgian focus), cordials, wines, and cocktails. The venue supplements its food and beverage offering with live music programming three nights per week, a Sunday drag brunch (Diamonds Dine-In), and monthly rotating local art exhibitions. Online ordering is available through Toasttab, and delivery is provided via GrubHub and UberEats.

Product overview

Gulu Gulu Cafe operates as a single-location bohemian coffeehouse and craft beer bar offering a unified experience across food, beverages, and entertainment. The core offerings include a food menu (breakfast items, sandwiches, salads, baked goods), beverages (locally brewed coffee, specialty drinks), an award-winning beer selection (particularly Belgian beers), cocktails and wines, live music events (Thursday-Saturday nights featuring local musicians and open mic), and rotating local art exhibitions. The cafe uses Toasttab for online ordering and partners with GrubHub and UberEats for delivery services. The entire online presence is powered by Squarespace.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Menu
• Coffee & Non-Alcoholic Drinks Locally brewed coffee, specialty lattes, tea, and other non-alcoholic beverages served throughout the day. Aimed at walk-in customers, remote workers, and casual visitors who want a coffeehouse-style beverage program anchored in local roasters.
• Craft Beer Menu Award-winning craft beer selection featuring an extensive Belgian and specialty lineup, including hard-to-find drafts and bottles. Targeted at craft beer enthusiasts seeking curated, award-recognized beer choices rather than standard bar offerings.
• Cocktails, Cordials & Wine Wine list, crafted cocktails, and cordials (sweet liquors enabled by the cafe's cordials license) available to dine-in guests. Targeted at evening and weekend customers looking for non-beer alcoholic options.
• Live Music & Performance Events Regularly scheduled live music, open mic nights, themed music events, bingo, karaoke, and a weekly Sunday drag brunch featuring local performers. Targeted at Salem-area audiences seeking a bohemian evening entertainment venue.
• Rotating Local Art Exhibitions Monthly curated exhibitions of local artists on the cafe's walls, with artist reception events and an open application process for featured artists. Targeted at local artists, art patrons, and community members who value the cafe as a rotating gallery space.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• GrubHubminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery partnership allowing customers to order delivery through GrubHub platform. Not available on weekends (Fridays-Sundays) in October.
• UberEatsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery partnership allowing customers to order delivery through UberEats platform. Not available on weekends (Fridays-Sundays) in October.
• ToasttabcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline ordering platform for pickup orders. Gift card sales also available through Toasttab. Online ordering may be disabled during peak business periods.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Render Coffee: Specialty coffee bar in the Salem, MA area focused on craft coffee and a community gathering environment. Comparable as a local North Shore independent cafe competing for similar coffee-and-third-place demand in the same geography.
• Crema Cafe: Independent Cambridge, MA cafe serving coffee, sandwiches, salads, and baked goods. Directly comparable as an independent cafe with a food-forward menu in the Greater Boston market, serving a similar community/remote-worker customer base.
• The Thinking Cup: Boston-based independent specialty coffeehouse with a community/remote-worker focus and light food menu. Comparable as a non-chain neighborhood cafe emphasizing atmosphere, WiFi, and a curated experience over commodity coffee.
• Voltage Coffee & Art: Cambridge, MA coffee shop integrating rotating local art exhibitions with specialty coffee and light food. Highly comparable concept that combines cafe operations with an artist showcase program, mirroring Gulu Gulu's art-on-the-walls model.
• Tatte Bakery & Cafe: Boston/Cambridge-based artisan cafe and bakery serving coffee, sandwiches, salads, and pastries in a designed interior space. Directly comparable as an upscale independent cafe concept with a strong regional brand, food-led menu, and walk-in third-place positioning.

Emerging players

• Aeronaut Brewing Company: Somerville, MA brewery and taproom offering craft beer, food, and community events. Comparable as an independent craft beer venue in the Greater Boston area that combines beverage service with food and cultural programming.
• Tree House Brewing Company: Massachusetts craft brewery with destination taprooms offering food and an experiential atmosphere. Comparable as a craft beer destination with strong brand identity and community following, analogous to Gulu Gulu's award-winning beer reputation.
• Night Shift Brewing: Everett, MA craft brewery with a taproom serving food and rotating events. Comparable as a Greater Boston craft beverage venue that pairs beer with food service and community programming, overlapping Gulu Gulu's craft beer and event-driven identity.
• Lamplighter Brewing Company: Cambridge, MA craft brewery with a taproom serving pizza and other food. Comparable as a craft beverage and food venue in the Greater Boston market that competes for similar craft beer + casual food demand.

Broad incumbents

• Trillium Brewing Company: Established Greater Boston craft brewery operating multiple taprooms with food service. Comparable as a larger, broader craft beverage operator in the same region that overlaps Gulu Gulu's craft beer bar function, though with significantly greater scale and a multi-location footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gulugulucafe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gulu-gulu-corporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Gulu Gulu Cafe