Yats
Yats is a privately held, founder-owned fast-casual Cajun and Creole restaurant chain operating 15 counter-service locations across Indiana and Ohio, serving rotating New Orleans-style dishes on rice under $10 to general consumers, with catering and food truck add-ons.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersIndianapolis, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Yats does
Yats is a privately held, founder-owned fast-casual restaurant chain serving New Orleans-style Cajun and Creole cuisine, headquartered in Indianapolis and operating 15 storefronts across Indiana and Ohio plus a mobile food truck in Columbus, OH. The company was founded in 2002 by Joe Vuskovich, a New Orleans native who previously operated the 700-seat oyster bar Visko's and Jozo's in Lexington, KY. Yats employs a counter-service model with a rotating chalkboard menu of 7-10 saucy stews and étouffées served over rice with a slice of Cajun buttered baguette, and uses a deliberately simple two-tier pricing structure (single plate or combination of two plates, both under $10).
The core product is the dine-in and takeout restaurant experience, augmented by a formalized catering service ($6-$8 per person for groups of 30+) staffed by regional 'party bosses' in Central Indiana and Columbus, OH, and a Columbus-based food truck. The menu includes the signature Chili Cheese Étouffée with Crawfish, Vegan White Chili, Gumbo, and the vegetarian B&B (Black Beans and Caramelized Corn), with explicit vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free options that broaden the addressable consumer base. Distribution combines physical retail, online ordering via third-party platforms (GetYomojo, Total Takeout, Street Food Finder), and event catering.
The revenue model is straightforward unit-pricing retail: per-meal payments under $10 for counter-service transactions, plus per-head catering fees and food truck sales. The customer base is horizontal — general consumers, college students, families, and event organizers — with no enterprise contracts or named B2B accounts. Yats is family-operated (Joe and Regina Vuskovich), reports 11-50 employees at the firmographic level, has no disclosed institutional funding, and has built its footprint entirely through organic unit expansion rather than franchising or external capital.
Yats firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Yats
- Legal name
- Yats
- Website
- https://yatscajuncreole.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Yats is a privately held, founder-owned fast-casual Cajun and Creole restaurant chain operating 15 counter-service locations across Indiana and Ohio, serving rotating New Orleans-style dishes on rice under $10 to general consumers, with catering and food truck add-ons.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Yats is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Indianapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices13 records
Markets served
Yats business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Dine-in and Takeout Sales: Core revenue from counter service restaurant sales. Customers order and pay at counter, receiving hot plates of Cajun/Creole dishes for dine-in or takeout. Meals priced under $10 for single plate or combination of two plates.
- Catering Services: Catering for parties and events. Pricing around $6-$8 per person for groups larger than 30 people. Regional party contacts manage catering inquiries for Central Indiana and Columbus, OH areas.
- Food Truck Operations: Mobile food truck serving Columbus, OH market. Provides food at events and public locations with condensed menu of popular dishes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single plate meal |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Combination plate (two dishes) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Catering per person |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels2 records
Yats product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Yats operates a fast-casual Cajun and Creole restaurant chain with counter service, offering a daily rotating menu of 7-10 saucy stews and étouffées served over rice with a cajun buttered baguette under a simplified two-price system (single plate or combination). The chain runs 15 storefronts across Indiana and Ohio, supplemented by a catering service for groups of 30+ and a mobile food truck in Columbus, OH.
Product overview
Yats is a fast-casual New Orleans-style Cajun and Creole restaurant chain offering a rotating menu of saucy stews and étouffées. The core offering centers on counter-service dining at 15+ restaurant locations across Indiana and Ohio, with a simplified two-price system (single plate or combination) where customers order from a chalkboard menu. The product portfolio includes the flagship restaurant concept (dine-in/counter service), a catering service for large events (30+ people), and a mobile food truck in Columbus, OH. Signature dishes include the Chili Cheese Étouffée with Crawfish (flagship), Vegan White Chili, Gumbo, and the vegetarian B&B (Black Beans and Carmelized Corn).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Yats Restaurant (Counter-Service Dining) Fast-casual Cajun and Creole restaurant offering counter service with a daily rotating menu of 7-10 dishes served on rice with a cajun buttered baguette. Customers order from a chalkboard menu using a simple two-price system (single plate or combination under $10). Includes vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free options.
- Yats Catering Party and event catering service offering Cajun and Creole dishes at approximately $6-$8 per person for groups larger than 30 people. Dedicated party coordinators handle catering inquiries for Central Indiana and Columbus, OH regions.
- Yats Food Truck Mobile food truck operating in Columbus, OH serving a condensed menu of signature dishes including étouffées, gumbo, and vegan options. Also features draft beer selections and operates at events and public locations.
Companies that use Yats
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Yats technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Yats partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Yats competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tijuana Flats: Fast-casual Tex-Mex chain with counter service, rotating limited-time offers, and per-plate pricing similar to Yats; comparable in operating model, price architecture, and target customer.
- Salsarita's Fresh Mexican Cantina: Fast-casual Mexican chain with counter service, customizable menu items, and per-meal pricing in the same range as Yats; comparable in operating model and customer value proposition.
- Piada Italian Street Food: Fast-casual Italian street-food concept with counter service, build-your-own bowls/wraps, and similar per-meal price points; closely mirrors Yats in format, scale (mid-size regional chain), and simplified menu approach.
- Qdoba Mexican Eats: Counter-service fast-casual chain with a rotating, customizable menu at similar price points, comparable operating model to Yats but in Mexican cuisine; both target broad consumer bases with affordable plates and a simplified ordering experience.
- Barberitos: Fast-casual Southwestern/Mexican chain with counter service and a build-your-own format; comparable to Yats in operating model and as a mid-size regional player serving non-coastal US markets.
- Hot Head Burritos: Mid-size regional fast-casual Mexican chain concentrated in the Midwest/Ohio Valley with counter service and customizable bowls/wraps at similar price points; the closest regional-comparable to Yats by geography and concept.
- Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh: Fast-casual Mediterranean chain with counter service, customizable Mediterranean bowls, and per-meal pricing in the Yats range; comparable in format and in bringing an ethnic-cuisine niche to non-coastal US markets.
- Moe's Southwest Grill: Fast-casual Mexican chain with counter service, a fixed menu with customizable combinations, and per-meal under-$10 positioning; comparable to Yats in format, target customer, and price architecture.
Emerging players
- Honey Butter Fried Chicken: Counter-service fried chicken concept with a single location in Chicago and a cult following; shares Yats's stripped-down, no-waiter approach and tight regional identity, though at much smaller scale.
Broad incumbents
- Noodles & Company: Public fast-casual chain with counter service, globally inspired noodle and pasta dishes, and per-meal pricing; a broader incumbent with national footprint that competes for the same limited-service, ethnic-cuisine casual-dining occasion.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Yats social profiles
Digital presenceYats financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Yats leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Yats funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Yats 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 Yats
What does Yats do?
Yats operates a fast-casual Cajun and Creole restaurant chain with counter service, offering a daily rotating menu of 7-10 saucy stews and étouffées served over rice with a cajun buttered baguette under a simplified two-price system (single plate or combination). The chain runs 15 storefronts across Indiana and Ohio, supplemented by a catering service for groups of 30+ and a mobile food truck in Columbus, OH.
Is Yats a public or private company?
Yats is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Yats founded?
Yats was founded in 2002. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Yats based?
Yats is headquartered in Indianapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Yats make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Dine-in and Takeout Sales are the primary driver. The others are catering Services and food Truck Operations.
Who are Yats's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tijuana Flats, Salsarita's Fresh Mexican Cantina, Piada Italian Street Food, Qdoba Mexican Eats, Barberitos, Hot Head Burritos, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh and Moe's Southwest Grill. Honey Butter Fried Chicken is listed as an emerging player. Noodles & Company is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Yats have an API?
No public API is recorded for Yats.