KNEAD Hospitality + Design

What KNEAD Hospitality + Design does

KNEAD Hospitality + Design is a privately held, multi-concept restaurant group founded in 2015 by Jason Berry and Michael Reginbogin and headquartered in Washington, DC. The company conceptualizes, designs, and operates a portfolio of ten restaurant brands across 15+ locations spanning the Washington DC metropolitan area, Maryland, Virginia Beach, and Philadelphia. Concepts span full-service formats including Succotash (Korean-Southern), Mi Vida (Mexican), The Grill (woodfired American), Gatsby (reimagined American diner), Bistro Du Jour (French), Beresovsky's Deli, Caf\u00e9 Monet, and Sagrada, alongside fast-casual units at Swingers venues including tuTaco, Lil' Succotash, and Kneadza Pizza. Menu and brand identity are anchored by Flagship Culinary Directors James Beard Award-winner Edward Lee and James Beard-nominated Roberto Santiba\u00f1ez.

The group's underlying operating model combines in-house concept development and design with celebrity-chef culinary leadership and multi-unit operations. Co-founder Michael Reginbogin serves as Design Director, reflecting a stated philosophy that guests 'eat with their eyes.' Distribution is entirely through owned physical locations, with reservations processed via OpenTable and direct channels. The technology stack is described as a restaurant operations and concept development platform, with no proprietary software, AI/ML components, or third-party integrations disclosed.

KNEAD generates revenue through three principal streams: transactional restaurant dining sales across full-service and fast-casual concepts, a $150/year KNEAD Reserve subscription membership providing guaranteed reservations and exclusive perks, and private events and large-party dining for groups up to 400 guests including full restaurant buyouts. The customer base is fragmented end-consumer dining in metropolitan markets, with marketing executed through the corporate website, OpenTable, organic social, and email. The company is James Beard nominated and reported more than 1,000 teammates with continued expansion planned for 2025.

Name

KNEAD Hospitality + Design

Legal name

KNEAD Hospitality + Design

Website

https://kneadhd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

KNEAD Hospitality + Design is a privately held, multi-concept restaurant group operating ten brands across 15+ locations in the DC metro, Maryland, Virginia Beach, and Philadelphia, serving urban diners with celebrity-chef-driven full-service and fast-casual concepts plus a paid membership program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Multi-Concept Restaurant Hospitality

NAICS

Restaurants and Other Eating Places (7225), Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Caterers (722320)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Casual Dining Restaurants (THAFACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Breakfast & Brunch Fast Casual (THAFABAL), Exclusive Dining Access & Chef’s Table Reservations (HSACAMAJ)

Keywords

• Multi-concept restaurants
• Full-service dining
• Fast-casual dining
• Private event catering
• Restaurant concept design

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Dining Sales: Revenue from full-service and fast-casual restaurant operations including food and beverage sales at all 15+ locations. Covers multiple cuisine types from Mexican, Southern, French, American, and steakhouse concepts.
2. KNEAD Reserve Membership: Annual membership program at $150/year offering guaranteed reservations, complimentary appetizers, holiday perks, access to pop-up events and chef dinners, and invitations to special programs.
3. Private Events and Large Party Dining: Revenue from private dining services, corporate events, weddings, and full restaurant buyouts accommodating up to 400 guests.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

KNEAD Hospitality + Design conceptualizes, designs, and operates a portfolio of ten restaurant concepts spanning full-service and fast-casual dining across 15+ locations in the Mid-Atlantic region. Its core revenue comes from in-restaurant food and beverage sales at concepts such as Succotash, Mi Vida, The Grill, Gatsby, Bistro Du Jour, and Beresovsky's Deli, supplemented by a $150/year KNEAD Reserve membership program and private dining/event services for groups of up to 400 guests.

Product overview

KNEAD Hospitality + Design is a James Beard nominated, multi-unit restaurant group based in Washington, DC, that conceptualizes, designs, and operates a portfolio of full-service and fast-casual restaurants. Founded in 2015 by Jason Berry and Michael Reginbogin, the company operates ten restaurant concepts across 15 locations in the DC metro area, Virginia Beach, and Philadelphia. The portfolio includes full-service concepts (Succotash, Mi Vida, The Grill, Gatsby, Bistro Du Jour, Beresovsky's Deli, Café Monet, Sagrada) offering elevated dining across Mexican, Southern, French, American, and steakhouse cuisines, as well as fast-casual concepts (tuTaco, Lil' Succotash, Kneadza Pizza) featuring burgers, tacos, and pizza. Additionally, the company offers KNEAD Reserve, a $150/year preferred guest membership providing guaranteed reservations and exclusive perks, and private dining/event services for groups of 10+ guests.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Succotash: Progressive Southern cuisine by James Beard Award winner Chef Edward Lee. Locations in National Harbor, MD and Penn Quarter, DC.
• Mi Vida
• The Grill
• Gatsby
• Bistro Du Jour
• Café Monet
• Beresovsky's Deli
• Sagrada
• Kneadza Pizza
• Lil' Succotash
• tuTaco

Products and services

• Succotash Progressive Southern restaurant concept featuring James Beard Award winner Chef Edward Lee's Korean roots and Southern cuisine. Located at National Harbor, MD and Penn Quarter, DC.
• Mi Vida Mexican restaurant concept by Chef Roberto Santibañez exploring his culinary journey from Mexico City. Located at District Wharf DC, Penn Quarter DC, Virginia Beach VA, and Philadelphia PA.
• The Grill New American restaurant focused on woodfired cooking with emphasis on steak, seafood, and vegetarian fare, featuring Chef Roberto Santibañez's Mexican roots and French training. Located at District Wharf DC and Virginia Beach VA.
• Gatsby Reimagined American diner concept located at Capitol Riverfront, DC.
• Bistro Du Jour French bistro concept offering traditional French dining. Located at District Wharf DC and Capitol Hill, DC.
• Beresovsky's Deli Classic American delicatessen named after Jason Berry's great grandfather Sam, featuring deli classics like Ruthie's Reuben and potato latkes. Located at Capitol Riverfront, DC.
• Café Monet Restaurant concept located at MPA, part of the KNEAD family of restaurants.
• Sagrada Restaurant concept within the KNEAD portfolio.
• tuTaco Mexican street food concept featuring traditional and original Mexican recipes. Located at Swingers in Dupont Circle, DC.
• Lil' Succotash Southern take on burgers and sandwiches by James Beard Award-winner Edward Lee, featuring slow-smoked chicken wings and classic fried pickles. Located at Swingers venues.
• Kneadza Pizza Oven-fired NY-Neapolitan pizza and classic Italian favorites with modern twist, made-from-scratch with finest ingredients. Located at Swingers venues.
• KNEAD Reserve Annual membership program priced at $150/year guaranteeing reservations at any full-service KNEAD restaurant, with perks including a complimentary appetizer (up to $15 value) with each visit, holiday benefits, access to pop-up events and chef dinners, and invitations to special programs.
• Large Parties & Private Dining Private and semi-private dining services for events including weddings, birthday celebrations, cocktail parties, and business presentations. Offers tailored menus from passed hors d'oeuvres receptions to customized family style and prix fixe options, accommodating parties up to 400 guests.

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship.

• Chef Edward LeeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerJames Beard Award-winning chef serving as Culinary Director for Succotash concept. Chef Lee brings Korean roots and Southern culinary expertise, contributing menu development and brand identity. Located in Louisville, KY with Washington DC presence.
• Chef Roberto SantibañezflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerJames Beard Award-nominated chef and author serving as Culinary Director for Mi Vida and The Grill concepts. Chef Santibañez is also chef/owner of Fonda restaurants in New York City. Contributes Mexican cuisine expertise and menu development.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hillstone Restaurant Group: Multi-concept casual and upscale restaurant operator (Hillstone, Houston's, Bandera, R+D Kitchen). Reginbogin's early career included leadership roles at Hillstone, and the operating model — multi-concept, design-forward, polished casual dining — is highly comparable.
• Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises: Privately held multi-concept restaurant group operating 60+ restaurants across diverse cuisines and price points. Direct peer on portfolio-style operating model, full-service casual and elevated dining mix, and multi-city footprint.
• BR Guest Hospitality: New York-based multi-concept restaurant and event hospitality group. Reginbogin previously held leadership roles at BR Guest; the multi-brand, event-heavy operating model closely mirrors KNEAD's structure.
• TAO Group Hospitality: Multi-concept hospitality platform operating celebrity chef-driven restaurants, lounges, and event venues across major U.S. markets. Most comparable to KNEAD on multi-concept model and celebrity chef integration (founder Michael Reginbogin previously held leadership at TAO).
• The ONE Group Hospitality: Public multi-concept hospitality company operating STK Steakhouse and other full-service concepts. Comparable on multi-brand casual-to-upscale restaurant model and event-driven revenue mix.
• Thompson Hospitality: Largest Black-owned foodservice and hospitality company in the U.S., operating multi-concept restaurants and contract food services in the Mid-Atlantic region. Highly comparable on geography, multi-concept model, and event/catering vertical.

Broad incumbents

• Rosa Mexicano: Upscale Mexican restaurant chain where founder Jason Berry served as COO and grew the brand from 3 to 19 locations. Direct conceptual overlap with KNEAD's Mi Vida Mexican concept and comparable full-service casual-upscale positioning.
• Restaurant Associates: Large-scale food service and hospitality operator managing restaurants, catering, and events for corporate, cultural, and institutional clients. Comparable on event and catering vertical and premium hospitality positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kneadhd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 KNEAD Hospitality + Design