Dry Storage

What Dry Storage does

Dry Storage is a Boulder, Colorado-based artisan mill and regenerative grain collective founded in 2019 by James Beard Award-winning chef Kelly Whitaker, operating as a brand within Id Est Hospitality Group. The company's core activity is stone-milling heirloom and heritage grain varietals (e.g., Rouge de Bordeaux, Winter Langin, Yecora Rojo, White Sonora, Spelt, Rye, India Jammu) on American-made, hand-dressed granite stonemills and Osttiroler Mill, a process designed to keep grain cool during milling in order to preserve nutrients, flavor, and extraction characteristics. Grains are sourced from a network that began with six local farms in Colorado's San Luis Valley in partnership with Jones Farms Organics, a fourth-generation family farm.

The company operates three integrated revenue streams: (1) a walk-in bakery and cafe at 3601 Arapahoe Ave (open daily 8am-2pm) serving breakfast and lunch items baked from its own flours; (2) direct-to-consumer e-commerce flour sales in 1kg, 5kg, and 50lb formats with unit prices ranging from $14 to $18 per bag and a curated seasonal collection (Summer Issue) priced at $49.95; and (3) a wholesale flour program distributing to approximately 30+ restaurant and food business partners across Colorado, including Michelin-starred accounts such as The Wolf's Tailor and well-regarded venues such as Basta, BRUTØ, Frasca, Pizzeria Locale, and White Pie. The wholesale motion is contact-driven ([email protected]) and supported by custom blending and delivery.

Commercially, Dry Storage functions as a vertically integrated, chef-led specialty flour brand whose competitive logic is built on provenance (regenerative, Colorado-grown grains), processing methodology (cool stone-milling), and credibility derived from founder Kelly Whitaker's culinary reputation and Id Est Hospitality's restaurant portfolio, which serves as an in-house proving ground for new flours and blends. No external venture funding has been disclosed; the unit is privately financed within Id Est.

Name

Dry Storage

Legal name

Dry Storage

Website

https://drystorageco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dry Storage is a Boulder, Colorado-based artisan stone mill and regenerative grain collective that stone-mills heirloom Colorado-grown grains into single-varietal flours, selling through a retail bakery, DTC e-commerce, and a wholesale program serving chefs and restaurants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Boulder

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Bakery and Cafe Retail: Walk-in bakery and cafe at 3601 Arapahoe Ave serving breakfast and lunch items made with their freshly milled flours. Open daily 8am-2pm.
2. Direct-to-Consumer Flour Sales: E-commerce shop selling bags of freshly milled flours in various sizes (1kg, 5kg, 50lb). Products include single varietal, specialty, grain, and blended flours shipped directly to consumers.
3. Wholesale Flour Distribution: B2B wholesale program targeting restaurants, cafes, and food businesses. Offers custom flour programs, delivery options, and pricing for chefs and culinary professionals. Contact-based sales through [email protected].

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Dry Storage is a stone mill and bakery operation in Boulder, Colorado that produces freshly milled single-varietal and blended flours from heirloom and heritage grains. It operates a retail bakery/café serving breakfast and lunch daily, a commercial milling facility, an e-commerce flour shop for direct-to-consumer sales, and a wholesale program supplying chefs and restaurants.

Product overview

Dry Storage is a bakery and artisan stone-milling operation in Boulder, Colorado, founded by James Beard Award winner Kelly Whitaker under Id Est Hospitality Group. The company operates a retail bakery/cafe, a commercial stone-milling facility, and an online flour shop selling freshly stone-milled single-origin and blended flours. Products include single varietal flours (Rouge de Bordeaux, Winter Langin, Yecora Rojo, White Sonora, Spelt, India Jammu), specialty flours (Rye), and a Functional Flour blend sourced from Central Milling. The company also offers seasonal curated flour collections, a wholesale program for chefs and restaurants, and a test kitchen with recipe development. All flours are stone-milled on American-made, hand-dressed granite stonemills to preserve nutrients and flavor.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Summer Issue: A seasonal collection of three chef-selected flours designed for summer cooking and baking, featuring heritage Rouge de Bordeaux, collaboration-grown BRUTØ Rye, and versatile Functional Flour.

Products and services

• Rouge de Bordeaux Flour Red spring wheat flour stone-milled from Rouge de Bordeaux grain with earthy, nutty flavor; protein 11.7%, falling number 352, extraction 80-85%. Sold to home bakers and chefs through the Flour Shop and wholesale program.
• Winter Langin Flour Hard red winter wheat flour from Northern Colorado grown by Hediger Family at Golden Prairie Farms; mild flavor suitable as a 1:1 white flour substitute for home bakers and culinary professionals.
• Yecora Rojo Flour Hard red spring wheat flour developed in California in the 1970s; high functionality with nutty flavor for artisan breads, laminated doughs, bagels, and brioche. Protein 15%.
• White Sonora Flour Soft white winter wheat flour brought north from Mexico, known for flour tortillas; mild, sweet, buttery flavor suitable for pastries, cookies, tortillas, and pasta.
• Spelt Whole Wheat Flour Ancient Oberkulmer spelt grain flour grown using draft-horse teams; nutritious with nutty flavor reminiscent of peaches, ideal for spelt bread, pretzels, cookies, croissants, and pastries.
• Rye Flour Heirloom Elbon Rye flour known for tall growth and hearty winter resistance; relatively mild spice suited for rye bread, cookies, pastries, and fermentation applications.
• India Jammu Flour Hard white spring wheat flour from Full Circle Farms in Longmont, CO; versatile all-purpose stone-milled flour combining heirloom wheat flavor with modern wheat performance for tortillas, enriched doughs, pastries, sourdough, and fresh pasta.
• Functional Flour Organic white flour blend sourced from Central Milling with low ash content (0.65%), protein 11.3%, falling number 225; utilitarian workhorse blend designed to complement Dry Storage's stone-milled flours.
• Summer Issue // 01 Seasonal curated collection of three chef-selected flours featuring Rouge de Bordeaux, BRUTØ Rye collaboration, and Functional Flour with summer baking recipes.
• The Bakery Retail bakery and cafe open daily 8am-2pm in Boulder, CO, offering freshly baked goods made from Dry Storage's own stone-milled flours plus a pantry section with flour, natural wine, and coffee.
• Wholesale Flour Program Bulk flour supply program for chefs and restaurants offering custom flour programs, wholesale pricing, delivery options, and custom blending programs for professional kitchens.

Quantifiable outcome

• Bon Appetit Top 10 Best New Restaurants 2019
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Jones Farms OrganicscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner4th generation family owned organic farm in San Luis Valley, Colorado. Primary supplier of heirloom wheat grains. Started with the first heirloom grain crop in San Luis Valley in spring 2019. Family history dating back to 1925.
• Noble Grain AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded by Kelly Whitaker in 2016 to support restoration of local grain production through farming, milling, and distribution. Planted Turkey Red wheat on 16 acres.
• Mad AgricultureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit helping farmers thrive through sustainable practices. Works with Dry Storage to build markets for agricultural revolution and support farmers transitioning to regenerative agriculture.
• The Nature ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental organization through which Dry Storage connected with Jones Farm to grow heirloom wheat.
• Slow FoodminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal grassroots organization preventing disappearance of local food cultures and promoting good, clean, and fair food.
• Zero FoodprintminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization helping food businesses and customers support farmers in carbon farming practices that restore soil biology.
• Colorado Grain ChainminorStrategic or Co-development Partner501(c)5 membership organization of locally-owned businesses producing and supporting grain products from heritage and ancient grains in Colorado.
• Id Est Hospitality GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company supporting Dry Storage through ethos, talent, infrastructure and restaurants including The Wolf's Tailor, BRUTO and Basta. Platform for testing products and developing processes.
• Id Est Hospitality Group Restaurants (The Wolf's Tailor, BRUTO, Basta)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRestaurant concepts within Id Est that serve as proving grounds for Dry Storage flour products and showcase their capabilities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Farmer Ground Flour: New York Finger Lakes region stone mill sourcing from organic local farmers and selling heritage flours to bakers and home consumers. Operates a comparable farm-to-stone-mill-to-wholesale model in a different geography, making it a strong regional analogue rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Anson Mills: South Carolina-based heritage grain miller founded by Glenn Roberts, supplying single-varietal and heirloom grains to leading chefs nationwide. Most directly comparable to Dry Storage in mission (reviving heritage grains), customer base (top chefs), and varietal-focused product philosophy.
• Central Milling: Utah-based specialty flour mill supplying artisan bakers and pastry chefs with organic and heritage flours. Notably, Central Milling is already a supplier to Dry Storage (Functional Flour is sourced from them), making it both a competitor in the specialty flour space and a partner in Dry Storage's product line.
• Jovial Foods: Specialty food company built around einkorn and other ancient grains, selling flour, pasta, and baked goods via DTC and grocery channels. Comparable to Dry Storage in ancient/heritage grain positioning and DTC-first model, but with broader packaged-goods distribution.
• Hayden Flour Mills: Arizona-based stone mill founded by a fourth-generation farming family, specializing in heritage and ancient grains sold direct to chefs and consumers. Highly comparable to Dry Storage in farm-direct heritage grain sourcing, stone milling, and chef-driven wholesale model.
• Cairnspring Mills: Washington-state stone mill focused on regionally-grown, identity-preserved grains for professional bakers. Comparable to Dry Storage in stone-milling technology, regional grain sourcing philosophy, and chef/wholesale customer focus, though operating in the Pacific Northwest rather than Colorado.

Broad incumbents

• Bob's Red Mill: Iconic specialty flour and whole-grain brand selling heritage grains, ancient grains, and stone-milled products across grocery, foodservice, and DTC channels. Closest broad incumbent to Dry Storage in product mix and heritage-grain positioning, but at vastly greater scale and shelf penetration.
• King Arthur Baking Company: The leading US premium baking flour brand with DTC e-commerce, wholesale distribution to bakeries, and extensive educational content. Comparable to Dry Storage in DTC + wholesale + content model, but operates at national scale with broader product range and far larger marketing budget.

Emerging players

• Bread Alone Bakery: Catskills-based artisan bakery and mill operating wholesale, retail cafes, and DTC channels with a focus on wholesome and whole-grain baking. Comparable to Dry Storage's bakery + mill + DTC trifecta, though broader in product categories (sourdough, pastries) and larger in wholesale footprint.

Others

• Noble Grain Alliance: Colorado-based nonprofit co-founded by Kelly Whitaker in 2016 to restore local grain production through farming, milling, and distribution. Deeply connected to Dry Storage — Whitaker co-founded both — but operates as an ecosystem partner and supply-chain enabler rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/dry_storage
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dry-storage

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Dry Storage