Arlene's Grocery
Arlene's Grocery is a 30-year-old live music venue and bar on NYC's Lower East Side, operating two event spaces (Butcher Bar and The Venue) and serving adult patrons, private event organizers, and musicians through beverage sales, event rentals, artist bookings, rehearsal/recording services, and merchandise.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Arlene's Grocery does
Arlene's Grocery is a single-location live music venue and bar operating at 95 Stanton Street on New York City's Lower East Side since 1995, making it one of the first dedicated live music venues in the neighborhood. The venue operates two distinct event spaces — Butcher Bar, an intimate front bar accommodating up to 75 guests, and The Venue, a larger performance space accommodating up to 110 guests equipped with a professional stage, theatrical lighting, premium audio/visual systems, and an expert sound engineer. The venue also offers a Rehearsal & Record service with full backline equipment and single/multi-track recording capabilities targeted at bands and solo acts.
The business generates revenue across five streams: beverage sales through a full-service bar with premium selections, private event rentals (birthday parties, corporate gatherings, film/photo shoots, podcast recordings, and charity events), artist show bookings via a direct submission process, rehearsal and recording rental income at quote-based pricing, and merchandise sold online through a BigCartel storefront. Distribution is primarily physical (walk-in patrons during operating hours Monday-Friday 5PM-close, weekends 4PM-close) supplemented by online inquiry forms for artist bookings and private events, and a global e-commerce merchandise channel. The venue is strictly 21+ with 100% ID check, handicap accessible, and accepts personal checks, Venmo, and credit cards.
The venue is a private, family-style operation with seven employees, no parent company, no disclosed ownership, no funding rounds, and no M&A activity. Its competitive positioning rests on 30 years of cultural heritage — the venue has hosted artists such as Jeff Buckley, The Strokes, Kurt Vile, and Jim Carrey — combined with established relationships within NYC's indie music ecosystem. Pricing for private events and rehearsal/recording services is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with Butcher Bar bookings requiring no deposit and The Venue bookings requiring a 50% deposit.
Arlene's Grocery firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Arlene's Grocery
- Website
- https://arlenesgrocerynyc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Arlene's Grocery is a 30-year-old live music venue and bar on NYC's Lower East Side, operating two event spaces (Butcher Bar and The Venue) and serving adult patrons, private event organizers, and musicians through beverage sales, event rentals, artist bookings, rehearsal/recording services, and merchandise.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Arlene's Grocery is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Arlene's Grocery business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Beverage Sales: Full-service bar with premium selections operating during regular venue hours
- Private Event Rentals: Revenue from booking Butcher Bar and The Venue for private events including birthday parties, corporate gatherings, film shoots, and podcast recordings. Butcher Bar requires no deposit while The Venue requires 50% deposit.
- Artist Show Bookings: Revenue generated from hosting live music performances by bands and solo acts
- Rehearsal & Recording Services: Rental income from rehearsal space with full backline and recording capabilities. Offers competitive pricing and discount packages for bands and solo acts.
- Merchandise Sales: Online merchandise store selling branded merchandise through BigCartel
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Butcher Bar - Front Bar Private Events |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | The Venue - Main Performance Space |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Rehearsal & Recording Packages |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Arlene's Grocery product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Arlene's Grocery operates a live music venue and bar on NYC's Lower East Side, founded in 1995. It sells live music performances, private event hosting in two distinct spaces (Butcher Bar for up to 75 guests and The Venue for up to 110 guests), rehearsal and recording services for musicians, artist booking opportunities, and branded merchandise through an online store.
Product overview
Arlene's Grocery is a live music venue and hospitality establishment that operates as a single unified venue with multiple distinct spaces and services. The core offering includes two event spaces: Butcher Bar (cozy front bar accommodating up to 75 guests) and The Venue (larger performance space for up to 110 guests). Supporting services include Artist Bookings for performers, Rehearse & Record for rehearsal and recording needs, and Private Events & Rentals for hosting various occasions. A Merch line is available through BigCartel. Founded in 1995 as a former bodega on the Lower East Side, the venue is a 21+ establishment open Monday-Friday from 5PM and weekends from 4PM.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Butcher Bar Cozy and eclectic front bar at Arlene's Grocery featuring warm lighting, a charming fireplace, a full-service bar with premium selections, a semi-secluded back area with seating, and capacity for up to 75 guests. Suitable for birthday parties and corporate gatherings; no deposit required to book.
- The Venue Main private event and performance space at Arlene's Grocery accommodating up to 110 guests, featuring a professional stage, theatrical lighting, state-of-the-art sound system, premium audio and visual equipment, a full-service bar, and an expert sound engineer. Requires a 50% deposit to secure.
- Artist Bookings Booking service for bands and solo acts interested in performing live at Arlene's Grocery. Artists submit interest through an online booking form reviewed by the venue's booking team.
- Rehearse & Record Rehearsal and recording services at Arlene's Grocery offering full backline equipment, single and multi-track recording capabilities, competitive pricing, and discount packages for bands, solo acts, and musical projects.
- Private Events & Rentals Private event hosting service at Arlene's Grocery for birthday parties, corporate events, film and photo shoots, podcast recordings, and charity gatherings, utilizing either the Butcher Bar or The Venue spaces.
- Arlene's Grocery Merch Branded merchandise store for Arlene's Grocery, operated online through the BigCartel e-commerce platform, offering venue-branded apparel and goods to fans and patrons.
Quantifiable outcome
- Venue has operated for 30 years on the Lower East Side
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Arlene's Grocery
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Arlene's Grocery technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Arlene's Grocery partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Arlene's Grocery competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Music Hall of Williamsburg: Larger-capacity NYC-area live music venue operated by Bowery Presents. Comparable booker relationships and venue economics, though larger in scale.
- Brooklyn Bowl: NYC-area live music venue combining ticketed shows with full bar/bowling concept. Comparable for artist-booking revenue and bar economics, though with broader amenity mix.
- Baby's All Right: Brooklyn-based bar/restaurant/venue hybrid offering live music, dining, and private events. Direct peer for the bar-plus-live-music operating model with private event overlay.
- Mercury Lounge: Iconic Lower East Side live music venue of similar capacity (~150 standing) that books emerging and mid-tier touring acts. Most direct geographic and operational peer to Arlene's.
- Pianos: LES live music venue and bar that combines ticketed shows, a lounge/bar business, and private events — closely matching Arlene's dual-space, multi-stream operating model.
- Knitting Factory Brooklyn: NYC live music venue focused on emerging artists and ticketed shows, with comparable capacity tiers and bar-driven economics. Direct competitor for artist bookings and audience share.
- The Bitter End: Historic NYC live music venue in Greenwich Village that, like Arlene's, has operated for decades and built legacy artist credibility. Comparable bar/show/private-event mix.
- Elsewhere: Multi-room Brooklyn live music and events venue offering bar service, ticketed shows, and private rentals across tiered spaces — analogous to Arlene's Butcher Bar + The Venue structure, though larger.
- The Bowery Ballroom: Long-running NYC live music venue with similar heritage positioning and roughly comparable capacity. A like-for-like peer for touring artist bookings and private event hosting.
- Rough Trade NYC: Record store + live music venue hybrid in Brooklyn. Comparable in combining music retail with ticketed shows, though with a stronger retail component.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Arlene's Grocery social profiles
Digital presenceArlene's Grocery financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Arlene's Grocery leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Arlene's Grocery funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Arlene's Grocery 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 Arlene's Grocery
What does Arlene's Grocery do?
Arlene's Grocery operates a live music venue and bar on NYC's Lower East Side, founded in 1995. It sells live music performances, private event hosting in two distinct spaces (Butcher Bar for up to 75 guests and The Venue for up to 110 guests), rehearsal and recording services for musicians, artist booking opportunities, and branded merchandise through an online store.
Is Arlene's Grocery a public or private company?
Arlene's Grocery is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Arlene's Grocery founded?
Arlene's Grocery was founded in 1995. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Arlene's Grocery based?
Arlene's Grocery is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Arlene's Grocery make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Beverage Sales are the primary driver. The others are private Event Rentals, artist Show Bookings, rehearsal & Recording Services and merchandise Sales.
Who are Arlene's Grocery's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn Bowl, Baby's All Right, Mercury Lounge, Pianos, Knitting Factory Brooklyn, The Bitter End, Elsewhere, The Bowery Ballroom and Rough Trade NYC.
Does Arlene's Grocery have an API?
No public API is recorded for Arlene's Grocery.