What Bar La Grassa does

Bar La Grassa is a privately held, single-location Italian fine dining restaurant located at 800 N. Washington Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded and operated by James Beard Award-winning Executive Chef/Owner Isaac Becker and Nancy St. Pierre, the restaurant offers a full Italian dinner service structured around antipasti, pasta, secondi (main courses), contorni, and desserts, complemented by an extensive Italian-focused wine program (bottles priced $26–$665) and a craft cocktail list ($8–$17). The operation runs six days per week (closed Sunday), with hours of 5–10 PM Monday through Thursday and 5–11 PM Friday and Saturday, plus $15 valet parking.

The restaurant monetizes through four primary revenue streams: dine-in à la carte service (the core offering), beverage sales (wines by the glass and bottle plus cocktails), private dining and event hosting (groups up to 32, plus full restaurant buyouts), and a gift card program (digital via Toasttab, physical at the venue). Takeout ordering is offered Monday through Thursday as capacity allows. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer with no third-party delivery integration; reservations are managed through Resy (with phone reservations for parties of seven or more), and ordering/gift cards run through Toasttab. Customer segments are primarily fine-dining diners seeking chef-driven Italian cuisine for special occasions and business dinners, with secondary demand from private event hosts and takeout customers.

The business has no disclosed proprietary technology, no app, and no disclosed revenue figures. Its competitive position rests on the culinary reputation of Isaac Becker, a curated wine list with deep Italian representation, and the brand equity derived from a small restaurant group that also includes sister establishments St. Pierre and 112 Eatery. The operation is geographically concentrated in the Minneapolis North Loop neighborhood, serving the Midwest U.S. market, with marketing limited to its Squarespace website, Google Maps presence, Resy, Toasttab, and a branded Spotify playlist.

Name

Bar La Grassa

Legal name

Bar La Grassa

Website

https://barlagrassa.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bar La Grassa is a privately held Italian fine dining restaurant in Minneapolis's North Loop, founded by James Beard Award-winning Chef Isaac Becker and Nancy St. Pierre. It serves upscale à la carte Italian cuisine with an extensive wine list, private dining for up to 32 guests, and limited weekday takeout.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Italian Fine Dining

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Special Occasion & Destination Restaurants (THAFACAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Farm-to-Table & Contemporary American Restaurants (THAFACAF)

Keywords

• Italian fine dining
• Italian restaurant
• Wine program
• Craft cocktails
• Private dining

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Restaurant Sales: Full-service Italian restaurant offering à la carte dining with appetizers, pasta, secondi (main courses), contorni (sides), and desserts. Revenue generated from per-item menu pricing.
2. Beverage Sales: Extensive wine list with bottles ranging from $26-$665, wines by the glass, cocktails ($8-$17), and spirits-free options. Adds significant margin to dine-in experience.
3. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold online; physical gift cards available at the restaurant. Generates upfront cash revenue before redemption.
4. Private Dining Events: Private dining room available for groups up to 32 for seated functions, plus Lounge Dining and Wine Room options. Standing receptions and full restaurant buyouts also offered.
5. Takeout: Takeout ordering available Monday-Thursday as capacity allows, processed through Toasttab platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bar La Grassa is a full-service Italian fine dining restaurant offering à la carte dinner service featuring antipasti, made-from-scratch pasta, secondi (main courses), contorni (sides), and desserts, paired with an extensive Italian-focused wine list and craft cocktail program. The restaurant also provides private dining for groups up to 32, takeout service (Monday–Thursday via Toasttab), and gift cards, all delivered from its single North Loop Minneapolis location.

Product overview

Bar La Grassa is an Italian restaurant by James Beard Award-winning Chef Isaac Becker and Nancy St. Pierre, offering a single unified dining service centered around Italian fine dining. The core product consists of dinner service featuring Italian cuisine (pasta, secondi, antipasti, desserts) complemented by curated cocktail and wine programs. Service offerings include private dining for groups up to 32, takeout ordering (Monday-Thursday), and gift cards. The restaurant's sister establishments are St. Pierre and 112 Eatery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dinner Service

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• St. PierreminorOthersSister restaurant owned by the same ownership group (Isaac Becker & Nancy St. Pierre). Both restaurants operate independently under common ownership.
• 112 EateryminorOthersSister restaurant owned by the same ownership group (Isaac Becker & Nancy St. Pierre). Both restaurants operate independently under common ownership.
• ResycoreTechnology or IntegrationResy is the online reservation platform used by Bar La Grassa for booking tables. Customers book through resy.com. For parties of 7+, the restaurant directs customers to call directly.
• ToasttabcoreTechnology or IntegrationToasttab is the online ordering and point-of-sale platform used for takeout orders and gift card sales. Handles payment processing and order management for off-premise dining.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Carbone: Major Food Group's upscale Italian restaurant in Greenwich Village, NYC, known for high-end à la carte Italian dining and a strong beverage program. Mirrors Bar La Grassa's Italian fine-dining experience, premium pricing, and special-occasion customer base.
• Monteverde: Chef-driven Italian fine dining destination in Chicago from Sarah Grueneberg. Comparable to Bar La Grassa in made-from-scratch Italian cuisine, premium positioning, and chef-led differentiation within the Upper Midwest dining scene.
• Il Buco Alimentari: Italian restaurant and enoteca in NYC from the Il Buco group, offering housemade pasta, an Italian-heavy wine list, and private dining. Similar premium Italian fine-dining model with strong beverage and private-event revenue streams.
• Lilia: Missy Robbins' chef-driven Italian restaurant in Brooklyn featuring handmade pasta and an Italian-leaning wine program. Comparable as a chef-owned Italian fine-dining concept with strong brand identity and premium menu pricing.
• Osteria Mozza: Nancy Silverton-helmed Italian restaurant in Los Angeles offering handmade pasta, an extensive Italian wine list, and fine-dining à la carte service. Directly comparable in cuisine focus, wine-program depth, and chef-driven premium positioning.
• RPM Italian: Upscale Italian restaurant in Chicago from the RPM/Rich Melman group, offering à la carte Italian fine dining with a deep wine and cocktail program. Closely matches Bar La Grassa's pricing tier, service model, and Midwestern urban fine-dining customer.
• Misi: Sister concept to Lilia from the same team, focused on Italian pasta and wine in a refined Brooklyn setting. Comparable premium Italian dining model with chef-driven menu and curated beverage program.
• Babbo: Mario Batali/Joe Bastianich Italian restaurant in Greenwich Village known for housemade pasta and an extensive Italian wine list. Comparable chef-prominence and Italian fine-dining positioning.

Others

• True Food Kitchen: Multi-location chef-driven restaurant chain with full-bar beverage program. Comparable in chef-driven positioning and beverage-led check average, though it operates in a casual-dining segment rather than fine dining.

Broad incumbents

• Eataly: Multi-location Italian marketplace combining retail, casual counters, and full-service restaurants. Overlaps Bar La Grassa on Italian cuisine and wine but operates as a broader Italian dining/retail platform rather than a single chef-driven fine-dining room.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bar-la-grassa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Bar La Grassa