Back To Earth Inc

What Back To Earth Inc does

Back To Earth Inc, doing business as Gather in Berkeley, is a privately held single-location farm-to-table restaurant that has operated continuously since 2009 from the David Brower Center at 2200 Oxford Street in downtown Berkeley, California. The restaurant serves organic, seasonal, and ethically sourced cuisine for omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans across lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, with a craft bar program featuring sustainability-minded spirits, West Coast wines from sustainable producers, and independent Northern California craft beers. The business extends beyond the dining room into private event hosting (15-200 guests), off-site catering (including Brower Center events), and takeout/delivery ordered through the Toast Tab platform.

Revenue is generated entirely through transaction-based streams—dine-in covers, takeout and delivery orders, catered events, and bar/beverage sales—priced via standard menu unit pricing with no disclosed enterprise contracts or subscription elements. The customer base is fragmented across local Berkeley/East Bay residents, the UC Berkeley community, Berkeley Repertory Theatre patrons, and event hosts. Distribution is omnichannel but regionally constrained: a physical storefront in the David Brower Center, the Toast Tab e-commerce channel for off-premise consumption, and direct sales for event/catering bookings.

There is no proprietary technology layer beyond standard restaurant commerce tooling (Toast Tab, Spotapps-hosted website). No funding rounds, acquisitions, or M&A activity are disclosed. Back To Earth Inc appears to be a small operator (firmographics note approximately 10 employees) with no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed investors—relying on operating cash flow to sustain a values-driven, sustainability-positioned hospitality concept.

Name

Back To Earth Inc

Website

https://backtoearth.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Back To Earth Inc (DBA Gather in Berkeley) operates a single-location farm-to-table restaurant in downtown Berkeley's David Brower Center, serving organic cuisine, craft cocktails, and hosting private events for 15-200 guests across the East Bay.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Farm-to-Table Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (722320)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

All-Day Dining Restaurants (THAFACAJ)

Keywords

• Farm-to-table restaurant
• Organic dining
• Private event catering
• Craft cocktail bar
• Takeout delivery

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Service: Revenue from in-restaurant dining for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch service, featuring organic, farm-to-table menu items including pizzas, salads, appetizers, entrees, and cocktails.
2. Takeout & Delivery: Revenue from takeout and delivery orders placed through Toast Tab online ordering platform, offering the full restaurant menu for off-premises consumption.
3. Catering & Events: Revenue from catering services including diverse food and beverage offerings for private events, group dining, and external events at Brower Center, serving groups from 15 to 200 guests.
4. Bar & Beverage Service: Revenue from craft cocktails featuring spirits made with sustainability in mind, wine from West Coast producers committed to sustainable viticulture, and beer from independent Northern California breweries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Back To Earth Inc operates Gather in Berkeley, a single-location farm-to-table restaurant in downtown Berkeley, CA, serving local, organic food and drink for omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans. The restaurant provides in-house dining for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, alongside takeout/delivery via the Toast Tab online ordering platform, off-site catering, and private event hosting for groups of 15 to 200 guests. It also operates a craft cocktail bar program featuring sustainability-minded spirits, sustainable West Coast wines, and local Northern California craft beers.

Product overview

Gather is a single-location farm-to-table restaurant offering a unified dining experience. The core offering consists of in-house dining services (breakfast/brunch, lunch, and dinner) with a bar program featuring craft cocktails, sustainable wines, and local beers. Supporting services include private event hosting for groups of 15-200, takeout and delivery via online ordering platform, and off-site catering. The restaurant emphasizes organic, seasonal, and ethically sourced ingredients from local farmers and artisans. The venue features indoor seating and a covered outdoor patio with heating for year-round dining.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• In-House Dining Farm-to-table restaurant serving local, organic food and drink for omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans. Open for dinner, lunch, and weekend brunch with cozy indoor seating and a covered outdoor patio with heating for year-round dining in downtown Berkeley.
• Private Events & Group Dining Event hosting services accommodating 15 to 200 guests, including private parties and large group dining in a dedicated space at the restaurant.
• Takeout & Delivery Online food ordering service allowing customers to place takeout and delivery orders without calling or waiting in line, through the Toast Tab platform.
• Catering & Platters Catering services for pickup, delivery, and Brower Center events featuring diverse food and beverage offerings for guest experiences.
• Bar Program Craft cocktail program built around sustainability-minded spirits, featuring drinks like the Flor de Fuego grapefruit-shaded cocktail, plus a wine list showcasing West Coast sustainable producers and a beer selection highlighting independent Northern California breweries.

Quantifiable outcome

• Named one of the 'World's Best Farm-to-Table Restaurants' by American Express

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• David Brower CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGather is located in the David Brower Center - Berkeley's greenest building and hub for organizations dedicated to environmental and social change. This co-location represents a strategic alignment with the restaurant's values around sustainability and community impact.
• Local Farmers, Ranchers, and PurveyorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing supplier relationships with farmers, ranchers, and purveyors who prioritize organic, seasonal, and ethically grown ingredients. Core to Gather's farm-to-table value proposition.
• West Coast Wine ProducersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWine program showcases West Coast producers committed to sustainable, low-impact viticulture. Featured on Gather's wine list.
• Independent Northern California BreweriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBeer selection highlights independent Northern California breweries. Featured on Gather's beer menu.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Sweetgreen: Large-scale, publicly-visible farm-to-table fast-casual chain with strong sourcing and sustainability messaging. Overlaps on organic sourcing ethos and vegetarian-friendly menus, though limited-service rather than full-service.
• True Food Kitchen: Multi-unit chain built around seasonal, health-forward menus with strong vegetarian/vegan offerings. Comparable concept at scale; illustrates the potential (and competitive threat) of expanding the farm-to-table/plant-forward model.
• CAVA: Mediterranean fast-casual chain with extensive plant-based options and a mission around fresh, healthy ingredients. Compares as a broad-incumbent in the same 'better-for-you dining' competitive set.

Direct peers

• Café Gratitude: Bay Area plant-based, organic restaurant group operating in Berkeley. Directly comparable on mission-driven positioning, organic sourcing, and broad vegetarian/vegan menu appeal.
• Chez Panisse: Alice Waters' iconic Berkeley farm-to-table restaurant and the foundational inspiration for the category. Direct peer: same Berkeley market, same organic/local sourcing philosophy, comparable sit-down dinner model.
• Nopa: Beloved San Francisco farm-to-table restaurant with similar sourcing philosophy, organic cocktails, and full-service neighborhood dining model. Regional comparable in the same broader Bay Area category.

Emerging players

• Farm Burger: Multi-region farm-to-table burger-focused concept emphasizing local sourcing and organic ingredients. Comparable as an emerging farm-to-table brand exploring scaling paths similar to those potentially available to Gather.

Others

• Toast (Toast Tab): Restaurant technology platform that powers Gather's online ordering and gift card systems. Included as an ecosystem enabler — critical infrastructure for Gather's takeout, delivery, and digital revenue streams.

Regional players

• Saul's Restaurant & Delicatessen: Long-standing Berkeley restaurant operating in the downtown market with a similarly committed local-supplier ethos. Comparable as a regional competitor for Berkeley dine-in and catering dollars.
• Corso Restaurant: Berkeley restaurant combining Italian-inspired cuisine with local sourcing and event/private-dining capabilities. Comparable on Berkeley location, event-hosting model, and locally-sourced ingredient positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/138564927513
• Instagraminstagram.com/gatherberkeley
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/back-to-earth-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Back To Earth Inc