Chickpea Hospitality

What Chickpea Hospitality does

Chickpea Hospitality is a privately held, family-owned restaurant group headquartered in Birmingham, Michigan, that owns and operates four distinct restaurant concepts in the metro Detroit area. The portfolio includes Phoenicia, a Lebanese/Middle Eastern fine dining restaurant established in 1971 and recognized as one of the oldest continuously operated Middle Eastern restaurants in the United States; Forest, a contemporary European restaurant with Italian roots acquired in 2014; Wilder's, a nostalgic American dining concept in Birmingham; and Leila, a cosmopolitan Lebanese restaurant opened in Detroit's Capitol Park in 2019. Three restaurants are located in Birmingham, Michigan and one in downtown Detroit.

The company serves individual diners, multi-generational families, and private event clientele through dine-in service at its four physical locations. Revenue is generated through food and beverage sales at these storefronts; the parent company does not disclose pricing, with menu pricing set individually by each restaurant. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-consumer through physical retail locations, with marketing conducted primarily through earned media coverage in outlets including The New York Times, GQ, the Detroit Free Press, and PBS Food, alongside community outreach initiatives.

The business is led by second-generation owner Samy Eid, with a management team that includes Culinary Institute of America graduate Nick Janutol (Forest), Wynn Las Vegas alumnus Matthew Hollander (Leila), and a Director of Private Events (Rebecca de Movellan, joined 2023). The group has earned James Beard Award semifinalist nominations for Outstanding Restaurateur (2020) and Outstanding Hospitality (2022), Detroit Free Press Restaurant of the Year for both Leila (2020) and Phoenicia (2018), and inclusion in GQ's Best New Restaurants in America (2020) and The New York Times' best dishes list (2024).

Name

Chickpea Hospitality

Legal name

Chickpea Hospitality

Website

https://chickpeahospitality.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Chickpea Hospitality is a family-owned restaurant group operating four distinct dining concepts (Phoenicia, Forest, Wilder's, Leila) across metro Detroit, serving individual diners, families, and private event clientele through physical restaurant locations since 1971.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Restaurant Hospitality

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Family-Style Restaurants (THAFACAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Restaurant hospitality
• Fine dining
• Middle Eastern cuisine
• Mediterranean dining
• American restaurant

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Restaurant dining services: Chickpea Hospitality operates multiple restaurant concepts generating revenue through dine-in services, including Phoenicia (Lebanese/Middle Eastern), Forest (Contemporary Italian), Wilder's (American dining), and Leila (cosmopolitan Lebanese). Revenue is generated through food and beverage sales at their physical restaurant locations.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Chickpea Hospitality is a family-owned restaurant group that owns and operates four distinct dining concepts in the Detroit metropolitan area: Phoenicia (legendary Lebanese/Middle Eastern fine dining since 1971), Forest (contemporary European with Italian roots), Leila (award-winning cosmopolitan Lebanese in downtown Detroit), and Wilder's (nostalgic American dining). The group also offers private dining and event services across its restaurants for celebrations, corporate functions, and fundraisers.

Product overview

Chickpea Hospitality is a restaurant group that owns and operates four distinct restaurant brands in the Detroit metropolitan area. The portfolio includes Phoenicia (established 1971, Middle Eastern fine dining), Forest (contemporary European/Italian cuisine), Leila (modern Lebanese in downtown Detroit), and Wilder's (American dining). The restaurants range from fine dining white-tablecloth establishments to more casual dining experiences, collectively representing Lebanese, Italian, and American cuisines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Phoenicia Legendary Middle Eastern/Lebanese fine dining restaurant operating since 1971 in Birmingham, Michigan, featuring sophisticated white-linen, white-marble, French-door dining. One of the oldest continually operated Middle Eastern restaurants in the country; serves loyal regulars and private events.
• Forest Contemporary European restaurant with Italian roots located in Birmingham, Michigan, with a soft minimalist style and classically modern cuisine led by Executive Chef and Managing Partner Nick Janutol.
• Leila Award-winning cosmopolitan Lebanese restaurant in downtown Detroit's Capitol Park, opened in 2019 as a tribute to the Eid family, featuring modern Middle Eastern cuisine in a stylish dining space. Named Detroit Free Press 2020 Restaurant of the Year.
• Wilder's A nostalgic throwback to the glory days of American dining located in Birmingham, Michigan, serving classic American fare under the Chickpea Hospitality portfolio.

Quantifiable outcome

• James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurateur (2020)
• +4 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Lark: Contemporary farm-to-table restaurant in downtown Birmingham, Michigan. Direct local competitor in the same Birmingham submarket, with similar menu positioning (New American) and shared local diner base.
• Lady of the House: Award-winning fine-dining restaurant in Detroit led by chef Kate Williams, with strong national press. Comparable as a chef-driven Detroit restaurant competing for celebratory and press-driven dining occasions in the same metro.
• San Morello: Modern Italian restaurant in Detroit's Shinola Hotel by the Simeone Restaurant Group. Comparable as an independent Detroit contemporary Italian concept competing for overlapping diners and corporate-event business with Forest.
• Selden Standard: Award-winning contemporary American restaurant in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood, owned by chef Andy Hollyday. Comparable as a chef-driven, independent Detroit full-service restaurant that has received national press and competes for the same high-end dining occasion.
• SheWolf Detroit: Contemporary Italian restaurant in Detroit from the No Vacancy Hospitality group. Comparable as an independent Detroit full-service restaurant with strong national press and shared pasta/Italian menu positioning with Forest.
• Grey Ghost Detroit: Butcher-driven contemporary American restaurant in Detroit's Brush Park, owned by chef John Vermiglio. Comparable as an independently owned, award-credentialled Detroit full-service restaurant competing for the same date-night and special-occasion diner.

Broad incumbents

• Il Fornaio: Multi-unit Italian full-service restaurant group with locations across the U.S. Comparable as a larger, established Italian full-service operator with overlapping menu positioning to Forest and similar white-tablecloth service model.
• Sant Ambroeus: New York-based Italian restaurant and café group with multiple upscale locations. Comparable as an independent Italian full-service restaurant group with similar white-tablecloth positioning and loyal regular clientele to Forest.
• Maggiano's Little Italy: National Italian-American full-service casual dining chain (owned by Brinker International). Comparable as a scaled Italian-themed full-service operator, though at the chain level rather than independent-restaurant scale.
• CAVA Group: Public Mediterranean-focused fast-casual restaurant group (NYSE: CAVA) and former parent of Zoës Kitchen. Comparable as a Mediterranean-cuisine restaurant operator at much greater scale; serves as a broad incumbent illustrating the addressable Mediterranean dining market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chickpea-hospitality

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Chickpea Hospitality