Donatelli’s

What Donatelli’s does

Donatelli's is a privately held, family-owned Italian restaurant founded in 1976 in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. The company operates a single dine-in location at 2692 County Road E East under the founding mission of making 'everyone's day a little better and brighter,' and produces all pastas, sauces, and pizza from scratch rather than using commissary-style heat-and-eat operations common to franchise competitors. The menu spans fresh and baked pasta, build-your-own thin-crust and deep-dish pizza, signature items (Italian Fries, Dunker, Pizza Turnovers), burgers, chicken, sandwiches, salads, a kids' menu, and a gluten-free menu, with a craft beer on tap and an in-house gelato/ice cream offering.

The business operates across four revenue streams: dine-in service (Tuesday-Sunday hours, closed Mondays), takeout and local delivery fulfilled through the Toasttab third-party ordering platform, full-service and drop-off catering for weddings, corporate events, graduation parties, and funeral meals, and sale of physical and electronic gift cards. Catering is delivered both directly and through preferred-vendor arrangements at more than 20 Twin Cities wedding and event venues including Kellermans, 7 Vines Vineyard, Landmark Center, and Abella. Additional retail-style product lines include structured Family Plan takeout packages ($55-$80) serving 2-6 people and a Fill Your Freezer frozen-meal program ($140 regular / $160 gluten-free).

The technology stack is intentionally lightweight and non-proprietary: standard POS, Toasttab for online ordering and gift card fulfillment, Google Maps for location visibility, Google reCAPTCHA for site security, and a content-managed marketing website. There is no proprietary software platform, no AI/ML capability, no disclosed app, and no investor relations or funding activity. The company is operating, privately held, with 18 employees, and shows early but unconfirmed signs of multi-site expansion via hiring at a Bloomington, MN location referenced in the careers page.

Name

Donatelli’s

Legal name

Donatelli's

Website

https://donatellis.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Donatelli's is a family-owned Italian restaurant founded in 1976 in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, serving made-from-scratch pasta, pizza, and catering for weddings, corporate events, and parties through dine-in, takeout, and delivery channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

White Bear Lake

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Restaurant Sales: Traditional sit-down dining service with full menu available Tuesday through Saturday 11am-9pm and Sunday 11am-8pm. Revenue generated from food and beverage sales including alcoholic beverages (craft beer on tap).
2. Takeout and Delivery: Online ordering through Toasttab platform for takeout and local delivery. Menu items available for home delivery including family plans and frozen meal options.
3. Catering Services: Full-service and drop-off catering for weddings, corporate events, graduation parties, funerals, and private parties. Includes event centers, graduations, corporate functions, funeral meals, and holiday party catering.
4. Gift Cards: Sale of gift cards through e-gift card system and physical cards available in restaurant.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Donatelli's operates a casual Italian restaurant offering dine-in service, takeout, delivery, and full-service event catering. The menu features made-from-scratch pastas, sauces, pizza, sandwiches, salads, burgers, chicken, desserts, and signature items such as Italian Fries and Dunker. Catering services span weddings, corporate events, graduation parties, funerals, and holiday parties, with all-inclusive pricing covering dishes, linens, silverware, and service.

Product overview

Donatelli's is a family-owned Italian restaurant established in 1976, operating as a single-location casual dining establishment in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. The restaurant offers a unified dining experience centered on made-from-scratch Italian-American cuisine, featuring signature items like homemade Italian Fries, Dunker, pizza, fresh-made pastas, and baked pasta dishes. The business operates across multiple service channels including dine-in, takeout, delivery, and catering. Its product portfolio spans core restaurant dining, take-out and delivery services, comprehensive catering for events (weddings, corporate, graduation parties, funerals), specialty frozen meal packages (Fill Your Freezer), a dedicated Kids Menu, and gluten-free options. The restaurant also offers a Lunch Rush quick-service menu, daily dinner specials, Family Plan takeout packages, and gift cards. Donatelli's gained national recognition through a feature on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and has built a reputation over nearly five decades of serving homemade Italian food.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dine-In Restaurant Service Full-service casual Italian restaurant dining experience with made-from-scratch pasta, sauces, pizza, sandwiches, salads, burgers, chicken, and desserts served Tuesday through Sunday at the White Bear Lake location.
• Takeout Service Order-and-pickup service for individual menu items, family plans, and frozen meal packages, placed online via Toasttab or by phone.
• Local Delivery Service Food delivery service for customers in the White Bear Lake area with expanded delivery available for catering orders.
• Full-Service Catering Complete event catering with staffed service, setup, dinnerware, linens, silverware, and cleanup, available as a preferred vendor at 20+ Twin Cities wedding and event venues.
• Drop-Off Catering Catering option with food delivered in recyclable pans with serving utensils, suitable for graduation parties, corporate events, funerals, and private parties.
• Family Plan (Takeout Meal Package) Pre-set takeout meal packages serving 2-4 or 4-6 people, including an entree, salad, garlic bread, and ice cream dessert for $55-$80.
• Fill Your Freezer Frozen meal package containing 3 entrees for two, 3 quarts of soup, 3 ten-inch pizzas, plus sauces and 20 bite-sized meatballs, available in regular ($140) and gluten-free ($160) versions with 48-hour preparation notice.
• Gift Cards Physical gift cards available in the restaurant and electronic gift cards redeemable for food and beverages at Donatelli's.

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kellermans Event CentercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred catering vendor at this White Bear Lake event center. Full-service wedding and event catering provided at venue location.
• 7 Vines VineyardcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred catering vendor at this Dellwood, MN vineyard venue. Full-service wedding catering services.
• The Charleston Event CentercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred catering vendor at this White Bear Lake event venue.
• Pinewood Weddings and EventsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCatering services provided April 1st through October 31st at this Cambridge, MN venue.
• Landmark CentercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred catering vendor at this Saint Paul landmark venue for events and weddings.
• Willow Brooke FarmminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSeasonal catering services (April-October) at this Red Wing, MN farm venue.
• Abella Wedding & Events FarmcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred catering vendor at this Chisago City, MN wedding and events venue.
• ToasttabcoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party online ordering and payment platform used for takeout orders, delivery orders, and gift card sales.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Buca di Beppo: Family-style Italian restaurant chain serving large-portion pasta, pizza, and baked dishes in a casual setting with catering offerings; directly comparable to Donatelli's casual Italian dine-in and event catering model.
• Maggiano's Little Italy: Casual full-service Italian restaurant chain known for made-to-order pastas, family-style portions, and robust private-dining and event catering; mirrors Donatelli's scratch cooking and event-catering positioning.

Regional players

• Cossetta's: Long-standing Italian market, restaurant, and event venue in Saint Paul, MN; comparable to Donatelli's as a multi-generational Twin Cities Italian brand with both restaurant dining and event/catering capabilities.
• Punch Pizza: Twin Cities-based Neapolitan pizza chain with a craft, from-scratch positioning; overlaps with Donatelli's pizza category and Twin Cities regional market.
• Mintahoe Catering: Twin Cities full-service caterer handling weddings, corporate events, and social gatherings; directly comparable to Donatelli's full-service catering division and venue partnerships.
• D'Amico & Sons: Twin Cities Italian-rooted hospitality group operating restaurants, catering, and event services; comparable to Donatelli's combination of Italian dining and event catering in the same geography.

Broad incumbents

• Olive Garden: Largest casual Italian dining chain in the U.S.; sets the price and convenience baseline against which Donatelli's scratch-cooking and family-run positioning competes.
• Carrabba's Italian Grill: Casual Italian chain featuring scratch-style kitchen preparation and full bar service; comparable to Donatelli's in menu architecture and dine-in casual segment.
• Romano's Macaroni Grill: Casual Italian dining chain featuring made-to-order pastas and pizzas; serves a comparable price point and dine-in occasion to Donatelli's.
• Fazoli's: Italian fast-casual chain emphasizing pasta, pizza, and takeout; relevant benchmark for Donatelli's takeout, family plan, and value-priced pasta offerings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/donatellis
• Instagraminstagram.com/donatellis

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 Donatelli’s