Glen Ellen Star
Glen Ellen Star is a single-location, chef-driven wood-fire restaurant in Glen Ellen, Sonoma County, founded in 2012, serving California-inspired family-style dinners, private events for up to 28 guests, and pickup/delivery via ToastTab.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersGlen Ellen, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Glen Ellen Star does
Glen Ellen Star is a single-location, chef-driven restaurant founded in 2012 by Chef/Proprietor Ari Weiswasser and operating at 13648 Arnold Drive in Glen Ellen, Sonoma County, California. The restaurant is built around a wood-fire cooking technique applied to whole animal and primal cut preparations, producing a seasonal, California-inspired menu served family-style. Core offerings include dinner service (Sun-Thu 5-9pm, Fri-Sat 5-9:30pm), four tiers of family-style large-party menus priced at $66-$89 per person, a private dining room buyout for up to 28 guests with a $2,750 food and beverage minimum, and a curated Sonoma/Napa-focused wine program.
The business runs on a direct-to-consumer dine-in model supplemented by ToastTab-powered pickup/delivery ordering and digital gift cards, with reservations for parties of 1-7 handled through DoorDash. Pricing is per-cover/per-event with no membership, subscription, or contracted recurring revenue. The team of approximately 12, including a Managing Partner, Marketing Manager, General Manager, Assistant General Manager, Director of Sales & Events, Chef de Cuisine, and Chef/Proprietor, supports both daily service and the private events channel.
The company monetizes through four revenue streams: dine-in restaurant service, private dining events, takeout and delivery, and gift card sales. Customer mix is fragmented between individual/couple diners and mid-market large-party guests (8-28) seeking private or semi-private experiences for celebrations and corporate gatherings. Earned media — including a 2023 New York Times wine destination feature, SF Chronicle "Best Restaurants in Sonoma County" recognition, and a Today Show segment — drives destination demand. There is no evidence of AI/ML capability, multi-unit expansion, external funding, M&A, or any technology platform beyond third-party restaurant SaaS integrations.
Glen Ellen Star firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Glen Ellen Star
- Legal name
- Glen Ellen Star
- Website
- https://glenellenstar.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Glen Ellen Star is a single-location, chef-driven wood-fire restaurant in Glen Ellen, Sonoma County, founded in 2012, serving California-inspired family-style dinners, private events for up to 28 guests, and pickup/delivery via ToastTab.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Glen Ellen Star industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Full-service restaurant (California wood-fire cuisine)
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Chef’s Table & Tasting Menu Restaurants (THAFACAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Family-Style Restaurants (THAFACAC), Wine Bars (THAFAEAF)
Keywords
Where Glen Ellen Star is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Glen Ellen
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Glen Ellen Star business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Dine-in restaurant service: Full-service dining with dinner service Sun-Thu 5-9pm, Fri-Sat 5-9:30pm. Offers seasonal California-inspired cuisine with family-style sharing format.
- Private dining events: Large party dining for 8-28 guests with family-style menus ($66-$89 per person) and private dining room buyout with $2750 food and beverage minimum. Includes 2.5-hour dining experience.
- Takeout and delivery: Online ordering through ToastTab for pickup and delivery orders.
- Gift cards: Digital gift cards sold through ToastTab platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Menu #1 - Entry family style menu |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Menu #2 - Mid-tier family style menu |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Menu #3 - Premium family style menu |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Menu #4 - Alternative family style menu |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Private dining room buyout (up to 28 guests) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
Glen Ellen Star product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Glen Ellen Star is a single-location full-service restaurant serving California-inspired wood-fire cuisine for dinner, with supplementary offerings for groups. The core product is the dinner service (Sun–Thu 5–9 PM, Fri–Sat 5–9:30 PM), complemented by four tiers of shareable family-style menus ($66–$89 per person) for parties of 8 or more and a private dining room buyout for up to 28 guests with a $2,750 food and beverage minimum. Additional standalone offerings include digital gift cards and a curated Sonoma/Napa wine program.
Product overview
Glen Ellen Star is a single-location restaurant offering a unified dining experience centered on California-inspired cuisine cooked over a wood-fire oven. The core offerings include dinner service, family-style menus for large parties (8+), private dining room buyouts, and online ordering via Toast Tab. The restaurant also offers a curated wine program, dessert menu, and special Neighborhood Night menu options. No modular product architecture applies — this is a single hospitality establishment rather than a software platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Dinner Service Full-service dinner offering California-inspired cuisine cooked over a wood-fire oven, served Sun–Thu 5–9 PM and Fri–Sat 5–9:30 PM for individual diners and small parties of 1–7 guests booking via DoorDash.
- Family-Style Large-Party Menus Customized shareable, seasonal family-style dining experience for groups of 8 or more guests, offered in four menu tiers priced at $66, $69, $77, or $89 per person plus beverages, tax, and 20% gratuity, with all allergies and dietary restrictions accommodated.
- Private Dining Room Buyout Fully private dining room buyout for up to 28 guests featuring Chef Ari's signature wood-oven and whole animal dishes, with a $2,750 food and beverage minimum plus tax and automatic 20% gratuity; required for parties of 13 or more and includes a 2.5-hour dining experience.
- Gift Cards Digital gift cards available for purchase through the ToastTab platform, redeemable at Glen Ellen Star for dine-in, pickup, or delivery orders.
Quantifiable outcome
- Private dining capacity for up to 28 guests
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Glen Ellen Star
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Glen Ellen Star technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature2 records
Glen Ellen Star partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- DoorDashcoreDoorDash serves as the reservation platform for Glen Ellen Star, allowing customers to book tables through the DoorDash app and website. This partnership enables the restaurant to manage reservations and reach customers through DoorDash's consumer base.
- ToastTabcoreToastTab provides the online ordering platform for Glen Ellen Star, powering pickup, delivery orders, and gift card sales. The restaurant uses ToastTab's e-commerce infrastructure for digital ordering capabilities.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Glen Ellen Star competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Restaurant at Justin: Wine-country fine dining at Justin Vineyards in Paso Robles. Comparable destination dining concept anchored to wine region tourism with curated prix-fixe menus.
- Single Thread: Chef-driven farm-to-table restaurant in Healdsburg, Sonoma County, with a tasting-menu concept and similar premium positioning to Glen Ellen Star. Direct peer in wine-country destination dining.
- The French Laundry: Iconic fine-dining destination in Yountville (Napa wine country) with high per-cover pricing and destination-driven demand. Directly comparable as a wine-country culinary destination with chef-led identity.
- Quince: San Francisco Michelin-starred restaurant from chef Michael Tusk with Italian/California cuisine and a similar premium price point. Comparable chef-led fine-dining operator in the broader Bay Area.
- PRESS Restaurant: Napa Valley steakhouse in St. Helena with destination wine-country dining, private event programming, and premium price points. Comparable as a wine-country destination with private event revenue.
- Lazy Bear: San Francisco chef-driven tasting-menu restaurant with strong press profile and high per-cover pricing. Comparable as a chef-identity-driven, press-recognized dining destination.
- Bird & the Bottle: Santa Rosa, Sonoma County restaurant from chef Mark Stark featuring wood-fire cooking and shareable plates. Directly comparable chef-driven wood-fire concept in the same regional market.
Broad incumbents
- OpenTable: Major restaurant reservation platform. Comparable as a reservation infrastructure provider used by premium independent restaurants, though Glen Ellen Star currently uses DoorDash for reservations.
- Toast: Restaurant POS and online ordering platform (ToastTab). Comparable as Glen Ellen Star's underlying ordering and gift card technology provider; an enabling platform partner rather than a dining competitor.
Emerging players
- Cala: San Francisco Mexican-inspired restaurant from chef Gabriela Cámara with wood-fire elements and casual-but-refined service. Partial overlap in chef-identity and wood-fire technique.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Glen Ellen Star social profiles
Digital presenceGlen Ellen Star financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Glen Ellen Star leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Glen Ellen Star funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Glen Ellen Star 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 Glen Ellen Star
What does Glen Ellen Star do?
Glen Ellen Star is a single-location full-service restaurant serving California-inspired wood-fire cuisine for dinner, with supplementary offerings for groups. The core product is the dinner service (Sun–Thu 5–9 PM, Fri–Sat 5–9:30 PM), complemented by four tiers of shareable family-style menus ($66–$89 per person) for parties of 8 or more and a private dining room buyout for up to 28 guests with a $2,750 food and beverage minimum. Additional standalone offerings include digital gift cards and a curated Sonoma/Napa wine program.
Is Glen Ellen Star a public or private company?
Glen Ellen Star is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Glen Ellen Star founded?
Glen Ellen Star was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Glen Ellen Star based?
Glen Ellen Star is headquartered in Glen Ellen, United States, in the North America region.
How does Glen Ellen Star make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Dine-in restaurant service is the primary driver. The others are private dining events, takeout and delivery and gift cards.
Who are Glen Ellen Star's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Restaurant at Justin, Single Thread, The French Laundry, Quince, PRESS Restaurant, Lazy Bear and Bird & the Bottle. Broad incumbents are OpenTable and Toast. Cala is listed as an emerging player.
Does Glen Ellen Star have an API?
No public API is recorded for Glen Ellen Star.
What industry is Glen Ellen Star in?
Glen Ellen Star's product category is Full-service restaurant (California wood-fire cuisine). Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFACAG, Chef’s Table & Tasting Menu Restaurants, with a secondary code of THAFACAC, Family-Style Restaurants. Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.