Il Giardino Ristorante

What Il Giardino Ristorante does

Il Giardino Ristorante is a privately held, single-location Italian restaurant operating at 3201 S Hoover St within USC Village in Los Angeles, California. The restaurant's core offering is made-to-order fresh pasta priced from $13.95, complemented by pasta specials ($16.95), chicken entrees ($18.95), panini-style sandwiches ($14.95), and salads ($11.95), with options for vegan and gluten-free substitutions. It generates revenue exclusively through dine-in service and pickup orders placed via the third-party ChowNow online ordering platform; there is no delivery, catering, wholesale, or franchise operation documented.

The underlying technology stack is minimal: a Squarespace-hosted marketing website built by a third-party vendor (Duality), Instagram/Facebook/Yelp for brand presence, and ChowNow for digital ordering. There is no proprietary software, no mobile app, no AI/ML capability, and no integration beyond the ChowNow ordering link. Menu extensions (e.g., homemade gnocchi, dietary alternatives) reflect modest product iteration rather than platform development.

The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer and entirely physical-location-driven, targeting two segments: the USC university community (primary — students, faculty, staff as captive foot traffic from USC Village) and broader Los Angeles residents seeking affordable Italian cuisine. Pricing is unit-based pay-as-you-go with no tiered subscription, loyalty program, or contract structures. Ownership, management team, and headcount composition (67 employees in total) are private; no institutional investor, parent company, or franchise relationship is evidenced.

Name

Il Giardino Ristorante

Legal name

Il Giardino

Website

https://ilgiardinousc.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Il Giardino Ristorante is a single-location Italian restaurant in USC Village, Los Angeles, serving made-to-order fresh pasta, entrees, sandwiches, and salads priced $11.95-$18.95 to USC students, faculty, staff, and local residents via dine-in and ChowNow pickup.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Italian Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

All-Day Dining Restaurants (THAFACAJ)

Keywords

• Italian restaurant
• Fresh pasta dishes
• Made-to-order pasta
• Casual Italian dining
• Panini and salads

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Restaurant Sales: Revenue from customers dining at the restaurant, purchasing made-to-order pasta dishes, entrees, sandwiches, and salads.
2. Online Ordering Sales: Revenue from online orders placed through the ChowNow ordering platform, with customers ordering for pickup.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Il Giardino Ristorante operates a single-location Italian restaurant inside USC Village in Los Angeles, serving fresh, made-to-order pasta dishes (Spaghetti, Tagliatelle, Penne, Homemade Gnocchi, Angel Hair, Fusili, Rigatoni, with a gluten-free penne option) paired with eight sauce choices (Tomato Basil, Alfredo, Arrabiata, Checca, Bolognese, Mushroom, Pesto, Pink). The menu extends to pasta specials ($16.95), chicken entrees ($18.95), sandwiches ($14.95), and salads ($11.95), with vegan and gluten-free alternatives available, and supports both dine-in and online pickup orders via ChowNow.

Product overview

Il Giardino is an authentic Italian restaurant located in USC Village, Los Angeles, offering a unified dining experience centered on traditional Italian cuisine. The menu features fresh pasta dishes with various sauce options as the core offering, complemented by pasta specials, entrees (primarily chicken dishes), sandwiches, and salads. The restaurant operates as a single-location dining establishment without a multi-product platform architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fresh Pasta — Choose a Fresh Pasta Made-to-order pasta with a choice of seven pasta types (Spaghetti, Tagliatelle, Penne, Homemade Gnocchi, Angel Hair, Fusili, Rigatoni) plus a gluten-free penne option, paired with eight house sauces (Tomato Basil, Alfredo, Arrabiata, Checca, Bolognese, Mushroom, Pesto, Pink). Starting price $13.95, with vegan Bolognese available, and add-on proteins (Chicken +$4.00, Shrimp +$5.00) or side salad (+$5.00). Targeted at dine-in and pickup customers seeking fresh Italian pasta.
• Pasta Specials Specialty pasta dishes priced at $16.95, including Spaghetti Mare (shrimp, calamari, mussels), Penne Gamberi (shrimp, sun-dried tomato, rapini broccoli, garlic-olive oil), and Farfalle Al Salmon (bowtie pasta, smoked salmon, pink sauce). Targeted at customers seeking seafood-based or premium pasta options.
• Entrees Chicken-based entrees priced at $18.95: Chicken Milanese (breaded chicken with roasted vegetables) and Chicken with Lemon & Capers (sautéed chicken breast with roasted vegetables). Available with pasta add-on (+$5.00). Targeted at diners seeking non-pasta main courses.
• Sandwiches Panini-style sandwiches priced at $14.95 each: Caprese (fresh mozzarella, pesto, tomato), Turkey (turkey, butter lettuce, mustard mayo, provolone, tomato, avocado), and Chicken (sautéed chicken breast, chipotle mayo, tomato, spinach). Targeted at customers seeking handheld lunch options.
• Salads Salad selections priced at $11.95: Caesar Salad (romaine, croutons, parmesan), Kale Salad (green apple, carrot, cranberry, toasted almonds, citrus dressing), and Mixed Green Salad (mixed greens, roasted bell pepper, pine nuts, balsamic vinaigrette). Available with Chicken (+$4.00) or Shrimp (+$5.00) additions. Targeted at customers seeking lighter or healthier menu options.
• Online Pickup Ordering via ChowNow Pickup ordering service enabled through the ChowNow third-party ordering platform, allowing customers to place orders from Il Giardino's menu for in-person pickup at the USC Village location. Targeted at customers who prefer digital ordering over dine-in service.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ChowNowminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChowNow is an online ordering platform that hosts Il Giardino's digital ordering system, allowing customers to place pickup orders through their website. This partnership enables the restaurant to capture online ordering revenue from customers who prefer digital ordering over dine-in.

Recent moves3 records

Direct peers

• Trattoria Amici: Independent Italian restaurant in the LA area offering fresh pasta and traditional Italian dishes at sit-down price points, directly comparable to Il Giardino's offerings and customer demographic.
• Pasta Pomodoro: Italian restaurant specializing in fresh pasta with customizable sauces at affordable prices, sharing Il Giardino's build-your-own pasta model and student-friendly pricing approach.
• Pasta Sisters: LA-based Italian restaurant specializing in fresh, made-to-order pasta with affordable pricing, directly comparable to Il Giardino's fresh pasta, sauce-customization, and value positioning.

Regional players

• MidiCi The Neapolitan Pizza Company: Fast-casual Italian restaurant concept with locations in LA serving fresh, affordable Italian fare, comparable to Il Giardino's accessible Italian dining and counter-service-adjacent positioning.
• Caffe Primo: LA-area Italian café and restaurant offering pasta, sandwiches, and salads with dine-in and takeaway options, comparable to Il Giardino's lunch-friendly Italian menu and local community focus.

Broad incumbents

• Buca di Beppo: Established Italian restaurant chain serving traditional pasta and Italian dishes at moderate price points, comparable to Il Giardino's sit-down Italian dining experience and family-style menu approach.
• Olive Garden: National Italian casual dining chain offering affordable pasta, entrées, and salads with dine-in service, comparable to Il Giardino's value Italian positioning and broad menu structure.
• Maggiano's Little Italy: National Italian-American restaurant chain offering full-service dining with pasta, entrées, and salads at moderate-to-premium price points, comparable in service model and menu breadth.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/il-giardino-ristorante

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 Il Giardino Ristorante