What Lento Restaurant does

Lento Restaurant operates a single-location, chef-driven farm-to-table restaurant in the Village Gate area of Rochester, New York. Under owner and head chef Arthur Rogers and general manager Kate Procter, the restaurant employs 9 staff and serves New York State-sourced cuisine to local diners through a direct-to-consumer dine-in model, supplemented by catering, private events, takeaway, and gift card sales. The core operational capability is in-house scratch production of bread, pasta, and desserts, with ingredients sourced from 16 or more farms within New York State.

The business operates Tuesday through Saturday dinner service. Digital infrastructure is limited to commodity hospitality SaaS: Resy for reservations, a SpotHopper-hosted website for marketing and ordering, and Heartland POS for transactions. Menu pricing positions the concept in the upscale-casual segment, with entrees at $22-34 and craft cocktails at $11-15, while catering is priced at approximately $40 per person. Sustainability operations include Impact Earth composting services and compostable takeout containers. Recurring brand activations include pairing dinners with regional New York distilleries Iron Smoke and Battle Rattle, and a craft cocktail program built around house-made mixers.

The revenue model is diversified across dine-in (primary), catering, private event hosting, and ancillary retail (takeaway, gift cards). Customer acquisition is local and is driven by word-of-mouth, the Resy discovery platform, and positioning within Rochester's farm-to-table dining segment rather than any paid marketing or third-party delivery programs of scale.

Name

Lento Restaurant

Legal name

Lento Restaurant

Website

https://lentorestaurant.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lento Restaurant is a single-location, chef-driven farm-to-table restaurant in Rochester, New York, serving New York State-sourced cuisine to local diners through dine-in, catering, private events, and takeaway.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Farm-to-Table Restaurant

NAICS

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

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Chef’s Table & Tasting Menu Restaurants (THAFACAG)

Keywords

• Farm-to-table dining
• Scratch-cooked cuisine
• Local farm sourcing
• Craft cocktail program
• Private event catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Dine-in restaurant service: Full-service farm-to-table dining with regularly changing menu based on seasonal availability. Customers reserve tables via Resy or walk in. Includes upscale casual dining with table service.
2. Beverage program (cocktails, wine, beer): Extensive craft cocktail menu with house-made mixers and local spirits, curated wine list featuring Finger Lakes wines, and local craft beer selection. Includes digestifs and coffee program.
3. Catering services: Full-service catering including oyster catering ($4 per oyster, minimum 100), party and event catering for groups of 20+. Menu options include heavy hors d'oeuvres or 3-course dinner menus.
4. Private event hosting: Private party bookings for baby showers, wedding rehearsals, bridal showers, business meetings. Large parties set menu at $40 per person (8 offerings), with additional $5 per person for extra offerings. Sunday private buyouts require $2000 room charge with $2000 minimum spend for under 40 guests.
5. Takeout and specialty items: Takeout orders available. Gift cards sold through Heartland POS system. Seasonal and specialty menu items available for takeaway.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lento Restaurant is a single-location farm-to-table restaurant in Rochester, NY that serves scratch-cooked dinner cuisine made from locally sourced New York State ingredients, with all bread, pasta, desserts, pickles, condiments, and sauces produced in-house. The core offering is complemented by a craft cocktail and Finger Lakes wine beverage program, off-site catering including oyster catering, private event hosting for groups of 20-25, themed pairing dinners, and takeout service.

Product overview

Lento Restaurant is a single-location farm-to-table restaurant in Rochester, NY, offering a unified dining experience. The core offering is its regular dinner menu featuring locally sourced, scratch-cooked cuisine. Supporting services include an extensive drinks program (cocktails, wine, beer), catering services for off-site events, oyster catering, private party hosting for groups of 20-25, themed pairing dinner events, and weekly specials. The restaurant also provides online reservation capabilities via Resy and gift cards through Heartland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Regular Dining Menu Full farm-to-table dinner menu featuring locally sourced raw oysters, salads, appetizers, house-made pasta, entrees, and desserts, served Tuesday through Saturday. Targeted at individual diners and small groups seeking seasonal cuisine.
• Drinks Menu (Craft Cocktails, Wine, Beer) Beverage program featuring craft cocktails and mocktails with house-made mixers, regional craft beers, Finger Lakes wines, coffee and tea, and digestifs, served alongside the dine-in menu.
• Catering Services Off-site catering for events with customizable menus including hors d'oeuvres, seated dinners, and family-style service, leveraging the restaurant's farm-to-table sourcing.
• Oyster Catering Specialized oyster service for events served on compostable plates, priced at $4 per plate with a minimum order of 100 oysters.
• Private Events and Parties On-site private event hosting for groups of 20-25 covering baby showers, wedding rehearsals, bridal showers, and business meetings, with set menus starting at $40 per person and Sunday buyout options.
• Special Events and Pairing Dinners Themed multi-course dining events paired with regional distilleries such as Iron Smoke Distillery and Battle Rattle Spirits, offered at tasting-menu price points around $75 per person.
• Weekly Specials and Happy Hour Rotating weekly specials including oyster deals ($1 Tuesdays/Wednesdays, $2 Thursdays), Friday-Saturday Happy Hour with $2 oysters and discounts on wine and select beer (5-6pm), and Fish Fry Fridays.
• Gift Cards Digital gift cards available for purchase through the Heartland payment platform, redeemable at the restaurant.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supporting multiple local small businesses through direct farm sourcing relationships

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bedient FarmscoreOthersSupplying chicken, beef, pork, rabbit, and lamb. Located in Middlesex, New York. A key protein supplier for the restaurant's farm-to-table model.
• Bolton FarmscoreOthersSupplying hydroponic salad greens. Located in Hilton, New York.
• Shtayburne FarmscoreOthersSupplier of cheese curds used in traditional poutine and vegetarian poutine dishes.
• Finger Lakes Coffee RoasterscoreOthersSupplier of French press and espresso drinks, including beans for espresso martini. Located in Victor, New York.
• Fisher Hill FarmcoreOthersSupplying eggs, duck, turkey, and chicken. Located in Canandaigua, New York.
• Artisan FoodscoreOthersArtisanal cheese purveyor from Waterloo, New York. Part of Finger Lakes Artisan Foods.
• Lively Run ChevrecoreOthersSupplier of goat cheese used in various dishes including whipped herbed goat cheese and goat cheese ravioli.
• Keuka Lake VineyardscoreOthersFeatured on wine list with multiple vintages including Riesling and Blaufränkisch. Finger Lakes wine region partner.
• Dr. Konstantin Frank WinerycoreOthersFeatured winery on wine list including Dry Rose, Semi-Dry Riesling, and Blaufränkisch. Keuka Lake, NY.
• Iron Smoke DistilleryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted Touch of Smoke Pairing Dinner event featuring their Straight Bourbon, Bouncing Souls Bourbon, Double Oaked Whiskey, and Cask Strength Bourbon. $75 tasting menu pairing.
• Battle Rattle SpiritsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted Battle Rattle Pairing Dinner featuring their Indigo Gin in Summer of 75 cocktail. Menu to be announced for August 27th event.
• Pittsford Farms DairycoreOthersSupplying all milk and cream. Located in Pittsford, New York.
• Impact EarthcoreOthersComposting partner reducing food and organic waste. Supports the restaurant's sustainability initiatives.
• Fun Guy MushroomscoreOthersMushroom purveyor from East Rochester, New York.
• Great OceancoreOthersMain seafood supplier for the restaurant's seafood dishes.
• Farmer Ground FlourcoreOthersSupplier of local and organic flours and grains from Trumansburg, New York.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Dinosaur Bar-B-Que: Rochester-origin multi-location BBQ restaurant with regional brand recognition. Comparable to Lento as a broader Rochester dining brand, though positioned in a different cuisine category and price tier.

Direct peers

• Blue Hill at Stone Barns: Pioneering farm-to-table restaurant in Pocantico Hills, NY, sourcing directly from its own farm. Directly comparable to Lento in philosophy — local sourcing, scratch cooking, seasonal menus — though at a significantly higher price point and scale.
• Chez Panisse: Alice Waters' landmark Berkeley, CA restaurant widely credited as the farm-to-table originator. Directly comparable to Lento in its fixed-price, locally-sourced, in-house-prepared menu structure and culinary philosophy.
• Gramercy Tavern: Danny Meyer's NYC restaurant with a long-standing farm-to-table ethos and seasonal American menu. Comparable to Lento in its premium casual fine dining model, sourcing relationships with regional producers, and craft beverage program.
• Restaurant Nora: Washington, DC farm-to-table restaurant historically certified as America's first organic-certified restaurant. Directly comparable to Lento in its sourcing rigor, in-house production, and family-scale operation.
• Moosewood Restaurant: Ithaca, NY vegetarian restaurant with a long-standing farm-to-table and local sourcing model. Comparable to Lento in its Upstate New York location, Finger Lakes region sourcing, and decades-old reputation.
• Heartland Restaurant: Minneapolis farm-to-table restaurant sourcing from Midwest producers. Comparable to Lento in its regional sourcing model, Midwestern location, and Mid-scale scratch cooking operation.

Regional players

• Good Luck Restaurant: Rochester, NY restaurant with a chef-driven, locally-sourced menu. Comparable to Lento as a regional farm-to-table peer operating in the same Rochester market with similar culinary positioning.
• Max of Eastman Business Park: Upscale Rochester-area steakhouse with a focus on quality proteins and wine. Comparable to Lento as a premium Rochester-area dining competitor, though positioned more on the steakhouse side than the farm-to-table niche.
• Owl House: Rochester, NY restaurant focused on locally-sourced, scratch-cooked American cuisine. Directly comparable to Lento as a same-market peer competing for the same farm-to-table dining customer in Rochester.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/172668670370
• Instagraminstagram.com/lento.restaurant
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lento-restaurant

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Lento Restaurant