The Living Room Restaurant

What The Living Room Restaurant does

The Living Room Restaurant is a single-location, full-service independent restaurant in Calgary, Alberta, founded in 2000 and operating at 514 – 17th Avenue SW. It employs 18 staff and is led by Founder & CEO Jonathan Rodriguez, Executive Chef Melissa Alexandra, Bar Manager Santiago Giménez, and Food Manager William Huffington. The concept is positioned as "Contemporary Interactive Cuisine," built around shared plates and fondue-forward formats, with menu items priced from $5 to $89 and a wine program ranging from $3.50 to $215 per bottle. The restaurant was recognized as an OpenTable Diners' Choice in 2023.\n\nThe business runs a multi-channel revenue model that combines dine-in service with takeout/curbside, private events, gift cards, and a branded merchandise line. The merchandise line is sold through a WooCommerce shop carrying approximately 155 SKUs at livingroomrestaurant.ca, and reservations are managed via OpenTable. There is no disclosed external funding, no franchise or second unit, and no proprietary technology platform beyond standard SMB e-commerce and reservation tooling.\n\nThe operating model is therefore capital-light and labor-intensive, dependent on a single physical asset, a single consumer trade area, and the continued relevance of the interactive/fondue concept in a competitive Calgary independent-dining market. Growth optionality is concentrated in merchandise, events, and gift cards rather than in unit expansion.

Name

The Living Room Restaurant

Legal name

The Living Room Restaurant

Website

https://livingroomrestaurant.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Living Room Restaurant is a Calgary-based independent full-service restaurant founded in 2000, serving "Contemporary Interactive Cuisine" — shared plates and fondue — via dine-in, takeout, private events, gift cards, and a branded merchandise line.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Full-Service Contemporary Interactive Cuisine Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Casual Dining Restaurants (THAFACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Chef’s Table & Tasting Menu Restaurants (THAFACAG)

Keywords

• Fondue restaurant dining
• Shared plate cuisine
• Curbside pickup takeout
• Private event dining
• Branded merchandise apparel

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

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 Service: The primary revenue stream comes from table-service dining, with customers ordering from the full menu including appetizers, entrees, desserts, and beverages. Dinner service nightly from 3pm until close.
2. Takeout and Curbside Pickup: Online ordering system for takeout and curbside pickup of menu items, including individual dishes and package meals.
3. Private Events: Revenue from hosting private events and dining experiences for groups.
4. Gift Cards: Sale of gift cards through third-party provider (anycard.ca), providing upfront cash flow and customer lock-in.
5. Merchandise: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts and headwear (V Neck T-Shirts, Flat Brim, Flex Fit, Mesh Trucker hats) priced between $20-$30.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Living Room Restaurant is a single-location full-service restaurant in Calgary offering contemporary interactive cuisine centered on fondue and shared plates, using organically raised meats, dairy, and local artisan products. The restaurant sells its food primarily through dine-in table service, takeout and curbside pickup ordered online, and private event dining, and supplements dining revenue with gift cards and branded apparel/headwear merchandise.

Product overview

The Living Room Restaurant is a contemporary interactive cuisine establishment in Calgary, Alberta, featuring comfort food with a modern twist served as shared plates. The restaurant offers an integrated online ordering system via WooCommerce for dine-in service, take-out, and curbside pickup. The core menu centers on fondue experiences (BRUNCH FONDUE, CHEESE FONDUE, CHOCOLATE FONDUE), premium proteins (RIBEYE, STURGEON, SHORT RIB DINNER), and artisan small plates. Package meals like THE GRAZER and Fondue Feast offer curated group dining experiences. Additional revenue streams include branded merchandise (apparel and headwear), gift cards, and special services like Happy Fondue Hour and private event dining. Reservations are managed through OpenTable integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Shaft: A venue/event space operated by the restaurant, mentioned as a separate section on the website.

Products and services

• Dine-In Restaurant Service

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bonterra Trattoria: Calgary Italian restaurant featuring fresh, locally-sourced cuisine in a warm dining room. Similar mid-to-premium price point and comparable locally-sourced ingredient narrative within Calgary.
• River Café: Calgary-based upscale restaurant on Prince's Island Park emphasizing local, seasonal ingredients. Comparable on locally-sourced ingredient narrative and premium casual positioning within the same Calgary market.
• CHARCUT Roast House: Chef-driven Calgary restaurant focused on whole-animal butchery and house-made charcuterie. Comparable on artisanal, ingredient-forward, locally-sourced positioning in the Calgary market.
• Mercato: Calgary-based Italian-focused restaurant emphasizing fresh, market-driven ingredients. Comparable locally-sourced, ingredient-led approach and shareable dining format in the Calgary market.
• The Melting Pot: Fondue-focused restaurant chain with cheese, broth, and chocolate fondue as its core menu. Direct competitor on the interactive fondue concept, though operating at much larger national scale primarily in the U.S.
• Teatro Restaurant: Calgary fine dining establishment in a heritage building downtown. Comparable upscale dining experience and price point, competing for the same high-end Calgary diners.

Broad incumbents

• Earls Kitchen + Bar: Large Canadian casual dining chain with a Calgary flagship. Overlapping target market (urban professionals seeking contemporary comfort food) and contemporary design language, but operates at scale across Canada.
• Joey Restaurants: Western Canadian upscale casual chain with multiple Calgary-area locations. Competes in the same contemporary comfort food / shared plates segment at broader scale with established loyalty program.
• Cactus Club Cafe: Canadian premium casual dining chain with multiple Calgary locations including on 17th Avenue. Competes for the same upscale casual diner with broader menu, larger marketing budget, and loyalty program.

Regional players

• The Coup Restaurant and Bar: Calgary vegetarian/vegan restaurant operating in the same 17th Avenue neighborhood. Comparable small independent footprint and local Calgary dining scene focus, though differentiated by plant-based menu.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-living-room-restaurant

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 The Living Room Restaurant