Oyamel Cocina Mexicana

What Oyamel Cocina Mexicana does

Oyamel Cocina Mexicana is a full-service regional Mexican restaurant brand founded in 2004 in Washington, D.C.'s Penn Quarter and operated by ThinkFoodGroup, LLC (the holding company for the José Andrés Group, led by Global CEO Sam Bakhshandehpour). The brand operates two locations — the original 401 7th Street NW in DC, which has run for nearly 20 years and features private dining rooms (Butterfly Bar, Escondido Room, Zocolo Dining Room) plus a weekday Hora Feliz happy hour, and a second location opened in April 2025 at 505 W 30th St in Hudson Yards, New York, designed by Rockwell Group with a Mexican street festival-inspired interior. The menu spans antojitos, ceviches, tacos, empanadas, and large-format "Mexican Fiestas" sharing plates, anchored by an heirloom-corn program sourced exclusively through Masienda (White Olotillo and Blue Cónico from Oaxaca and Tlaxcala) and a cocktail program featuring signature items such as the Salt Air Margarita and an extensive tequila/mezcal list.

The business generates revenue from four primary streams: dine-in restaurant sales at the two physical locations, private events and catering (booked via TripleSeat, accommodating 11 to 200 guests across full buyouts, partial buyouts, and semi-private spaces), pickup orders and third-party delivery (Toast Tab and UberEats), and cross-brand gift cards redeemable at all José Andrés Group restaurants. Pricing is unit-based with menu prices not publicly disclosed; event and catering pricing is quote-based. The technology stack is built on third-party platforms rather than proprietary systems: the website runs on BentoBox, reservations are managed through OpenTable, online ordering through Toast Tab, delivery via UberEats, event booking via TripleSeat, email capture through E2MA, and hiring through Paylocity. Oyamel holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand in the Washington, D.C. guide and benefits from the broader José Andrés Group brand halo (Time 100 Most Influential, James Beard Outstanding Chef and Humanitarian of the Year, National Humanities Medal).

Customer segments are horizontally diversified: general dining customers seeking authentic regional Mexican food and creative cocktails, and a smaller enterprise-style private events and catering segment serving corporate gatherings and celebrations. Marketing is largely organic, relying on Instagram and Facebook presence, an email newsletter, and earned media coverage in outlets including Eater, the New York Times, Time Out, The Infatuation, ABC 7, the Washington Post, Washingtonian, WTOP, and Observer. The brand does not operate a mobile app, has no disclosed funding rounds, and has no AI/ML capabilities embedded in its product or operations.

Name

Oyamel Cocina Mexicana

Legal name

THINKFOODGROUP, LLC

Website

https://oyamel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Full-service Mexican restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (72232)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants (THAFACAD)

Keywords

• Mexican restaurant dining
• Regional Mexican cuisine
• Restaurant private events
• Tequila mezcal cocktails
• Restaurant delivery catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington, District of Columbia, District of Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

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. Restaurant Dining Sales: Revenue from food and beverage sales at two restaurant locations (Washington DC and New York City). All-day dining service with menu featuring antojitos, ceviches, tacos, and signature cocktails.
2. Private Events and Catering: Revenue from hosting private events including full/partial buyouts, semi-private spaces (Butterfly Bar, Escondido Room, Zocolo Dining Room), and off-premise catering services.
3. Delivery and Pickup: Revenue from pickup orders and third-party delivery via UberEats platform.
4. Gift Cards: Gift cards valid across all José Andrés Group restaurants, generating future revenue when redeemed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Oyamel is a full-service Mexican restaurant brand operating dine-in locations in Washington, DC and New York City, serving regional Mexican cuisine including antojitos, ceviches, tacos, and Mexican Fiestas sharing plates, supported by a creative tequila and mezcal cocktail program. It also offers private event spaces, off-premise catering, pickup and delivery, and gift cards redeemable across the parent José Andrés Group restaurant portfolio.

Product overview

Oyamel Cocina Mexicana is a Mexican restaurant brand operated by José Andrés Group, offering a unified dining experience centered on authentic regional Mexican cuisine. The core product is the full-service restaurant featuring street tacos, antojitos (small plates), ceviches, and Mexican Fiestas sharing plates. Supporting products include a cocktail and beverage program with signature margaritas and mezcal, Private Events and Catering services, and Delivery/Pickup options. The brand operates two locations (Washington, DC and New York City) with a unified menu and reservation system, supplemented by Hora Feliz happy hour and gift card programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Oyamel Restaurant Dining Full-service dine-in Mexican restaurant experience featuring regional Mexican cuisine such as street tacos, antojitos, ceviches, and desserts prepared with authentic heirloom corn masa, served at the DC and NYC locations.
• Cocktail and Beverage Program Creative cocktail and beverage program built around tequila, mezcal, and Mexican wines, with signature items such as the Salt Air Margarita, Micheladas, and seasonal specialty cocktails available at both locations.
• Hora Feliz (Happy Hour) Weekday happy hour program available at the Washington, DC location from 4 PM to 6 PM featuring specially-priced drinks and bites, served at bar and hightop tables only.
• Private Events and Catering Event space buyouts and catering services for intimate dinners to large receptions (11 to 200 guests) at both DC and NYC locations, including private and semi-private rooms (Butterfly Bar, Escondido Room, Zocolo Dining Room) plus off-premise catering at customer-specified venues.
• Delivery and Pickup Takeout and delivery service offered at both DC and NYC locations via UberEats for delivery and Toast Tab for pickup ordering.
• Gift Cards Digital gift cards available in various denominations and valid at all José Andrés Group restaurants, sold through the ThinkFoodGroup platform and redeemable for future in-restaurant dining.

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MasiendacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Since 2014, Oyamel has partnered with Masienda, founded by Jorge Gaviria, to source heirloom corn from Oaxaca. Partnership began with White Olotillo masa harina and expanded to include Blue Cónico corn from Tlaxcala, used for tortillas. Masienda's mission is bringing traditional Mexican corn to the US food industry, building a masa value chain linking Mexican farmers with restaurants.
• Rockwell GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRockwell Group provided creative direction for the New York City Oyamel location at Hudson Yards. Designed the space to transform industrial character and capture essence of Mexican street festival with vivid design details, natural materials, and lush greenery.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/oyamel
• Instagraminstagram.com/oyamelbyjose
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oyamel-cocina-mexicana

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Oyamel Cocina Mexicana