What Rooster & Owl does

Rooster & Owl is a chef-owned and chef-driven fine-dining restaurant founded in February 2019 by husband-and-wife team Yuan Tang (owner and culinary director) and Carey Tang (owner and managing director) at 2436 14th Street NW in Washington, DC. The restaurant operates a build-your-own 4-course prix-fixe menu priced at $125 per person, complemented by a $115 wine pairing program, a curated cocktail and beverage list, and supplementary revenue from gift cards, corkage fees ($45 per 750mL), and a 22% service fee for parties larger than four. The culinary proposition is a market-driven, seasonally rotating menu emphasizing vegetables, local sourcing, and Asian influences, with the kitchen dedicating one full day per week to recipe research and development. Reservations are managed exclusively through the Resy platform, and guests dine Tuesday through Saturday with kitchen service beginning at 5pm.

The business extends beyond the flagship through two wholly-owned adjacent concepts: Ellie Bird, a family-friendly sister restaurant in Falls Church, VA that opened in April 2023 offering a la carte service and brunch, and The Nest, a private dining room opened in June 2025 next to Ellie Bird that hosts up to 50 seated or 75 standing guests for buyouts and private events. Distribution is direct-to-consumer only, with no third-party delivery, franchising, or licensing; primary go-to-market relies on Resy bookings, owned social channels (Instagram and Facebook), an email newsletter, and earned media coverage from the Michelin Guide, Washington Post, New York Times, Eater, Forbes, Bloomberg, NPR, and James Beard Foundation recognition. Payment infrastructure runs on Toast Tab for gift cards.

The operating model is bootstrapped and founder-owned with no external funding rounds, no parent company, and no institutional investors disclosed. The team is intentionally lean, comprising approximately eight named staff including an Executive Pastry Chef, Corporate Chef de Cuisine, Director of Operations, and Wine Director, supplemented by hourly front-of-house and back-of-house support. The group has earned a Michelin star (2021), two James Beard semifinalist nods (2020, 2024), and Michelin Guide recognition for best desserts in DC (2024), forming the principal brand moat alongside chef Yuan Tang's prior tenures at three-Michelin-star Jean Georges and one-Michelin-star The Modern.

Name

Rooster & Owl

Legal name

Rooster & Owl

Website

https://roosterowl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rooster & Owl is a chef-owned fine-dining restaurant in Washington, DC offering a $125 build-your-own 4-course prix-fixe menu, operated by Yuan and Carey Tang since 2019 alongside sister concept Ellie Bird and The Nest private dining room.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Dining Restaurants

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Fine dining restaurant
• Prix fixe tasting menu
• Private dining events
• Seasonal American cuisine
• Wine pairing program

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Prix-Fixe Service: Primary revenue from 4-course prix-fixe menu at $125 per person. Additional revenue from wine pairings ($115/person), extra course additions ($15), and caviar supplements.
2. Special Events and Private Dining: Revenue from large party reservations, buyouts, and special events including wine dinners, chef collaborations, and AAPI Friends of the Flock series.
3. Beverage Program: Bar program featuring cocktails, wine, and spirits designed to pair with food menu. Corkage fee of $45 per 750mL for guests bringing their own wine.
4. Gift Cards: Digital and physical gift cards available for purchase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rooster & Owl is a chef-owned and chef-driven restaurant offering a build-your-own 4-course shared prix-fixe dining experience priced at $125 per person. The market-driven, seasonal menu emphasizes vegetables and local sourcing with Asian influences, and changes often on a rolling, seasonal basis. The format is a hybrid of shared plates and a tasting menu, allowing guests to customize their meal while sharing across the table.

Product overview

Rooster & Owl is a chef-owned and chef-driven restaurant in Washington, DC offering a customizable 4-course shared dining experience at $125 per person. The dining format is a hybrid of shared plates and a tasting menu, with market-driven, seasonal cuisine. Supporting offerings include a beverage program with wine pairings, private event services including the Nest (opened June 2025), and a sister restaurant, Ellie Bird, in Falls Church, VA (opened April 2023) offering family-friendly a la carte dining with brunch. Gift cards are available through Toast Tab. Reservations are handled through Resy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ellie Bird: Family-friendly, a la carte sister restaurant offering creative cuisine with brunch service, opened April 2023 in Falls Church, VA
• The Nest

Products and services

• Rooster & Owl Prix-Fixe 4-Course Dining Experience Chef-owned and chef-driven prix-fixe dining experience at $125 per person, featuring a build-your-own 4-course menu combining tasting-menu progression with shared-plate flexibility. Market-driven, seasonal American cuisine with Asian influences and vegetable-forward focus.
• Wine Pairing Program Optional $115 per person wine pairing curated by the wine director to complement the seasonal food menu.
• Beverage Menu (Cocktails, Wine, Spirits) Beverage offerings including cocktails, wine, mocktails, and after-dinner spirits designed to pair with the food menu. Includes a $45 per 750mL corkage fee for guests bringing their own wine.
• Private Events and Restaurant Buyouts Private event hosting including large party reservations (up to 14 guests), buyouts for exclusive restaurant access, plus special events such as wine dinners and chef collaborations. A 22% service fee applies to parties larger than four.
• Gift Cards Digital gift cards available for purchase through Toast Tab, with physical gift cards available in-restaurant Tuesday-Saturday after 5pm.
• Ellie Bird Restaurant Sister restaurant offering family-friendly, a la carte versions of the chef-driven creative cuisine from the Rooster & Owl culinary team, with brunch service.
• The Nest Private Dining Room Private dining room accommodating up to 50 guests for seated events or up to 75 for standing receptions, with menu options including the full Rooster & Owl culinary experience and free garage parking.

Quantifiable outcome

• Michelin-star recognition in 2021

Named customers2 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

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ResycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorResy is the primary reservation and booking platform for Rooster & Owl, handling table reservations for dine-in service.
• Ellie BirdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister restaurant opened April 2023 in Falls Church, VA. Offers family-friendly, a la carte versions of the creative cuisine. Brings additional brand presence and brunch service to the portfolio.
• Culinary AgentsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRecruitment platform used to post job openings and attract culinary talent to the team.
• The NestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivate dining room opened June 2025 adjacent to Ellie Bird in Falls Church, VA. Accommodates up to 50 seated or 75 standing guests. Offers full Rooster & Owl culinary experience for private events.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bresca: Chef Ryan Ratino's contemporary French prix-fixe restaurant on 14th Street NW, directly comparable as a Michelin-level neighborhood fine-dining concept in the same corridor.
• The Dabney: Chef-driven Mid-Atlantic/farm-to-table fine dining in Washington, DC, in the same Michelin-recognized tier as Rooster & Owl, directly comparable on format, price point, and target diner.
• Pineapple and Pearls: DC tasting-menu restaurant with a $125+ per-person price point and Michelin-star recognition, closely matching Rooster & Owl's prix-fixe structure and fine-dining customer base.
• Jônt: Newer two-star Michelin tasting counter in DC, directly comparable to Rooster & Owl on price, format, and eclectic-chef-driven cuisine for the same high-end diner.
• Seven Reasons: Chef-driven Latin American tasting-menu restaurant in DC with a similar per-person price point and Latin-influenced innovation emphasis, appealing to the same fine-dining foodie segment.
• Masseria: Chef Nicholas Stefanelli's prix-fixe Italian fine dining room on DC's 14th Street corridor; competes head-to-head for the same food-enthusiast diners and event business.
• Little Pearl: Casual-fine spinoff from the Pineapple and Pearls team, comparable to Rooster & Owl's Ellie Bird sister-restaurant strategy of extending the chef's brand into a more accessible format.
• Kinship / Métier: Two connected fine dining concepts in DC from chef Eric Ziebold, sharing Rooster & Owl's tasting-menu-plus-omakase dynamic and overlapping wine-program clientele (Rooster & Owl's wine director came from Kinship & Métier).

Emerging players

• Ellie Bird: Rooster & Owl's own sister restaurant in Falls Church, VA, run by the same founders; included as a captive peer that extends the brand into a more accessible, family-friendly format.

Broad incumbents

• Le Diplomate: Stephen Starr-operated DC brasserie at a lower price point but consistent high-volume dining scene; competes for the same 14th Street occasion-driven diners and private event bookings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/roosterowl
• Instagraminstagram.com/roosterandowl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rooster-&-owl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Rooster & Owl