Rubaiyat Restaurant & Wine Shop

What Rubaiyat Restaurant & Wine Shop does

Rubaiyat Restaurant & Wine Shop is a privately held, single-location fine dining restaurant and wine shop operating in Decorah, Iowa, founded in 2007 by proprietors Andy and Kim Bonnet. The business is housed in a renovated 1890s building at 117 West Water Street, featuring exposed original tin ceilings and brick walls that contribute to its distinctive ambiance. It serves upscale diners in Northeast Iowa through multiple formats: a main dining room open Wednesday through Saturday from 5:00pm to close, a lounge, a Sunday breakfast service, carry-out, private events in the Vineyard Room (seats up to 35), and an on-site retail wine shop offering the full list for off-premise purchase. The menu emphasizes seasonal American cuisine with ingredient-driven, locally sourced dishes, complemented by a 200+ variety wine program, craft beer selection, and specialty cocktails.

The company's revenue model is purely transactional and direct-to-consumer, with no disclosed technology platform, app, or digital booking system; reservations are taken by phone. Pricing is structured à la carte with weekly rotating specials (Pasta Night $28.95, Jumbo Garlic Gulf Shrimp $33.95, Filet & Shrimp $49.95) and a $10 per-bottle corkage fee. Customer segments span general fine-dining patrons, private event hosts (15–35 guests), and casual local diners seeking carry-out or brunch. The business is independently owned by the Bonnets with no external investors, no funding rounds, and no subsidiaries, operating with a lean team of 16 employees.

Rubaiyat has built a strong reputation moat through consecutive industry awards: 15 years of Wine Spectator Award of Excellence (2009–2023), Wine Enthusiast Awards of Distinction (2008–2009), and earned media in the New York Times, Delta Sky Magazine, and Midwest Living. It currently holds the #1 TripAdvisor ranking among Decorah restaurants and a 2025 Travelers' Choice Award. Distribution is exclusively physical and domestic, with no online ordering, no delivery, and no second location.

Name

Rubaiyat Restaurant & Wine Shop

Legal name

Rubaiyat

Website

https://rubaiyatrestaurant.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rubaiyat is a single-location fine dining restaurant and wine shop in Decorah, Iowa, founded in 2007, serving seasonal American cuisine, a 200+ variety wine list, private events for up to 35 guests, and retail wine sales to consumers and visitors in Northeast Iowa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Dining Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Fine Dining Restaurants (THAFACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wine Bars (THAFAEAF)

Keywords

• Fine dining restaurant
• Wine retail
• Private event dining
• American seasonal cuisine
• Wine selection

Headquarters

HQ city

Decorah

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

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Restaurant Service: Full-service dining room serving seasonal American cuisine with an award-winning wine list featuring over 200 varieties. Operating Wednesday through Saturday evenings.
2. Wine Shop Retail Sales: Retail wine sales available during normal business hours. All wines from the restaurant's list can be purchased for off-premise consumption.
3. Private Dining and Events: Private event hosting in the Vineyard Room (seats up to 35). For parties of 15+, contact required. Catering to company receptions, special occasions, and small parties with personalized menus.
4. Beverage Service: Beverage service including beer (bottled, microbrews, imports, local Iowa beers), martinis, specialty drinks, and mocktails. Over 200 wine varieties available by the glass or bottle.
5. Carry-out and Lounge Service: Carry-out menu and lounge dining available, providing additional revenue streams beyond full dining room service.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Rubaiyat operates a full-service fine dining restaurant in downtown Decorah, Iowa, serving seasonal American cuisine with an award-winning wine list of over 200 varieties. The restaurant offers multiple dining formats — main dining room, lounge, carry-out, and Sunday breakfast — along with private event hosting in the Vineyard Room (seats up to 35) and an on-site retail wine shop for off-premise purchases. Founded in 2007 by Andy and Kim Bonnet, the restaurant runs from a renovated 1890s building and is open Wednesday through Saturday evenings.

Product overview

Rubaiyat Restaurant & Wine Shop is a single-location fine dining restaurant in Decorah, Iowa, offering a unified hospitality experience centered on seasonal American cuisine. The operation encompasses multiple dining formats (Dining Room, Lounge, Carry Out, Sunday Breakfast), an extensive beverage program (Award Winning Wine List with 200+ varieties, craft beer selection, and specialty cocktails), a retail Wine Shop for off-premise purchases, and private event hosting through the Vineyard Room. The restaurant emphasizes ingredient-driven dishes using high-quality, seasonal, and locally-sourced products, with corkage service available for guests bringing personal wine.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dining Room Menu Main restaurant menu featuring seasonal American cuisine with ingredient-driven dishes, emphasizing quality local and seasonal products, served Wednesday through Saturday evenings in the main dining room.
• Lounge Menu Bar and lounge dining offerings including appetizers and lighter fare served in a relaxed lounge setting alongside the main dining room.
• Carry-Out Service Takeout offering featuring select dishes from the restaurant menu available for off-premise dining.
• Sunday Breakfast / Brunch Sunday brunch menu featuring breakfast items promoted as 'the best kept secret in Northeast Iowa.'
• Award-Winning Wine List Beverage program featuring over 200 wine varieties by the glass or bottle, recognized by Wine Spectator (Award of Excellence 2009–2023) and Wine Enthusiast (Award of Distinction 2008–2009). Corkage fee of $10 per bottle for personal wines.
• Wine Shop (Retail) On-site retail wine shop selling all wines from the restaurant's list for off-premise consumption during normal business hours, marketed as offering the best prices on fine wines in the area.
• Craft Beer List Beer selection including bottled beer, microbrews, imports, and Iowa-brewed beers with seasonal and featured options.
• Martini & Specialty Drink List Large martini and specialty drink selection including mocktails, with staff capable of custom drink preparation.
• Vineyard Room Private Dining Private dining room seating up to 35 guests for parties, company receptions, rehearsal dinners, and special occasions, with personalized menus and dedicated service. For parties of 15 or more, contact Kim at 563-382-9463.
• Gift Certificates Gift certificates available in any amount, obtainable by calling the restaurant directly.
• Weekly Specials Rotating weekly featured dishes including Wednesday Pasta Night ($28.95), Thursday Chef's Creation, Friday Jumbo Garlic Gulf Shrimp ($33.95), and Saturday Filet & Shrimp ($49.95).

Quantifiable outcome

• Only 3 restaurants in Iowa to receive both Wine Enthusiast and Wine Spectator awards
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Commander's Palace: Historic New Orleans fine dining institution with a Wine Spectator Grand Award-winning wine list. Comparable in its multi-decade operation, award-winning wine program, and reputation-driven destination dining model.
• Eleven Madison Park: Elite New York City destination fine dining restaurant with multiple James Beard Awards and a globally recognized seasonal tasting menu. Relevant as a tier benchmark for award-winning destination fine dining, though at substantially higher scale and price point.
• The French Laundry: Thomas Keller's iconic Yountville, CA fine dining destination. Comparable as a benchmark destination restaurant that draws visitors based on reputation and awards — though at a much higher price point and scale than Rubaiyat.

Direct peers

• Blue Hill at Stone Barns: Destination fine dining restaurant outside NYC focused on seasonal, locally-sourced American cuisine. Comparable to Rubaiyat in philosophy (seasonal American, ingredient-driven) and in operating as a singular destination restaurant whose reputation drives inbound demand.
• The Restaurant at Meadowood: Fine dining destination restaurant in Napa Valley's St. Helena, CA known for its wine-country setting, seasonal menu, and award-winning wine program. Comparable to Rubaiyat in its rural/small-town destination positioning and wine-led identity.
• Nopa: San Francisco restaurant serving seasonal, ingredient-driven American cuisine with a strong wine and craft cocktail program. Comparable to Rubaiyat in seasonal American menu philosophy and wine-forward beverage program.
• Chez Panisse: Alice Waters' iconic Berkeley, CA restaurant that pioneered the seasonal, locally-sourced American cuisine philosophy Rubaiyat follows. Closest philosophical and operational analog in terms of menu approach and wine-pairing orientation.
• SingleThread Farms: Destination fine dining restaurant in Healdsburg, CA with a strong farm-to-table seasonal menu and award-winning wine program. Highly comparable to Rubaiyat in its combination of seasonal American cuisine, ingredient-driven philosophy, and wine-led positioning.

Regional players

• Mitzi's Main Street Cafe: Established Decorah, IA restaurant and another local competitor in the same market. Comparable as a fellow independent downtown Decorah dining operator competing for the same local customer base.
• Lazy Hound Bistro: Direct local competitor in Decorah, IA offering bistro-style dining. Closest head-to-head competitor in Rubaiyat's primary market for casual and special-occasion dining occasions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=QuU6M2Mg4FA
• Facebookfacebook.com/108322467667
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rubaiyat-restaurant-&-wine-shop

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 Rubaiyat Restaurant & Wine Shop