Selden Standard
Selden Standard is an independent seasonal New American restaurant in Detroit's Midtown serving wood-fired, locally sourced small plates with a curated wine program, offering dine-in, carryout, private events, and ticketed wine dinners to food-conscious diners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersDetroit, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Selden Standard does
Selden Standard is an independent, privately held seasonal New American restaurant founded in 2014 and located at 3921 Second Avenue in Detroit's Midtown, near Wayne State University. The restaurant operates a single dinner service daily from 5pm to 10pm, serving shareable small plates prepared in a wood-fired oven from ingredients sourced through a network of approximately 40 local Michigan farms and producers. Founded and operated by partners Andy Hollyday (Executive Chef), Evan Hansen, and Paul Fradeneck (General Manager, joined 2022), the business has built its identity around seasonal cuisine, a serious wine and beverage program featuring boutique importers, and recurring ticketed winemaker and chef collaboration dinners.
The core operating model is direct-to-consumer full-service dining with three ancillary revenue streams: private events for groups of 10-30 guests (managed through Tripleseat), carryout ordering (via UpServe), and gift card sales. Ticketed wine dinners priced between $95 and $200 per person represent a higher-margin experiential revenue layer. Reservations are managed through OpenTable (with 30-day advance booking) and Resy, while digital marketing emphasizes a content blog, an email newsletter, and earned media coverage in outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Time, Eater, and the Washington Post.
The business has no disclosed institutional or venture capital ownership, operates as a partnership among its three founders, and has no parent company or subsidiaries. In 2026 the team announced plans to open a second concept, Agnes Restaurant & Bar, in Detroit's West Village in partnership with Chef Alex Jull, representing the first multi-unit expansion beyond the original Selden Standard brand. Recognition includes James Beard Foundation semi-finalist for Outstanding Restaurant (2024 and 2025), James Beard Best Chef: Great Lakes finalist for Andy Hollyday (2023), and Restaurant of the Year awards from the Detroit Free Press (2015) and Hour Detroit (2016).
Selden Standard firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Selden Standard
- Legal name
- Selden Standard
- Website
- https://seldenstandard.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Selden Standard is an independent seasonal New American restaurant in Detroit's Midtown serving wood-fired, locally sourced small plates with a curated wine program, offering dine-in, carryout, private events, and ticketed wine dinners to food-conscious diners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Selden Standard industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Casual Upscale Dining
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Beverage Services (Bar Catering, Mixology, Beverage Programs) (THAHAKAJ)
Keywords
Where Selden Standard is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Detroit
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Selden Standard business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Dine-in Food and Beverage Sales: Full-service restaurant revenue from food and beverage sales during normal dining hours. Dinner service 5pm-10pm daily. Menu features seasonal New American small plates.
- Private Events: Private dining room and event spaces available for hosting 10-30 guests with custom menus from seasonal offerings. Events managed through Tripleseat platform.
- Carryout and Takeout: Online carryout ordering available via UpServe platform for food to-go
- Gift Cards: Digital gift cards available for purchase online, physical gift cards available in person at restaurant
- Ticketed Wine and Chef's Dinners: Special ticketed events featuring winemakers, breweries, or celebrated importers. Examples include Vine Street Imports South African wine dinner at $150/person, Ashes & Diamonds Napa dinner at $200/person, Bordeaux dinner at $150/person
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Wine Dinner with Vine Street Imports - South African Wine Pairing |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Ashes & Diamonds Napa Wine Dinner |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | November Bordeaux Wine Dinner |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Piedmont Wine Dinner |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Southern France Wine Tour Dinner |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Wine Dinner Benefiting Detroit Food Academy (2020) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Selden Standard product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Selden Standard is a seasonal New American restaurant in Detroit serving shareable small plates prepared in a wood-fired oven with ingredients sourced from 40+ local Michigan farms. The offering includes a curated dinner menu, a beverage program of small-producer wines, craft cocktails, and local/global beers, plus carryout ordering, gift cards, private events for 10-30 guests, and periodic ticketed wine and chef's dinners.
Product overview
Selden Standard is a seasonal New American restaurant in Detroit offering a unified dining experience centered on small plates-style cuisine. The core offering includes a dinner menu featuring rustic, shareable dishes cooked in a wood-fired oven with locally sourced ingredients, complemented by a carefully curated drinks program of wines from small producers, craft cocktails, and local/global beers. Supporting services include carryout ordering via UpServe, digital gift cards, and private event hosting for 10-30 guests with custom menus. Periodic Chef's Dinners feature winemaker and brewer collaborations as ticketed events.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Dinner Service (Seasonal New American Small Plates Menu) Shareable, rustic small plates prepared with locally sourced ingredients from regional Michigan farms, including dishes cooked in the wood-fired oven. Dinner service runs 5pm-10pm daily. Targeted at food-conscious diners seeking a refined yet unpretentious dining experience.
- Beverage Program (Wines, Craft Beers, and Cocktails) Curated beverage offering featuring wines from small producers, local and global craft beers, original cocktails made with mindfully selected spirits, seasonal fruits, and house-made ingredients.
- Carryout / Online Ordering Online carryout ordering service allowing guests to order food for pickup from a dedicated carryout menu, fulfilled through the UpServe platform.
- Gift Cards Digital gift cards purchasable online via UpServe, plus physical gift cards available in person at the restaurant.
- Private Events Private dining services for 10-30 guests, including a private dining room with A/V equipment, a semi-private table in the main dining room, and an outdoor patio. Custom menus available from the seasonal offerings.
- Ticketed Wine and Chef's Dinners Periodic ticketed multi-course paired dinners featuring winemakers, breweries, distributors, or celebrated importers. Examples include Vine Street Imports South African wine dinner ($150/person), Ashes & Diamonds Napa dinner ($200/person), Bordeaux dinner ($150/person), Piedmont dinner ($100/person), Southern France wine tour dinner ($95/person), and a Detroit Food Academy benefit dinner ($125/person).
Companies that use Selden Standard
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Selden Standard technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature3 records
Selden Standard partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Vine Street ImportscoreWine importer partner specializing in unheralded wines from small producers including South Africa, Australia, and England. Partner for special wine pairing dinners featuring winemaker representatives.
- Ashes & DiamondscoreNapa Valley wine producer owned by Kashy Khaledi (whose family owns Darioush). Collaborative winemaker project featuring classic Napa cabs, Bordeaux blends, and creative reds. Hosted five-course pairing dinner.
- Edi Kante WineryminorItalian winemaker from Carso/Friuli region. Features distinctive wines including Vitovska, Malvasia, Sauvignon Blanc. Barrel room carved from limestone bedrock.
- Dassai Sake BreweryminorJapanese sake brewery producing Dassai Otterfest 23, 39, and 50. High-polish rice sake (Daiginjo grade). Featured on reserve wine list.
- Valdespino Sherry ProducerminorCenturies-old sherry producer from Jerez, Spain. Featured in sherry dinner with export director Jamie Gil.
- Joseph Wesley TeasminorTea importer and seller providing single-origin Chinese teas including Da Hong Pao oolong and Dian Hong Congfu black tea.
- Luigi Ferrando (Ferrando Winery)coreItalian winery producing Carema, Canavese Rosso, and Erbaluce wines. Family winemaking since 1900 in Piedmont.
- Neal Rosenthal (Importer)coreWine importer known for finding interesting, classically made wines from small producers. Sources include Swiss Cornalin from Cave Caloz and Loire Valley wines.
- Wall Street JournalminorNational media outlet that included Selden Standard in 'Essential Guide to Detroit' and insider's guide coverage.
- ForbesminorFeatured in Forbes roundup of Detroit dining and attractions for travelers.
- Time MagazineminorNamed Detroit as one of their 'greatest places in the world' with mention of Selden Standard in food scene recap.
- Detroit Food & Entrepreneurship AcademyminorNonprofit working with youth aged 14-22 in food entrepreneurship. Hosted benefit dinner with proceeds going to DFA. Previously hosted student internships.
- OpenTablecorePrimary reservation platform for restaurant bookings. Used for regular reservations (30 days advance) and ticketed event sales.
- ResycoreSecondary reservation platform. Also used for ticketed event bookings including wine dinners.
- TripleseatcorePrivate event booking platform used for managing party requests for groups of 10-30 people.
- UpServecoreOnline ordering platform for carryout orders and digital gift card purchases.
- Local Michigan Farms (40+)coreNetwork of ~40+ local farms and producers in Detroit and southeast Michigan. Includes Anthology Coffee, Arbor Teas, Buffalo Street Farms, Burda's Berries, Cinzori Farms, Cold Frame Farm, Ferris Milling, Fisheye Farms, Food Field, Geddes Farms, Give N Grow Mushrooms, Jake's Country Meats, Keep Growing Detroit, Motor City Seafood, Rising Pheasant, Salomon Gardens, Tantre Farm, Victory Farms, Willow Garden, and many more.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Selden Standard competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- The French Laundry: Thomas Keller's Yountville restaurant and the global benchmark for chef-driven farm-to-table fine dining. Aspirational peer reflecting the upper bound of what chef-driven seasonal restaurants can become in terms of brand equity and pricing power.
- Blue Hill at Stone Barns: Dan Barber's farm-to-table restaurant in Pocantico Hills, NY. Shares Selden Standard's seasonal-locavore philosophy and farm partnership approach, and represents the broader category benchmark for ingredient-driven cuisine.
- Osteria Mozza: Nancy Silverton / Mozza Group's Los Angeles Italian restaurant. Listed alongside Selden Standard in the Opinionated About Dining Top North American Gourmet Casual rankings, making it a directly tiered comparable in the same industry list.
- Eleven Madison Park: Daniel Humm's New York City fine-dining institution. Represents the broader chef-driven, seasonal, beverage-serious category at the highest tier, providing an upper-bound comparable for brand valuation dynamics.
Direct peers
- The Purple Pig: Chicago chef-driven casual restaurant with a serious cheese, wine and charcuterie program. Comparable to Selden Standard in format (shareable small plates), beverage-led positioning, and 'casual high-end' positioning.
- Lady of the House: Chef Max Hardy's Detroit farm-to-table restaurant. Directly comparable to Selden Standard in market, format (chef-driven seasonal New American), and craft beverage focus. Listed as prior employer of Selden bar manager Andrew Zerbo, indicating shared talent ecosystem.
- Mabel Gray: Chef James Rigato's celebrated Hazel Park/Detroit restaurant and a recognized leader in Michigan's farm-to-table scene. Comparable in scale, chef-driven positioning and reliance on local sourcing. General Manager Paul Fradeneck previously worked at Mabel Gray.
Regional players
- Streetside Seafood: Detroit seafood-focused chef-driven restaurant. Comparable Detroit market positioning and team overlap (bar manager Andrew Zerbo previously served guests there). Represents the broader Detroit independent chef-driven dining category.
- Republic Tavern: Historic Detroit gastropub-style restaurant that was part of the same local chef-driven dining scene. Paul Fradeneck (Selden Standard GM) previously worked at Republic, indicating shared market and talent pool with Selden Standard.
- Bacco Ristorante: Long-standing Italian restaurant in Detroit's downtown dining scene. Part of the same local independent dining category and shared talent lineage with Selden Standard's general manager.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Selden Standard social profiles
Digital presenceSelden Standard financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Selden Standard leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Selden Standard funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Selden Standard M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Selden Standard
What does Selden Standard do?
Selden Standard is a seasonal New American restaurant in Detroit serving shareable small plates prepared in a wood-fired oven with ingredients sourced from 40+ local Michigan farms. The offering includes a curated dinner menu, a beverage program of small-producer wines, craft cocktails, and local/global beers, plus carryout ordering, gift cards, private events for 10-30 guests, and periodic ticketed wine and chef's dinners.
Is Selden Standard a public or private company?
Selden Standard is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Selden Standard founded?
Selden Standard was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Selden Standard based?
Selden Standard is headquartered in Detroit, United States, in the North America region.
How does Selden Standard make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Dine-in Food and Beverage Sales are the primary driver. The others are private Events, carryout and Takeout, gift Cards and ticketed Wine and Chef's Dinners.
Who are Selden Standard's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are The French Laundry, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Osteria Mozza and Eleven Madison Park. Direct peers are The Purple Pig, Lady of the House and Mabel Gray. Regional players are Streetside Seafood, Republic Tavern and Bacco Ristorante.
Does Selden Standard have an API?
No public API is recorded for Selden Standard.
What industry is Selden Standard in?
Selden Standard's product category is Casual Upscale Dining. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHAKAJ, Beverage Services (Bar Catering, Mixology, Beverage Programs). Its NAICS code is 722511.