STAPLEHOUSE
Staplehouse is a privately owned, single-location Michelin-starred counter-service restaurant and market in Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward, offering seasonal dining, takeaway, and curated private events under owners Kara Hidinger and Chef Ryan Smith, with a sister tasting-menu venue at The World of Quercus in Gay, Georgia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersAtlanta, Georgia, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What STAPLEHOUSE does
Staplehouse is a privately held, single-location counter-service restaurant and market operating from a 1906 brick building at 541 Edgewood Ave SE in Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward neighborhood. Founded in 2015 by Jen Hidinger-Kendrick and the late Chef Ryan Hidinger alongside Kara Hidinger and Chef Ryan Smith, the business serves neighborhood locals and food enthusiasts through dine-in service with al fresco garden dining, a seasonal handwritten menu of plates, sandwiches, and pizzas, a retail selection of chilled wines and craft beers, and takeaway orders placed via the ToastTab platform. The restaurant earned a Michelin star after returning to a fine-dining service model, and operates a curated private and group dining program for celebrations, client dinners, and gatherings, with an additional upstairs venue called the Paper Crane Lounge.
The business is currently owned and operated as sole independent proprietors by Kara Hidinger (Director of Hospitality) and Chef Ryan Smith (Executive Chef), who purchased the restaurant from Giving Kitchen in 2020 and pivoted to a neighborhood market and takeaway model before re-introducing fine dining. Culinary operations are led day-to-day by Chef de Cuisine Ryan Westlake, with Chef de Cuisine Jake Pollitz anchoring a sister tasting-menu venue, Uberto, located within The World of Quercus in Gay, Georgia — the state's first Relais & Châteaux property — where Hidinger and Smith also serve as Director of Hospitality and Executive Chef respectively.
The revenue model is direct-to-consumer restaurant sales (dine-in, takeaway, and market purchases) supplemented by curated private-event bookings arranged via email inquiry. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; reservations are managed through Tock and online ordering through ToastTab. Distribution is entirely domestic, concentrated at the Atlanta flagship with a secondary hospitality footprint in Gay, Georgia, and there is no disclosed venture capital, parent company, or external investor structure.
STAPLEHOUSE firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- STAPLEHOUSE
- Legal name
- Staplehouse
- Website
- https://staplehouse.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Staplehouse is a privately owned, single-location Michelin-starred counter-service restaurant and market in Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward, offering seasonal dining, takeaway, and curated private events under owners Kara Hidinger and Chef Ryan Smith, with a sister tasting-menu venue at The World of Quercus in Gay, Georgia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
STAPLEHOUSE industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fine Dining Restaurant
- NAICS
- Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Farm-to-Table & Contemporary American Restaurants (THAFACAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Prepared Foods & Catering-Focused Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAM)
Keywords
Where STAPLEHOUSE is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Atlanta, Georgia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
STAPLEHOUSE business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Restaurant dining and counter service: Counter-service restaurant offering seasonal plates, sandwiches, pizzas, chilled wines, and craft beers for dine-in customers in a relaxed neighborhood setting with al fresco garden dining.
- Private events and group dining: Curated private dining experiences featuring house-made charcuterie, artisanal cheeses, seasonal dishes, and cookies, offered for celebrations, client dinners, and gatherings.
- Market and takeaway: Retail market operation selling food and beverages for takeaway orders, with online ordering available through ToastTab platform.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
STAPLEHOUSE product offering
Product offeringCore offering
STAPLEHOUSE is a counter-service restaurant and market in Atlanta offering a rotating, seasonally driven tasting menu on weekends and a weekday market selling chef-made provisions, wine, and spirits. The restaurant also hosts private events and collaborates with chef Ryan Smith on culinary projects.
Product overview
Staplehouse operates as a single-location neighborhood restaurant and market, offering counter-service dining with a seasonal menu of plates, sandwiches, and pizzas. The core offering includes the Market Menu, supplemented by private event dining services and the Paper Crane Lounge upstairs. The restaurant pivoted to a neighborhood market and takeaway model in 2020, later returning to fine-dining service that earned a Michelin star.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Chef's Tasting Menu A seasonally rotating, multi-course chef's tasting menu served at the counter on weekends, paired with optional wine pairings, designed for diners seeking a Michelin-starred tasting menu experience.
- STAPLEHOUSE Market Weekday retail counter offering chef-made provisions, pantry items, wines, and spirits for at-home consumption, available via ToastTab online ordering.
- Private Events and Full Restaurant Buyouts Custom private dining experiences and full restaurant buyouts for celebrations and corporate entertaining, with curated multi-course menus and wine pairings.
- Wine Pairings Optional curated wine pairings designed to accompany the seasonally rotating tasting menu.
Companies that use STAPLEHOUSE
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
STAPLEHOUSE technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
STAPLEHOUSE partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Giving KitchencoreGiving Kitchen was founded alongside Staplehouse's opening in 2015 to support the food service community. Staplehouse's founding created the space that fueled Giving Kitchen's creation. In 2020, Kara and Smith purchased Staplehouse from Giving Kitchen to become sole independent owners.
- The World of Quercus / UbertocoreKara and Smith expanded their collaborative partnership to Gay, Georgia to launch hospitality experience at The World of Quercus, Georgia's first and only Relais & Châteaux property. They serve as Director of Hospitality and Executive Chef respectively, offering luxury stays and multi-course tasting menu at Uberto restaurant.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights3 records
STAPLEHOUSE competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Tock: Reservation and booking platform used by Staplehouse for restaurant reservations and private events. Ecosystem partner rather than a competitor, but revealing of the operational fintech layer Staplehouse depends on.
- Toast: Restaurant POS and online ordering platform used by Staplehouse for its market menu and takeaway orders. Indirect technology dependency rather than a peer; included to reflect the operational stack.
Direct peers
- The Grey: Savannah, Georgia restaurant with a Michelin-recognized contemporary Southern menu. Comparable in Southern fine-dining craft, regional Georgia hospitality positioning, and chef-driven identity.
- Canoe: Atlanta contemporary American restaurant with a strong farm-to-table and private-event business. Comparable in cuisine category, Atlanta market, and reliance on private dining revenue.
- Bacchanalia: Acclaimed fine-dining contemporary American restaurant in Atlanta. Staplehouse's co-owners previously led the kitchen at Bacchanalia, making it the closest precedent in culinary style, market, and operator pedigree.
- Empire State South: Atlanta farm-to-table restaurant where both Ryan Smith and Kara Hidinger previously worked. Highly comparable in culinary philosophy, regional supply chain, and Atlanta neighborhood dining audience.
- Miller Union: James Beard-recognized farm-to-table restaurant in Atlanta's Westside. Direct competitor for the same destination-diner audience and contemporary American seasonal cuisine category.
- Restaurant Eugene: Atlanta fine-dining contemporary American restaurant by chef Linton Hopkins. Comparable in upscale Southern cuisine positioning and Michelin-adjacent reputation in the Atlanta market.
- Kimball House: Atlanta restaurant and raw bar in a historic building, with an emphasis on hospitality and seasonal cooking. Comparable in venue-driven experience, Atlanta market, and chef-operator profile.
Emerging players
- Sqirl: Los Angeles farm-to-table daytime concept blending dine-in and retail market products. Comparable in the counter-service-meets-culinary-rigor positioning and integrated market component.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
STAPLEHOUSE social profiles
Digital presenceSTAPLEHOUSE financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
STAPLEHOUSE leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
STAPLEHOUSE funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
STAPLEHOUSE 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 STAPLEHOUSE
What does STAPLEHOUSE do?
STAPLEHOUSE is a counter-service restaurant and market in Atlanta offering a rotating, seasonally driven tasting menu on weekends and a weekday market selling chef-made provisions, wine, and spirits. The restaurant also hosts private events and collaborates with chef Ryan Smith on culinary projects.
Is STAPLEHOUSE a public or private company?
STAPLEHOUSE is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was STAPLEHOUSE founded?
STAPLEHOUSE was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is STAPLEHOUSE based?
STAPLEHOUSE is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, in the North America region.
How does STAPLEHOUSE make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Restaurant dining and counter service is the primary driver. The others are private events and group dining and market and takeaway.
Who are STAPLEHOUSE's main competitors?
Others on record are Tock and Toast. Direct peers are The Grey, Canoe, Bacchanalia, Empire State South, Miller Union, Restaurant Eugene and Kimball House. Sqirl is listed as an emerging player.
Does STAPLEHOUSE have an API?
No public API is recorded for STAPLEHOUSE.
What industry is STAPLEHOUSE in?
STAPLEHOUSE's product category is Fine Dining Restaurant. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFACAF, Farm-to-Table & Contemporary American Restaurants, with a secondary code of CRAHAGAM, Prepared Foods & Catering-Focused Specialty Stores. Its NAICS code is 72251 and its SIC code is 5812.