Taverna Banfi

What Taverna Banfi does

Taverna Banfi is a fine dining restaurant operating within The Statler Hotel at Cornell University, located at 130 Statler Drive in Ithaca, New York. It serves Tuscan-inspired Italian cuisine that blends old-world traditions with modern culinary techniques, using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients and an extensive wine program. The restaurant is one of four food and beverage venues at the hotel, alongside The Regent Lounge, The Terrace Restaurant, and Mac's Cafe, and it functions as a key amenity for the hotel's 153 guestrooms and 16,000 square feet of meeting and event space.

The business is wholly owned and operated by Cornell University as part of The Statler Hotel, which serves as a teaching hotel for the university's Nolan School of Hotel Administration. Taverna Banfi draws its customer base from hotel guests, prospective Cornell students and their families, conference and wedding attendees, and the local Ithaca community, with promotion handled through The Statler Hotel's website, email club, and Instagram presence. The restaurant's brand is thematically tied to the Castello Banfi wine estate, whose wines (Pinot Grigio, Chianti Classico Riserva) feature on the hotel's wine list.

Taverna Banfi generates revenue primarily through à la carte food and beverage sales to on-property hotel guests and walk-in external diners, supplemented by catering for hotel events where per-person pricing across the hotel's F&B venues ranges from $18.50 to $96.00. Menu pricing is not publicly disclosed. The restaurant operates under the AAA Four Diamond designation held by the host hotel and is positioned among the property's "award-winning restaurants." There is no venture, private equity, or external ownership structure; the entity operates under Cornell University's institutional governance, with staffing supported in part by students from the Nolan School's Hotel Leadership Development Program.

Name

Taverna Banfi

Legal name

The Statler Hotel at Cornell University

Website

https://tavernabanfi.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Taverna Banfi is a Tuscan-inspired fine dining restaurant within The Statler Hotel at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, serving hotel guests, prospective-student families, event attendees, and the local community as part of Cornell's teaching hotel operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Dining Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Fine Dining Restaurants (THAFACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hotel & Resort Restaurants (THAFACAH), Brasseries, Bistros & Trattorias (THAFACAI)

Keywords

• Italian fine dining
• Tuscan cuisine restaurant
• Hotel restaurant dining
• Farm-to-table Italian
• Wine pairing dinner

Headquarters

HQ city

Ithaca

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Dining Services: Taverna Banfi generates revenue through food and beverage sales directly to hotel guests and external diners. The restaurant offers Tuscan-inspired Italian cuisine with old-world charm and modern culinary techniques, featuring fresh, local ingredients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Taverna Banfi is a Tuscan-inspired Italian fine dining restaurant located within The Statler Hotel at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. It serves hotel guests, campus visitors, prospective students and families, and local residents, offering authentic Italian cuisine with old-world Tuscan charm and modern culinary techniques, featuring fresh, locally-sourced ingredients and a wine list emphasizing Castello Banfi Tuscan wines.

Product overview

Taverna Banfi is a single restaurant offering located at The Statler Hotel on Cornell University's campus in Ithaca, NY. It operates alongside other hotel dining venues including Regent Lounge, The Terrace Restaurant, and Mac's Cafe. The restaurant specializes in old-world Tuscan-inspired Italian cuisine combined with modern culinary techniques, emphasizing fresh, local ingredients and authentic flavors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Taverna Banfi Tuscan-inspired Italian fine dining restaurant offering authentic Italian cuisine with a modern culinary twist, featuring fresh, locally-sourced ingredients and an extensive wine selection anchored on Castello Banfi Tuscan wines. Located within The Statler Hotel at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, serving hotel guests, Cornell campus visitors, prospective student families, conference attendees, and the local community.
• Special Event Dining & Catering Event and catering dining services for hotel meetings, weddings, and special occasions, leveraging the Statler Hotel's 16,000 square feet of multipurpose event space and offering a range of dining packages at varying price points.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Castello BanficoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCastello Banfi wines are featured prominently in The Statler Hotel's bar and wine offerings. The hotel's wine menu includes Castello Banfi products such as Castello Banfi Le Rime Pinot Grigio (Tuscany, Italy) and Castello Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva (Tuscany, Italy). The Taverna Banfi restaurant, named after the Tuscan wine estate, has a thematic connection to Castello Banfi's Italian heritage and wine portfolio.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Il Fornaio: Upscale Italian restaurant group offering Tuscan-inspired cuisine with full bar programs in hotel and high-traffic locations. Comparable to Taverna Banfi in cuisine style, service model, and premium positioning, though at greater geographic scale.
• Maggiano's Little Italy: Italian-American upscale-casual dining chain serving made-from-scratch pastas and steaks with banquet/catering capabilities. Comparable to Taverna Banfi in Italian menu heritage, banquet revenue diversification, and event-driven business model.
• Eataly: Italian marketplace-restaurant concept pairing sit-down dining with curated retail and wine bars. Comparable to Taverna Banfi in authentic Italian sourcing, wine-centric programming, and destination-dining positioning within larger venues.

Broad incumbents

• Romano's Macaroni Grill: Italian casual-dining chain offering pasta, pizza, and grilled specialties in hotel-adjacent locations. Comparable to Taverna Banfi in Italian menu orientation and hotel/restaurant co-location, though at a notably lower price and service tier.
• Carrabba's Italian Grill: Italian casual-dining chain emphasizing fresh, made-from-scratch Italian-American cuisine. Comparable to Taverna Banfi's Italian food focus and dine-in service model, though at a more accessible price point and broader market positioning.
• Buca di Beppo: Italian family-style restaurant chain with strong group dining and event catering orientation. Comparable to Taverna Banfi's Italian menu heritage and banquet/event revenue mix, though positioned at a lower price tier and broader demographic.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/StatlerHotelCornell
• Instagraminstagram.com/statlerhotel_cornell
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/taverna-banfi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Taverna Banfi