Tempest Oyster Bar

What Tempest Oyster Bar does

Tempest Oyster Bar is an independently owned, single-location fine-dining restaurant founded in 2011 and based at 120 E. Wilson St in Madison, Wisconsin. The concept centers on raw bar offerings (fresh East and West Coast oysters), seafood towers, premium steaks, and a proprietary craft cocktail program featuring named house creations such as First Light and Navy Pea Coat. Operations are dine-in only, with no disclosed delivery, takeout, or catering channel; bookings are handled through a standard reservation system with a separate large-party flow, and the company maintains a Happy Hour program aimed at broadening daypart demand.

The business model is straightforward per-transaction food and beverage sales to walk-in and reserved guests, supported by a small back-of-house and front-of-house team of 7 employees. There is no parent company, no franchise system, and no disclosed funding or M&A history. The restaurant operates a small digital footprint — a Heartland-powered gift card platform, an email newsletter, and online large-party reservations — all of which function as customer-retention and revenue-capture tools rather than standalone product lines.

The company is connected to Tornado Steakhouse (Tornado Room), an affiliated or sister concept in the same downtown Madison market; the relationship suggests shared ownership or operating group but no formal corporate structure is disclosed in the available data. Customer concentration is retail and broadly distributed, with no enterprise or recurring-revenue contracts, and there are no public signals of expansion beyond optimization of the existing location.

Name

Tempest Oyster Bar

Website

https://tempestoysterbar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tempest Oyster Bar is an independently owned, fine-dining seafood restaurant in Madison, Wisconsin, founded in 2011. It serves fresh oysters, seafood towers, premium steaks, and a proprietary craft cocktail program to local diners via a single dine-in location.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Seafood Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Food Services and Drinking Places (722)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Steakhouses & Seafood Restaurants (THAFACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fine Dining Restaurants (THAFACAA)

Keywords

• Fine dining restaurant
• Seafood restaurant
• Oyster bar
• Raw bar seafood
• Steakhouse dining

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

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. Food and Beverage Sales: Traditional restaurant revenue model with per-transaction sales of prepared food and drinks. No recurring subscription revenue. Revenue generated from menu item sales including oysters, seafood, steaks, cocktails, wine, and beer.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tempest Oyster Bar is a fine dining seafood restaurant in Madison, Wisconsin, established in 2011. The restaurant prepares and serves fresh oysters, seafood dishes, and steaks to individual diners in a hospitality setting. Operations are centered on a single physical location providing in-person dining service.

Product overview

Tempest Oyster Bar is a fine dining restaurant established in 2011, offering a focused portfolio of fresh oysters, fine seafood, and steaks. The core offerings include a daily rotating oyster selection sourced from East Coast and West Coast regions, seafood towers in three tiers ($65-$185), a full dinner menu featuring fish, crab, lobster, and steak options, and an extensive bar program with house cocktails, wines, and beers. Happy hour specials are available Monday through Friday 4-6 pm, and the restaurant offers private event capabilities for large party reservations. Gift cards are available for purchase through a third-party payment platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fresh Oysters
• Seafood Dishes
• Steaks
• Dine-in Fine Dining Service Full-service dine-in restaurant experience at the Madison, Wisconsin location, serving individual diners seeking fresh oysters, seafood, and steaks in a fine dining setting.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Legal Sea Foods: Established East Coast seafood restaurant chain known for fresh oysters and varied seafood menu. Comparable as a multi-unit seafood operator with an oyster-bar identity and full-service dining model.
• Eddie V's Prime Seafood: National upscale seafood and steak restaurant group with an extensive wine and cocktail program. Comparable as a premium seafood-and-steak destination with seafood towers and oyster offerings.
• The Oceanaire Seafood Room: National upscale seafood restaurant chain with a rotating fresh fish menu and oyster bar. Comparable as a higher-end seafood and oyster destination, though operating at a different scale and as a multi-unit brand.

Direct peers

• Sardine: Madison bistro and bar with small-plates focus and a strong beverage program. Comparable as a Madison independent with craft cocktails, oyster-friendly menu, and a casual fine-dining positioning.
• L'Etoile: Long-established fine dining restaurant in Madison emphasizing seasonal, locally-sourced cuisine. Comparable as a downtown Madison destination for special-occasion dining with a curated menu and beverage program.
• The Old Fashioned: Madison institution serving classic American fare with a strong cocktail and spirits program. Comparable as a high-volume, downtown Madison independent restaurant targeting diners and happy hour patrons.
• Graze: Capitol Square Madison restaurant known for seasonal menus and a strong cocktail program. Comparable as a downtown Madison independent with full-service dining, craft cocktails, and competitive pricing architecture.
• Heritage Tavern: Madison farm-to-table restaurant with a curated menu and beverage list. Comparable as a downtown Madison independent destination dining venue with similar price points and special-occasion positioning.
• Tornado Room Steakhouse: Sister concept under apparently shared ownership in Madison, focusing on steakhouse fare. Closely comparable as a full-service, downtown Madison, independently-owned fine dining concept adjacent to Tempest's seafood focus.

Regional players

• Marigold Kitchen: Madison, WI farm-to-table restaurant with a James Beard pedigree. Comparable as a Madison independent fine dining operator, though more vegetable-forward than seafood-focused.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tempest-oyster-bar

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 Tempest Oyster Bar