The Carbon Bar
The Carbon Bar is a privately-held, independent full-service restaurant in downtown Toronto serving West Coast oysters, cocktails, seafood, and live-fire BBQ to consumers and corporate clients, with private event spaces for 12-250 guests, off-site catering across the GTA, and online pickup and delivery channels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Carbon Bar does
The Carbon Bar is a privately-held, independent full-service restaurant located at 99 Queen St East in downtown Toronto, operating since 2014 across the lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch dayparts. It serves consumers, corporate clients, and event organizers with a distinctive menu combining West Coast oysters, classic cocktails and bourbon, seafood, and live-fire BBQ (pit-smoked brisket, St. Louis-style ribs, buttermilk fried chicken). The core technology is craft live-fire cooking rather than a software platform; the underlying technology stack is conventional hospitality SaaS (OpenTable for reservations, Toast for POS and gift cards, Tripleseat for private event management, Uber Eats for delivery).
The business operates five distinct revenue streams: (1) dining room transactions with menu items priced $4-$66; (2) private events and group bookings for 12-250 guests across four event spaces (The Green Room, Chef's Table, The Lounge, full buyout) at prix fixe tiers of $88-$115 per person; (3) off-site catering handled by partner The Social Catering & Co. across downtown Toronto and the GTA; (4) direct online pickup ordering (no third-party fees) and Uber Eats delivery; and (5) digital gift cards ($25-$500) with corporate bulk gifting via Toast. Pricing varies by service type, with brunch items ranging $8-$45 and a discounted Discover The Carbon Bar experience at $69/person on Sunday/Monday evenings.
The Carbon family of brands extends beyond the Queen East flagship to include Carbon Snack Bar at 460 King West (a heritage-building daytime concept with salads, sandwiches, smoked meats by the pound, and an espresso bar) and Shop The Carbon Bar (an e-commerce channel for frozen BBQ shipped across Toronto and Southern Ontario). Customer segments span leisure diners, corporate entertaining, milestone celebrations, weddings, and private venue events. The company has 23 employees, no disclosed funding, no parent company, and no public ownership structure. Distribution is direct (walk-ins, reservations, own online ordering) plus third-party (Uber Eats, OpenTable, The Social Catering & Co.) within a single Canadian market.
The Carbon Bar firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Carbon Bar
- Legal name
- The Carbon Bar
- Website
- https://thecarbonbar.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Carbon Bar is a privately-held, independent full-service restaurant in downtown Toronto serving West Coast oysters, cocktails, seafood, and live-fire BBQ to consumers and corporate clients, with private event spaces for 12-250 guests, off-site catering across the GTA, and online pickup and delivery channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Carbon Bar industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Upscale Barbecue Restaurant Services
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Special Food Services (7223)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- BBQ & Smokehouse Fast Casual (THAFABAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Cocktail Bars & Lounges (CRANACAD)
Keywords
Where The Carbon Bar is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Carbon Bar business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Dining Room Sales: In-restaurant dining featuring oysters, cocktails, seafood, and live-fire BBQ with table service. Revenue from food and beverage consumption across lunch, dinner, and brunch services.
- Private Events & Group Dining: Private dining bookings for 12-250 guests including The Green Room, Chef's Table, The Lounge, and full buyouts. Revenue from prix fixe menus, canapes, food stations, and beverage packages.
- Off-Site Catering: Catering services across downtown Toronto and GTA for corporate events, weddings, and private venues. Handled by The Social Catering & Co. featuring oyster stations, live-fire mains, and bar services.
- Online Ordering - Pickup: Direct online ordering for BBQ pickup at 99 Queen St East. No third-party fees, menu price plus tax. Ready in 15-20 minutes.
- Delivery via Uber Eats: Third-party delivery through Uber Eats covering downtown Toronto. Brisket, ribs, fried chicken, and sides packed for travel.
- Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold from $25 to $500 with no expiry. Redeemable for dinner, drinks, catering, and private events. Sold via Toast platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sunday Brunch items range $8-$45 |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Group Experience Menus: $88-$115 per person |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Gift cards from $25 to $500 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Discover The Carbon Bar: $69 per person |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Dinner menu items range $4-$66 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Happy Hour: oyster and cocktail specials |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
The Carbon Bar product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Carbon Bar is a privately-held restaurant and dining room at 99 Queen St East in downtown Toronto serving West Coast oysters, classic cocktails, seafood, and live-fire barbecue featuring pit-smoked brisket, St. Louis-style ribs, and buttermilk fried chicken. The business operates a daily dining room with lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch service; four private event spaces for 12-250 guests; off-site catering through The Social Catering & Co.; direct pickup online ordering; Uber Eats delivery; and digital gift cards via Toast.
Product overview
The Carbon Bar is a downtown Toronto restaurant offering a unified dining experience centered on West Coast oysters, classic cocktails, seafood, and live-fire BBQ. The core offering includes the main dining room (99 Queen St East), Sunday Brunch service, and Happy Hour specials. Event services encompass Private Dining with four distinct spaces (The Green Room, Chef's Table, The Lounge, Full Buyout) for groups of 12-250, paired with Experience Menus and Canapé/Station offerings. Additional channels include Online Pickup Ordering (direct, no fees) and Uber Eats Delivery. Ancillary products include Digital Gift Cards via Toast (with corporate bulk gifting), Catering Services managed by The Social Catering & Co., Bourbon Tasting add-ons for events, and a related sub-brand family (Carbon Snack Bar and Shop The Carbon Bar for frozen BBQ products). The Discover The Carbon Bar prix fixe experience ($69, Sunday/Monday evenings) serves as an entry-level offering into the full dining concept.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Carbon Snack Bar: A separate Carbon family location at 460 King West inside a heritage building, offering salads, sandwiches, smoked meats by the pound, and an espresso bar.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4 event spaces accommodating groups from 12 to 250 guests
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Carbon Bar
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Carbon Bar technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature3 records
The Carbon Bar partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The Social Catering & Co.coreThe Social Catering & Co. handles all off-site catering inquiries and logistics for The Carbon Bar across Toronto and the GTA. They manage custom menus, service, staffing, and event logistics for corporate events, weddings, and private venue catering.
- OpenTablecoreOpenTable reservation system integrated across the website for instant table booking. Dedicated OpenTable experiences for Sunday brunch and Discover Carbon Bar evening menus. Walk-in availability and reservation management.
- Uber EatscoreUber Eats delivery partnership bringing Carbon Bar BBQ to doors across downtown Toronto. Covers Financial District, King East, Leslieville, Cabbagetown, and Yonge corridor with live tracking.
- ToastcoreToast platform powers digital gift card sales and balance checking. Gift cards range $25-$500 with no expiry. Bulk corporate gifting available with personalized notes and single invoice.
- Four Seasons HotelsminorHospitality partnership recognizing The Carbon Bar as a recommended dining destination for Four Seasons hotel guests in Toronto.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Carbon Bar competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- STK Steakhouse: Upscale steakhouse in Toronto (and other major cities) combining a high-energy bar and cocktail program with premium proteins—overlaps directly on menu architecture and clientele.
- Marben: Elevated downtown Toronto dining room positioned at the same premium-casual price point with private-event and cocktail-program emphasis.
- The Chase: Upscale downtown Toronto fish and oyster house with a serious cocktail program—a closely comparable adjacency in city, vibe, and oyster/cocktail positioning.
- Byblos: Upscale downtown Toronto Mediterranean concept—comparable in pricing, design-forward dining room, and event/private-dining revenue streams.
- The Drake: Toronto hospitality brand with multiple food and beverage concepts under one umbrella—a reference point for a single 'flagship + sub-brand' architecture similar to Carbon's family of brands.
- Buca: Elevated Toronto dining destination with multiple locations and strong brand recognition—comparable in scale, premium positioning, and event-heavy revenue mix.
- Jacobs & Co Steakhouse: Toronto fine-dining landmark near the Financial District that competes for the same corporate-entertainment and high-end dinner spend Carbon Bar targets.
Broad incumbents
- The Keg Steakhouse + Bar: National Canadian upscale-casual steakhouse chain—compares on protein-led menus, Toronto presence, and corporate-event business, but at much broader scale.
- Earls Kitchen + Bar: Western-Canadian upscale-casual chain expanding into Toronto—shares the premium-casual, cocktail-forward dinner positioning but with a multi-market footprint.
- Cactus Club Cafe: Canadian upscale-casual chain with locations in Toronto; overlapping premium positioning and cocktail program but operates at national scale rather than a single site.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Carbon Bar social profiles
Digital presenceThe Carbon Bar financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Carbon Bar leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Carbon Bar funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Carbon Bar 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 The Carbon Bar
What does The Carbon Bar do?
The Carbon Bar is a privately-held restaurant and dining room at 99 Queen St East in downtown Toronto serving West Coast oysters, classic cocktails, seafood, and live-fire barbecue featuring pit-smoked brisket, St. Louis-style ribs, and buttermilk fried chicken. The business operates a daily dining room with lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch service; four private event spaces for 12-250 guests; off-site catering through The Social Catering & Co.; direct pickup online ordering; Uber Eats delivery; and digital gift cards via Toast.
Is The Carbon Bar a public or private company?
The Carbon Bar is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Carbon Bar founded?
The Carbon Bar was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Carbon Bar based?
The Carbon Bar is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
How does The Carbon Bar make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Dining Room Sales are the primary driver. The others are private Events & Group Dining, off-Site Catering, online Ordering - Pickup, delivery via Uber Eats and gift Cards.
Who are The Carbon Bar's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are STK Steakhouse, Marben, The Chase, Byblos, The Drake, Buca and Jacobs & Co Steakhouse. Broad incumbents are The Keg Steakhouse + Bar, Earls Kitchen + Bar and Cactus Club Cafe.
Does The Carbon Bar have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Carbon Bar.
What industry is The Carbon Bar in?
The Carbon Bar's product category is Upscale Barbecue Restaurant Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFABAH, BBQ & Smokehouse Fast Casual, with a secondary code of CRANACAD, Cocktail Bars & Lounges. Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.