The Jazz Kitchen
The Jazz Kitchen is a 30-year-old Indianapolis jazz club and NOLA-inspired restaurant offering ticketed live music, full-service dining, weekly Latin dance parties, and catering for private events to individual consumers and event clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersIndianapolis, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Jazz Kitchen does
The Jazz Kitchen is an Indianapolis-based live jazz club and New Orleans-inspired restaurant founded in 1994 by David Allee and Michael Slattery and operating from a single venue at 5377 N College Avenue. The business combines ticketed live jazz performances with a full-service restaurant menu, a weekly Latin Dance Party, promotional bottle service, and banquet/catering services for weddings and corporate events. It employs approximately 22 people and serves individual consumers in the Indianapolis metro (jazz enthusiasts, diners, Latin dance audiences) and event clients seeking private booking.
The revenue model is a hybrid of cover/ticket revenue for performances, food and beverage sales across dining and bottle service, and event-based catering contracts. Programming is anchored by recurring weekly offerings — the Latin Dance Party (running since 1995), a Monday Jazz Jam, and the Sunset Series produced in partnership with The Cabaret — alongside headline bookings of nationally recognized jazz artists. Ticketing and gift card commerce run through ToastTab. The venue has hosted prominent performers including Harry Connick Jr., Ray Brown, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Kamasi Washington, and in 2009 was named to DownBeat Magazine's Top 100 Jazz Clubs Worldwide.
The operation is a single-location, founder-led business with no disclosed funding, no geographic expansion, and limited enterprise customer concentration. Strategic posture is preservation of a cultural institution rather than rapid scaling; revenue diversification is pursued through catering and event programming rather than through new venues or franchise expansion.
The Jazz Kitchen firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Jazz Kitchen
- Legal name
- The Jazz Kitchen
- Website
- https://thejazzkitchen.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Jazz Kitchen is a 30-year-old Indianapolis jazz club and NOLA-inspired restaurant offering ticketed live music, full-service dining, weekly Latin dance parties, and catering for private events to individual consumers and event clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Jazz Kitchen industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Music Restaurant and Bar
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Musical Groups and Artists (711130)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Live Music Clubs & Venues (MPAGAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Supper Clubs & Dinner-Theater Restaurants (THAFACAL), Nightclubs (Dance Clubs) (MPAGAIAA)
Keywords
Where The Jazz Kitchen is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Indianapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Jazz Kitchen business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Live Music Ticket Sales: Ticketed shows in main room, front row, and lounge areas. $15 per person food and beverage minimum per show. Ticket sales through website box office.
- Food and Beverage Sales: Dine-in and take-out restaurant with full menu including appetizers, entrees, salads, burgers, desserts. Bar service with wine, beer, and craft cocktails.
- Catering and Events: Full-service catering for private events including weddings, corporate parties, fundraisers. Custom menu design and full-service event staff.
- Latin Dance Party: Weekly Thursday Latin nights with admission fees, table reservations, VIP packages, bottle service, and late-night food sales.
- Bottle Service: VIP bottle service at Latin Dance Party events. $100 table for up to 6 guests plus $200 food/drink minimum.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Show Tickets with Food/Beverage Minimum |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Large Party Auto-Gratuity |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Menu Items - Appetizers |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Menu Items - Entrees |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Menu Items - Burgers |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Menu Items - Desserts |
| Quote-based/ custom | Pay-as-you-go | Catering Services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
The Jazz Kitchen product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Jazz Kitchen operates a ticketed live jazz club paired with a full-service New Orleans-inspired restaurant in Indianapolis. Its offering centers on nightly world-class jazz performances in a 21+ listening room, a NOLA/Southern/Midwest fusion dinner menu, and a weekly Thursday Latin Dance Party (Indy's longest-running since 1996). Complementary offerings include full-service off-site catering for weddings, corporate events, and fundraisers, gift cards via ToastTab, and VIP bottle service.
Product overview
The Jazz Kitchen is an iconic Indianapolis jazz club and restaurant offering a unified entertainment and dining experience. The core offerings consist of live jazz performances in a sophisticated listening room setting and a full-service NOLA-inspired restaurant. These are complemented by weekly recurring events including the Thursday Latin Dance Party (Indy's longest-running since 1996) and Monday Night Jazz Jam sessions. Add-on services include full-service catering for private events, gift cards via Toast Tab, bottle service for Latin nights, and private event reservations. The venue operates as both a ticketed concert hall and a restaurant, with the Latin Dance Party serving as the flagship weekly special event.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Live Jazz Shows World-class jazz performances featuring local, national, and international artists in a sophisticated 21+ listening room. Shows are held Friday–Wednesday with doors at 5p and Thursdays with doors at 6p. Ticketed admission covers main room, front row, or lounge seating, with a $15 per person food and beverage minimum per show.
- Latin Dance Party Weekly Thursday Latin dance party held since 1996 (Indy's longest-running). Features rotating DJs (DJ Gil, DJ Mambo Sound, DJRican, DJLatinSpy), free salsa and bachata lessons at 8:30p, live Latin bands on the patio May–September, and dancing until 2am. Includes the full dinner menu until 10pm and late-night tacos from 10pm–1am. VIP on-stage package available at $100 for up to 6 guests with $200 food/drink minimum.
- Dine-In and Take-Out Restaurant Full-service restaurant offering a New Orleans-inspired menu with Southern and Midwest influences. Signature dishes include Not-So-Cajun Chicken, Crescent City Crab Cakes, Satchmo's Etouffee, Paella, Short Rib & Grits, Churrasco Flat Iron Steak, Walnut Crusted Salmon, burgers, salads, and vegetarian options. Dine-in available 5p–close (Thursday from 6p); take-out available by phone after 5p Friday–Wednesday and after 6p Thursday.
- Catering Services Full-service off-site catering for weddings, corporate parties, fundraisers, and private events. Custom-designed menus modifiable to client preferences with full-service event staff. Managed by David Wyrick, Catering & Special Events Manager. Themed packages include Night to Remember, Big Easy, The Latin Tingue, Paella Party, Cocktail Party, and Good Eats. Pricing is quote-based.
- Gift Cards Gift cards sold through the ToastTab platform, allowing customers to purchase gift cards usable at the restaurant and venue.
- Monday Night Jazz Jam Session Free weekly jazz jam session featuring local musicians, anchored by a power trio (Kevin Anker, Fred Withrow, Mike Kessler). No admission or ticket required; open to walk-in general admission as a community tradition.
- Bottle Service Premium bottle service during Latin Dance Party nights, including VIP area access, wide selection of spirits and mixers, and attentive service. Pricing is $100 for table (up to 6 guests) plus $200 food/drink minimum.
Companies that use The Jazz Kitchen
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Jazz Kitchen technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
The Jazz Kitchen partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Indy Jazz FestcoreAnnual partnership with the Indianapolis Jazz Fest, one of the city's premier music festivals. The Jazz Kitchen serves as a venue for festival concerts, featuring international, national, and regional performers. The club has participated for over 25 years as a key festival venue.
- The Cabaret (Indianapolis)minorPartnership with The Cabaret for the Sunset Series of club concerts during Indy Jazz Fest. Featured vocalists including Lizz Wright, Veronica Swift, and Kurt Elling.
- IndyGo Red LineminorIndyGo Red Line bus stop located at corner of 54th & College Avenue, providing public transit access for customers.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Jazz Kitchen competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Andy's Jazz Club: Chicago jazz club operating since 1951 with nightly live performances, food, and cocktails. Directly comparable intimate supper-club model with ticketed jazz programming and recurring events.
- Birdland: Legendary NYC jazz club offering nightly live performances plus a full dinner service menu. Directly comparable as a jazz-first supper-club with similar artist caliber and ticketed cover-charge model.
- Smalls Jazz Club: NYC basement jazz club featuring nightly live performances with cover-charge entry and bar service. Comparable as a single-room, ticketed-jazz venue focused on artist-driven programming.
- The Blue Note: Iconic jazz club in NYC founded 1981, offering ticketed live performances with food and beverage service. Highly comparable as a destination jazz venue combining world-class music with dining in an intimate format.
- The Velvet Lounge: Chicago-based intimate jazz club featuring local and national jazz performances with bar service. Comparable as a single-room, artist-driven live-jazz venue.
- Yoshi's: Oakland-based jazz club and Japanese restaurant operating since 1999. Closely comparable as a combined live-jazz-and-full-service-dining venue with ticketed shows, catering, and a nationally recognized brand.
- The Green Mill: Historic Chicago jazz club (since 1907) combining live music nightly with full bar and light food service. Comparable as a long-running, intimate jazz venue with supper-club heritage and recurring specialty nights.
Broad incumbents
- Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club: Iconic London jazz club (since 1959) with ticketed shows and full dining service. Comparable as a globally recognized jazz supper-club, though at significantly larger scale and brand recognition.
- Jazz at Lincoln Center: Institutional jazz presenter at Frederick P. Rose Hall in NYC, offering ticketed concerts plus restaurant/dining venues. Broader incumbent in the same jazz-presentation category, but operating at institution rather than club scale.
Regional players
- Festiva Indiana (Scotty's Brewhouse / Thr3e Wise Men): Indianapolis-based casual dining and brewpub chain. Regional peer for the dining and event-hosting market in Indianapolis, though not jazz-focused.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Jazz Kitchen social profiles
Digital presenceThe Jazz Kitchen financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Jazz Kitchen leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
The Jazz Kitchen funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Jazz Kitchen 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 Jazz Kitchen
What does The Jazz Kitchen do?
The Jazz Kitchen operates a ticketed live jazz club paired with a full-service New Orleans-inspired restaurant in Indianapolis. Its offering centers on nightly world-class jazz performances in a 21+ listening room, a NOLA/Southern/Midwest fusion dinner menu, and a weekly Thursday Latin Dance Party (Indy's longest-running since 1996). Complementary offerings include full-service off-site catering for weddings, corporate events, and fundraisers, gift cards via ToastTab, and VIP bottle service.
Is The Jazz Kitchen a public or private company?
The Jazz Kitchen is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was The Jazz Kitchen founded?
The Jazz Kitchen was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Jazz Kitchen based?
The Jazz Kitchen is headquartered in Indianapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Jazz Kitchen make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Live Music Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are food and Beverage Sales, catering and Events, latin Dance Party and bottle Service.
Who are The Jazz Kitchen's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Andy's Jazz Club, Birdland, Smalls Jazz Club, The Blue Note, The Velvet Lounge, Yoshi's and The Green Mill. Broad incumbents are Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Festiva Indiana (Scotty's Brewhouse / Thr3e Wise Men) is listed as a regional player.
Does The Jazz Kitchen have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Jazz Kitchen.
What industry is The Jazz Kitchen in?
The Jazz Kitchen's product category is Live Music Restaurant and Bar. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAIAB, Live Music Clubs & Venues, with a secondary code of THAFACAL, Supper Clubs & Dinner-Theater Restaurants. Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.