Charlie Palmer Steakhouse

What Charlie Palmer Steakhouse does

Charlie Palmer Steakhouse is a privately held, chef-driven steakhouse collection founded by Chef Charlie Palmer in 1997 under the 'Progressive American' culinary banner. It operates as a multi-unit fine-dining restaurant company with two current locations: Charlie Palmer Steak IV, opened in April 2024 on the 4th floor of The Knickerbocker Hotel in Times Square, New York; and Charlie Palmer Steak at Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada. A Napa, California location at Archer Hotel Napa operated from 2017 until April 12, 2024, and the company has stated plans to develop a new wine country steakhouse. The core offering is premium steakhouse dining—prime aged cuts, artisanal seafood, handcrafted pastas, and signature tableside service—paired with Wine Spectator Award-winning wine programs at both remaining locations.

The business generates revenue through three primary streams: dine-in service (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and lounge/bar across both locations), private dining and buyout events (capacities from 30 to 500+ guests), and curated special events such as The Guest List wine dinner series, Jazz Nights at The Martini Lounge (NYC), Wine Down Wednesdays, and Pigs & Pinot (Reno). Pricing is unit-based; wine dinners are $200 per person for non-club members and $175 for Bricoleur Club members, with 18% gratuity on parties of six or more. The unit economics rest on premium check sizes, event-driven incremental revenue, and partnership economics with hotel/resort hosts that supply built-in foot traffic. Distribution is direct-to-consumer: walk-in, reservations via OpenTable, and private event bookings, supported by organic social (Instagram, TikTok), email capture, and earned press coverage in outlets such as Forbes, Eater NY, the New York Times, Wine Spectator, and Food & Wine.

The technology stack is intentionally thin and third-party-sourced: website, menu, and reservation infrastructure on BentoBox; OpenTable for reservations; and Braintree for compliant credit card handling. No proprietary technology, APIs, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed. Customer segments include affluent fine-dining consumers, Broadway Theater District diners (NYC), and private event hosts (corporate, weddings, celebrations). The company is founder-owned by Chef Charlie Palmer with no institutional investors, private equity backing, or parent company structure identified.

Name

Charlie Palmer Steakhouse

Legal name

Charlie Palmer Steak

Website

https://charliepalmersteak.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Charlie Palmer Steakhouse is a privately held, chef-driven fine-dining steakhouse collection founded by Chef Charlie Palmer, operating two locations—Charlie Palmer Steak IV at The Knickerbocker Hotel in Times Square and a Reno outpost at Grand Sierra Resort—with premium cuts, Wine Spectator Award-winning wine programs, private events, and signature programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Dining Steakhouse

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Steakhouses & Seafood Restaurants (THAFACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hotel & Resort Restaurants (THAFACAH), Chef’s Table & Tasting Menu Restaurants (THAFACAG)

Keywords

• Fine dining steakhouse
• Private dining events
• Wine dinner series
• Premium steakhouse
• Progressive American cuisine

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dine-in service: Revenue from food and beverage sales across all restaurant locations including New York, Reno, and Napa. Covers breakfast, lunch, dinner, bar/lounge service.
2. Private dining events: Revenue from hosting private events including corporate lunches, celebrations, weddings, and buyouts. Accommodates groups ranging from intimate gatherings to 500+ guests.
3. Special events and wine dinners: Revenue from hosted events including The Guest List wine dinner series, Jazz Nights, and seasonal celebrations. Wine dinners priced at $175-$200 per person.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Charlie Palmer Steakhouse operates premium steakhouses serving prime cuts of beef, artisanal seafood, and handcrafted pastas under Chef Charlie Palmer's Progressive American cuisine style. The company runs full-service fine-dining restaurants, private dining and event spaces accommodating up to 500+ guests, special culinary event programming, and award-winning wine programs across its locations.

Product overview

Charlie Palmer Steakhouse is a collection of award-winning steakhouses under Chef Charlie Palmer's hospitality brand. The portfolio includes three locations: Charlie Palmer Steak IV in New York City (at The Knickerbocker Hotel, Times Square), Charlie Palmer Steak in Reno, Nevada (at Grand Sierra Resort), and a previously operating Napa location (now closed, with plans for a new wine country location). Each location offers full-service dining (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and lounge service), private dining rooms and event spaces, special events programming (including The Guest List chef collaboration series and Jazz Nights in NYC), and award-winning wine programs. The core product is premium steakhouse dining with prime cuts, sustainable sourcing, and genuine American hospitality. Private dining services (accommodating groups from intimate gatherings to 500+ buyouts) and pre-theatre dining (NYC) are key sub-products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Charlie Palmer Steak IV - New York
• Charlie Palmer Steak - Reno
• Private Dining - New York
• Private Dining - Reno

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Knickerbocker HotelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharlie Palmer Steak IV operates on the 4th floor of The Knickerbocker Hotel in Times Square. This is a strategic partnership where the restaurant is embedded within the luxury hotel property, benefiting from the hotel's location and clientele while providing hotel guests and visitors access to fine dining.
• Grand Sierra ResortcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharlie Palmer Steak Reno is located at Grand Sierra Resort, one of Reno's premier resort destinations. The restaurant serves as the resort's signature fine dining venue, providing culinary services to hotel guests and casino visitors while benefiting from the resort's foot traffic and event facilities.
• Bricoleur VineyardsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBricoleur Vineyards partners with Charlie Palmer Steak IV to host The Guest List wine dinner series. These collaborative events feature Bricoleur wines paired with multi-course tasting menus created by Chef Charlie Palmer's team, providing exclusive experiences for guests.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Morton's The Steakhouse: Long-established national fine-dining steakhouse chain specializing in USDA Prime aged steaks, with strong private dining and corporate event capabilities directly comparable to Charlie Palmer Steak's model.
• The Palm: Historic American steakhouse brand with a classic caricatured-wall fine-dining experience serving prime steaks, lobster, and Italian-influenced sides. Comparable old-school premium steakhouse heritage and event business.
• Smith & Wollensky: Iconic NYC-born steakhouse group operating fine-dining chophouses in major US markets with similar USDA Prime dry-aged beef programs, sommeliers, and extensive private dining/event offerings comparable to Charlie Palmer Steak.
• STK Steakhouse: Modern upscale steakhouse concept with locations in major US cities including Midtown Manhattan, blending club/lounge atmosphere with premium steaks and seafood. Direct NYC and concept-level competitor.
• Ruth's Chris Steak House: Large national upscale steakhouse chain known for sizzling butter-topped Prime steaks and full-service fine dining. Comparable in price point, event business, and premium wine program even at broader scale.
• The Capital Grille: National upscale steakhouse chain owned by Darden, serving dry-aged steaks, seafood, and an award-winning wine list in polished dining rooms. Closest scaled comparable to Charlie Palmer Steak in concept, price point, and private event programming.
• Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse: Premium steakhouse concept serving prime steaks, seafood towers, and 1,000+ label wine lists in opulent dining rooms. Direct fine-dining steakhouse peer with similar event-driven revenue model.
• Peter Luger Steak House: Legendary Brooklyn-based steakhouse known for dry-aged USDA Prime porterhouse and cash-only no-frills service. Highly relevant NYC fine-dining steakhouse peer, differentiated by more casual service style.
• Mastro's Steakhouse: Collection of upscale steakhouses known for dry-aged Prime steaks, live music, and high-end private dining in major US metros. Comparable premium pricing, atmosphere, and event-driven business mix.
• Wolfgang's Steakhouse: New York-based upscale steakhouse group with multiple Manhattan and US locations featuring dry-aged USDA Prime steaks in classic clubby fine-dining rooms. Direct competitor in the NYC premium steakhouse category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/charliepalmersteak
• TikToktiktok.com/@charliepalmersteaknyc?lang=en

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 Charlie Palmer Steakhouse