Pomegranate Hospitality

What Pomegranate Hospitality does

Pomegranate Hospitality is a privately held, founder-owned restaurant group established in 2017 by Chef Alon Shaya and Emily Shaya in New Orleans, Louisiana, following Alon Shaya's departure from the John Besh Restaurant Group. The company operates a portfolio of full-service restaurant concepts centered on modern Israeli cuisine and culturally themed American dining, including Saba in New Orleans (opened 2018), Safta in Denver's RiNo Arts District inside The Source Hotel (opened 2018), Safta's Table counter-service Mediterranean concept (2024), and the Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans partnership venues Miss River and Chandelier Bar (opened August 2021). Additional revenue streams include limited-run and licensed concepts such as Safta 1964 at The Wynn Las Vegas (2024) and Silan at Atlantis Bahamas, with CECI! Italian Lounge scheduled to open in Denver in 2026.

The business model combines direct-to-consumer restaurant operations with strategic hotel partnerships (Four Seasons, Wynn, Atlantis), professional restaurant consulting through the Pomegranate Hospitality Consulting division, and branded retail sales of cookbooks and merchandise via an e-commerce store. Pricing follows unit-economics typical of upscale dining (entrees $16-$52 at Saba; Hanukkah feast packages starting at $175) and custom project quoting for consulting engagements. Marketing leverages Chef Alon Shaya's personal brand and Instagram presence (@alonshaya), earned media coverage in outlets including Bloomberg, Travel + Leisure, Esquire, and Gotham Magazine, and philanthropic initiatives such as the Rescued Recipes project with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (raising over $800,000) and the monthly Hummus for a Cause fundraiser.

The company employs a distributed operations model with multiple restaurant concepts sharing central culinary, people-and-culture, and consulting infrastructure under Vice President Amanda Quintal (formerly of Shake Shack), Culinary Development Director Matthew Ridgway, and Director of People and Culture Jazmin Forbes. No external institutional funding has been disclosed, and revenue figures are not publicly reported.

Name

Pomegranate Hospitality

Legal name

Pomegranate Hospitality

Website

https://pomhospitality.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Pomegranate Hospitality is a privately held, founder-owned restaurant group operating multiple upscale dining concepts in New Orleans, Denver, Las Vegas, and the Bahamas, plus a restaurant consulting division. Founded in 2017 by James Beard Award-winning chef Alon Shaya and Emily Shaya, the company specializes in modern Israeli cuisine and culturally themed dining experiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Restaurant Services

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251), Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Caterers (722320), Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Chef’s Table & Tasting Menu Restaurants (THAFACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hotel & Resort Restaurants (THAFACAH), Mediterranean & Middle Eastern Fast Casual (THAFABAD), Specialty & Dietary Catering (Vegan, Kosher, Halal, Allergy-Friendly) (HSACAGAH)

Keywords

• Israeli cuisine restaurants
• Restaurant consulting
• Hospitality operations
• Mediterranean dining
• Culinary development

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Operations: Revenue from food and beverage sales at owned restaurant locations including Saba (New Orleans), Safta (Denver), Miss River (Four Seasons New Orleans), and Chandelier Bar
2. Consulting Services: Restaurant development consulting offered through Pomegranate Hospitality Consulting division, providing development, operations, food & beverage, and people & culture expertise to outside restaurateurs
3. Licensing/Partnership Restaurants: Revenue from licensed restaurant concepts at partner properties such as Miss River and Chandelier Bar at Four Seasons, Safta 1964 at Wynn Las Vegas, and Silan at Atlantis Bahamas
4. Retail/Merchandise: Sale of branded merchandise through the company store including cookbooks (Shaya: An Odyssey of Food), glassware, and other items

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Pomegranate Hospitality operates a portfolio of chef-driven restaurant concepts focused on modern Israeli and Mediterranean cuisine, including Saba (New Orleans), Safta (Denver), Miss River and Chandelier Bar (Four Seasons New Orleans), Safta's Table (counter-service), and Safta 1964 (former Wynn Las Vegas residency). The company also runs Pomegranate Hospitality Consulting, providing restaurant development, operations, food & beverage, and people & culture expertise to outside restaurateurs, and sells branded merchandise and cookbooks through an online store.

Product overview

Pomegranate Hospitality is a restaurant group founded by Chef Alon Shaya and Emily Shaya in 2017, operating a portfolio of restaurant concepts. The company's core offerings include four active restaurant brands: Saba (modern Israeli cuisine in New Orleans), Safta (modern Israeli cuisine in Denver), Safta's Table (counter-service Mediterranean), Miss River (Louisiana cuisine at Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans), and Chandelier Bar (cocktail bar at Four Seasons). Additionally, Pomegranate Hospitality offers consulting services through its consulting division, providing restaurant development expertise in operations, food & beverage, and culture to outside restaurateurs. The group also operated Safta 1964 as a limited Las Vegas residency in 2024 and has an upcoming CECI! Italian Lounge planned for 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Saba Pomegranate Hospitality's flagship modern Israeli cuisine restaurant in Uptown New Orleans. Offers wood-fired pita, hummus variations, and seasonal menus inspired by Middle Eastern, European, and North African culinary traditions. Targets diners seeking chef-driven, culturally authentic experiences.
• Safta Modern Israeli restaurant in Denver's RiNo Arts District within The Source Hotel, named 'grandmother' in Hebrew. Michelin-recommended. Targets discerning diners seeking elevated Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine.
• Safta's Table Counter-service Mediterranean restaurant offering dine-in or takeout Mediterranean foods, cocktails, and wine in a casual family-style setting.
• Miss River Upscale Louisiana cuisine restaurant located at the Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans, operating under partnership with the hotel. Features elevated takes on New Orleans classics with bold flavors and local ingredients.
• Chandelier Bar Cocktail bar at Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans featuring meticulous renditions of classic cocktails, caviar service, and small plates from Chef Alon Shaya. Named after its signature 15,000-piece crystal chandelier.
• CECI! Italian Lounge Upcoming Italian lounge planned for Denver's RiNo Arts District at The Source Hotel, featuring an espresso station, Italian bar bites, and modern twists on classic Italian cocktails.
• Safta 1964 Limited-run celebrity-chef residency at The Wynn Las Vegas during 2024, featuring martinis, cocktails, and playful Italian-American inspired dining. Concluded December 31, 2024.
• Pomegranate Hospitality Consulting Restaurant development consulting division offering expertise in development, operations, food & beverage, and people & culture to outside restaurateurs. Provides menu planning, recipe assembly, beverage programs, training, and full operational execution support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $800,000 raised through Rescued Recipes project for Holocaust awareness
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Four Seasons Hotel New OrleanscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2021Pomegranate Hospitality partnered with Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans to open Miss River restaurant (lobby-level, described as Shaya's 'love letter to Louisiana') and Chandelier Bar (featuring 15,000-piece crystal chandelier). The partnership represents a flagship concept for the hotel's dining offerings. Miss River was named Best New Restaurant in America by Esquire in 2020 and Chandelier Bar has been recognized on Esquire's Best Bars in America (2023) and nominated for 2025 James Beard Outstanding Bar award.
• The Source Hotel (Denver)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSafta restaurant is located within The Source Hotel & Market Hall in Denver's RiNo Arts District. The restaurant is Michelin-recommended and serves as the Hebrew word for grandmother, inspired by Chef Alon Shaya's own grandmother's recipes.
• Wynn Las VegasminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSafta 1964 was a limited-run celebrity-chef residency at The Wynn Las Vegas during 2024. The playful concept celebrated 'Grandma's fictional heyday' and officially wrapped December 31, 2024.
• Atlantis BahamasminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSilan restaurant by Alon Shaya is a specialty dining venue at Atlantis Bahamas resort.
• Rocca Baton RougeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPomegranate Hospitality Consulting provided menu planning, recipe assembly, full beverage program, training techniques, and full operational execution for Rocca Baton Rouge's launch and ongoing operations.
• United States Holocaust Memorial MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership centered around the Rescued Recipes project, where Chef Alon Shaya collaborated with Holocaust survivor Steven Fenves to reconstruct family recipes. The project has raised over $800,000 through multi-city dinner tour events.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Major Food Group: Restaurant group behind Carbone, Sadelle's, and The Grill, with aggressive expansion into hotels and global licensing. Comparable upscale Italian/American chef-driven portfolio and luxury hospitality licensing strategy.
• José Andrés Group: Chef-driven hospitality group operating dozens of restaurant concepts globally with strong philanthropic branding (World Central Kitchen). Highly comparable to Pomegranate in its reliance on a celebrity-chef founder, multi-concept portfolio, and mission-driven brand positioning.
• Tao Group Hospitality: Operates Tao, Hakkasan, and other upscale Asian and steakhouse concepts embedded in hotels and resorts globally. Comparable in luxury-hotel-embedded restaurant and bar strategy at marquee properties.
• Momofuku (David Chang): Chef David Chang's multi-concept group (Ssäm Bar, Ko, Ceder) with strong media presence and brand extensions. Comparable chef-driven premium positioning with media-led brand building.
• Union Square Hospitality Group: Founded by Danny Meyer, USHG operates multiple chef-driven concepts (Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, Shake Shack historically) alongside consulting/hospitality services. Comparable in multi-concept plus consulting structure and Amanda Quintal's prior tenure there.
• Stephen Starr Restaurants: Philadelphia-based hospitality group operating Le Coucou, The Love, Buddakan, and other upscale concepts across multiple cities. Comparable multi-concept operator model in the upscale segment.
• Crafted Hospitality (Tom Colicchio): Tom Colicchio's group operating Craft, Fowler & Wells, and other upscale concepts. Comparable chef-led fine-dining portfolio and reputation-driven brand equity.
• BRG Hospitality (Besh Restaurant Group): John Besh's New Orleans-based restaurant group, from which Alon Shaya departed to form Pomegranate Hospitality. Closest historical/operational peer given shared culinary lineage and overlapping New Orleans market.

Broad incumbents

• Nobu Hospitality: Global luxury hospitality brand operating Nobu restaurants and hotels worldwide with extensive licensing model. Comparable as a chef-branded luxury concept that licenses into hotels globally at scale.
• Emeril's Restaurants (Emeril Lagasse): Chef Emeril Lagasse's flagship restaurant group in New Orleans, with multiple concepts and broader media/consumer products presence. Comparable New Orleans heritage, chef-driven model, and Pomegranate HR leadership's prior tenure at Emeril Lagasse.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/alonshaya
• Facebookfacebook.com/pomhospitality
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pomegranate-hospitality

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries7 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 Pomegranate Hospitality