Sassafras

Name

Sassafras

Legal name

Sassafras

Website

https://restaurantsassafras.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Dining Restaurant

akta.pro primary industry

Brasseries, Bistros & Trattorias (THAFACAI)

Keywords

• Fine dining restaurant
• Tasting menu experience
• Chefs counter dining
• Culinary tourism destination
• Private dining buyout

Headquarters

HQ city

Betterton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tasting Menu Dining: 12-course tasting menu with dynamic pricing based on day of week (Thursday $178, Friday $188, Saturday Lunch $178, Saturday Dinner $188). 22% service charge added at checkout. Reservations are prepaid and non-refundable.
2. Beverage Pairings: Curated wine and beverage pairings complementing the tasting menu. Options include wine & beyond ($125), non-alcoholic ($90), and half & half ($125). Full a la carte beverage menu also available.
3. Wine Corkage: $75 corkage fee per 750ml bottle for guests who bring wine not on the restaurant's list.
4. Private Buy-Out Experiences: Private Chef's Counter buy-out for 5-8 guests at $2,200 fee plus tax and service charge.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sassafras is a cottage restaurant in Betterton, Maryland that serves a single 12-course modern Chesapeake tasting menu at an 8-seat Chef's Counter. The experience is approximately three hours long, operated Thursday-Saturday with dynamic per-day pricing ($178-$188) plus a 22% service charge, and is supplemented by beverage pairings and a private Buy-Out Experience for groups of 5-8.

Product overview

Sassafras is a cottage restaurant offering a single unified dining experience centered around a twelve-course tasting menu at the Chef's Counter, which seats eight guests per service. The restaurant operates on a seasonal basis with dinner on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, plus Saturday lunch. Optional add-ons include the Buy-Out Experience for private group dining and curated beverage pairings. Reservations are managed through OpenTable with dynamic pricing ranging from $178-$188 per person depending on day and seating.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 12-Course Tasting Menu
• Chef's Counter Experience (Private Buy-Out)
• Beverage Pairings
• À La Carte Beverage Menu
• Wine Corkage Service

Named customers2 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

Integration1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• OpenTablecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOpenTable is the primary reservation platform for Sassafras. The restaurant uses OpenTable for individual seat reservations and buy-out experience bookings. A 2% OpenTable surcharge is included in the total at booking.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm: Farm-to-table destination restaurant in nearby Virginia with seasonal, locally-sourced tasting menus — comparable in farm-driven philosophy and D.C. metro draw.
• Gravitas: Chef-driven tasting menu restaurant in Washington, D.C. with an intimate format and modern approach — comparable in target customer (D.C. metro fine-dining diners) and tasting menu structure.
• Charleston Restaurant (Baltimore): Long-standing Mid-Atlantic fine-dining destination known for seasonal, locally-inspired tasting and à la carte menus — comparable on Mid-Atlantic provenance and premium positioning.
• The Dabney: Mid-Atlantic seasonal tasting menu restaurant in Washington, D.C. emphasizing regional Mid-Atlantic ingredients and hearth cooking — directly comparable to Sassafras's Chesapeake-focused, seasonal cookery and D.C. feeder market.

Broad incumbents

• The Inn at Little Washington: Three-Michelin-star destination restaurant in Washington, VA — the most analogous high-end Mid-Atlantic destination tasting menu concept, drawing D.C. metro diners for a multi-hour, prix-fixe experience.

Others

• OpenTable: Reservation platform and core distribution partner for Sassafras — a key enabler of the prepaid, 3-month-advance booking model referenced as a strategic partnership.
• The Over-Soul Blog: Chef Paul Edward's personal culinary blog representing the content-marketing and storytelling engine behind Sassafras's brand — directly referenced in the company's marketing channels.
• Petit Louis Bistro: Long-established independent fine-dining restaurant in Baltimore — comparable as an independent, owner-operated Chesapeake-area high-end dining institution.

Regional players

• Gertrude's at the Baltimore Museum of Art: Chef-driven Chesapeake-region restaurant adjacent to cultural institution — comparable on Chesapeake regional cuisine positioning and Mid-Atlantic clientele.
• Magnolia's at the Mill: Chef's counter-style tasting menu restaurant — a small-format, intimate experience with strong chef identity — directly comparable to Sassafras's 8-seat counter concept.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/restaurantsassafras

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Sassafras