Saison Hospitality Group

What Saison Hospitality Group does

Saison Hospitality Group is a privately held, founder-led premium hospitality company established in 2016 in California as a joint venture among Chef Joshua Skenes, Winemaker Mark Bright, and serial entrepreneurs Gary Gauba and Jag Kapoor. The group operates a portfolio of eight wholly-owned food, wine, and event concepts built around open hearth and wood-fired cooking, Burgundy-emphasized wine programs, and recurring wine memberships. Core restaurant operations comprise Saison, a two-Michelin-star fine dining restaurant in San Francisco recognized as the original U.S. establishment to use open hearth cooking; Angler San Francisco, a one-Michelin-star seafood concept on the Embarcadero waterfront; and Angler Los Angeles, marking its expansion into Southern California.

Beyond restaurants, the group runs Saison Cellar, an online rare and fine wine brokerage offering cellar acquisition, consulting, management, and sommelier services; Saison Winery, a small-lot winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains producing Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Rhone varietals led by Mark Bright; Saison Cellar & Wine Bar, a flagship wine bar and private members club with climate-controlled storage that launched in summer 2024; Hearth Catered Events, a full-service boutique catering business for weddings, corporate events, and master classes; Saison Smokehouse, a wood-fired barbecue concept; Wines from the Hearth, a monthly subscription wine club with nationwide shipping; and consumer extensions Saison@Home and Saison Provisions.

The business model combines transaction-based fine dining revenue, recurring subscription revenue from the wine club and private Cellar membership, transaction fees from wine brokerage, professional services revenue from catering and event production, and direct winery and consumer product sales. The go-to-market is sales-led and reputation-driven, anchored by Michelin stars, Wine Spectator Grand Awards (every year since 2014), World's 50 Best listings, Relais & Chateaux and Les Grandes Tables du Monde membership, and James Beard recognition, targeting affluent diners, wine collectors, and luxury event clients primarily in the Bay Area and Los Angeles.

Name

Saison Hospitality Group

Legal name

Saison Hospitality

Website

https://saisonhospitality.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Saison Hospitality Group is a privately held premium hospitality company operating Michelin-starred restaurants, a wine brokerage, a Santa Cruz Mountains winery, a members-only wine bar, a catering business, and a wine subscription club, serving affluent diners, wine collectors, and luxury event clients in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Luxury Hospitality and Fine Wine Services

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Wineries (312130), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Occasion & Destination Restaurants (THAFACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE), Wine Bars (THAFAEAF), Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF), Fine Wine & Luxury Spirits Retail (CRANABAE)

Keywords

• Fine dining restaurants
• Wine brokerage services
• Wine club subscriptions
• Open hearth cooking
• Luxury event catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Dining: Fine dining restaurant operations including Saison (two Michelin stars), Angler San Francisco (one Michelin star), and Angler Los Angeles. Revenue generated from à la carte dining, tasting menus, and beverage service.
2. Wine Brokerage & Sales: Saison Cellar operates as a rare and fine wine brokerage selling wines with services including cellar acquisition, consultation, management, investment strategy, private sommelier tastings, and guided wine tasting trips worldwide.
3. Wine Club Membership: Wines from the Hearth is a monthly wine club offering handpicked wines with pickup, Bay Area delivery, and nationwide shipping. Four membership tiers: Just a Taste (1 bottle), The Classic (2 bottles), Premier (2 bottles), and Champagne (2 bottles).
4. Private Wine Club & Storage: The Cellar is a private members club at Saison Cellar & Wine Bar offering climate-controlled luxury personal wine storage, winemaker tastings, experiential classes, dining credits, and concierge services.
5. Catering & Events: Hearth Catered Events provides full-service boutique catering for weddings, corporate events, master class experiences, and private dining across various scales and destinations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Saison Hospitality Group operates a portfolio of Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants and wine-focused hospitality brands built around open hearth wood-fired cooking and a deep Old and New World wine program with Burgundy emphasis. Offerings include restaurant dining at Saison, Angler San Francisco, and Angler Los Angeles; a wine bar and private members club at Saison Cellar & Wine Bar; an online rare and fine wine brokerage (Saison Cellar); a Santa Cruz Mountains winery (Saison Winery); a barbecue concept (Smokehouse); full-service boutique catering and events (Hearth Catered Events); and a monthly wine club (Wines from the Hearth).

Product overview

Saison Hospitality Group operates a portfolio of restaurant brands and wine-related businesses built around open-hearth cooking, fine dining, and wine expertise. The core offerings include two Michelin-starred restaurants (Saison and Angler San Francisco), a wine bar with private membership (Saison Cellar & Wine Bar), a boutique catering service (Hearth Catered Events), an online rare wine brokerage, a Santa Cruz Mountains winery, a barbecue concept, and a wine club subscription service. These brands share common elements: wood-fired cooking techniques, California terroir focus, and Mark Bright's wine expertise, creating a cohesive hospitality ecosystem spanning fine dining, casual concepts, wine retail, and events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Saison Two Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant in San Francisco recognized as the original U.S. establishment to use open hearth cooking. Led by Executive Chef & Co-Owner Richard Lee, emphasizes California terroir with a Grand Award-winning wine list.
• Angler San Francisco Michelin-starred seafood-focused restaurant on the Embarcadero waterfront with views of the wood-burning hearth. Features lunch, dinner, happy hour, nightly Cook For You experience, and private dining in the Game Room.
• Saison Cellar & Wine Bar Dual-concept venue featuring a wine bar with curated selections by Mark Bright and a private members club (The Cellar) with climate-controlled wine storage, exclusive tastings, and dining credits.
• Hearth Catered Events Full-service boutique catering and events company bringing Saison Hospitality's pedigree to any destination. Specializes in Contemporary California cuisine, weddings, corporate events, and immersive master class experiences.
• Saison Cellar (Wine Brokerage) Online rare and fine wine brokerage offering cellar acquisition, consultation, management, investment strategy, private sommelier tastings, and guided wine tasting trips worldwide.
• Saison Winery Winery in Santa Cruz Mountains led by winemaker Mark Bright, focusing on Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Rhone varietals. Small-lot production with single-vineyard expression from Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey regions.
• Saison Smokehouse Real wood barbecue restaurant inspired by off-the-beaten-path barbecue places worldwide. Features innovative yet heartwarming food designed to share, with Michelin-starred pedigree.
• Wines from the Hearth Monthly wine club from Saison Cellar offering handpicked global wines. Four club types available with pickup, Bay Area delivery, and nationwide shipping options: Just a Taste (1 bottle), The Classic (2 bottles), Premier (2 bottles), and Champagne (2 bottles).

Quantifiable outcome

• Two Michelin stars at Saison; One Michelin star at Angler
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Quince: San Francisco Michelin-starred Italian restaurant from Michael and Lindsay Tusk, a direct Bay Area fine dining peer to Saison with overlapping HNW clientele, tasting menu format, and premium wine program.
• Atelier Crenn: San Francisco three-Michelin-star restaurant from Dominique Crenn, the closest direct Michelin competitor in the same Bay Area market. Both compete for the same destination fine dining audience and Michelin recognition in SF.
• Single Thread Farms: Healdsburg destination restaurant, inn, and farm with a five-course tasting menu and rooftop farm, similar in concept to Saison's integrated farm-to-fire philosophy. Comparable Michelin-tier fine dining plus vertically integrated hospitality extensions (inn, farm, wine program) within a single premium brand.
• Benu: San Francisco three-Michelin-star restaurant led by Corey Lee, directly competing with Saison in the Bay Area Michelin destination segment. Both are chef-owned fine dining institutions with curated tasting menus and rare wine programs.
• The French Laundry: Thomas Keller's Yountville destination restaurant holds three Michelin stars and a Grand Award wine program, making it the closest comparable to Saison's two-star fine dining and Wine Spectator Grand Award pedigree. Both are chef-driven destination experiences anchored by deep wine curation and luxury event/catering extensions.
• Le Bernardin: Eric Ripert's NYC three-Michelin-star seafood restaurant, comparable to Angler SF's Michelin-starred seafood focus and open hearth/live-fire cooking. Both occupy the seafood fine dining niche at the Michelin-star level with premium wine service.
• Eleven Madison Park: NYC three-Michelin-star destination restaurant from Daniel Humm, a comparable aspirational benchmark for Saison's Michelin-tier positioning. Both are destination experiences with tasting menus, strong beverage programs, and global brand recognition.

Broad incumbents

• Union Square Hospitality Group: Danny Meyer's multi-concept hospitality group encompassing fine dining (Modern, Gramercy Tavern), casual concepts, and event/catering operations. Structurally comparable to Saison Hospitality as a founder-led hospitality portfolio spanning multiple price points and formats.
• Major Food Group: Multi-concept hospitality group (Carbone, Sadelle's, The Grill) operating a broader portfolio of premium restaurants, comparable as a model for how a chef-driven group can scale across formats. Broader in scope than Saison and not centered on fine dining, but architecturally similar as a hospitality platform.

Others

• K&L Wine Merchants: Specialty wine retailer with deep Burgundy allocations and importer relationships, comparable to the Saison Cellar brokerage and Wines from the Hearth wine club on the wine commerce side. Not a restaurant competitor, but adjacent as a fine wine retail/brokerage reference point for Saison's wine business.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/saisonhospitality

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries8 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 Saison Hospitality Group