The Absinthe Group

What The Absinthe Group does

The Absinthe Group (TAG) is a privately held, founder-controlled collection of restaurants, bars, and a wine merchant operating exclusively in San Francisco. Founded in 1998 by Bill Russell-Shapiro with the opening of Absinthe Brasserie & Bar in Hayes Valley, the group has since expanded to 5-6 wholly-owned concepts: the flagship Absinthe Brasserie & Bar (French-inspired brasserie, Hayes Valley), Arbor (fast-casual neighborhood restaurant, Hayes Valley), Arlequin Wine Merchant (specialty wine retail with a subscription wine club, Hayes Valley), Comstock Saloon (historic saloon, North Beach), Bosco (restaurant, SoMa), and Bellota (restaurant, referenced in legal documents). Day-to-day operations are overseen by President and Director of Operations Eric Vreede, with Director of HR Liz Meza and Beverage Director Michael Goss leading wine and people functions respectively.

The business runs on a direct-to-consumer model delivered through owned physical venues, with no proprietary technology platform. Supporting infrastructure is entirely third-party SaaS: OpenTable for reservations, Square and Tock for takeout, Postmates and DoorDash for delivery, Authorize.net and Toast Tab for gift cards, Weebly and WooCommerce for ecommerce, Chargify for wine club subscriptions, MailChimp for email marketing, and Triple Seat for private event inquiries. Multiple fragmented ecommerce and POS providers indicate legacy system consolidation rather than a unified platform strategy.

Revenue is generated through dine-in transactions (food and beverage across multiple price points), online takeout and delivery orders, the Arlequin recurring wine club subscription (the group's sole documented recurring revenue stream), gift card sales ($25 minimum, no expiration, usable across all locations), private event bookings at Absinthe, Bellota, and Comstock Saloon, and ancillary product sales including branded merchandise and 'The Art of The Bar' book. Pricing is transactional across all streams except the wine club. The customer base comprises San Francisco local diners, special-occasion patrons, wine enthusiasts, event hosts, and delivery/takeout customers — segmented by use case rather than by industry vertical. The company is privately held with no disclosed external investors, parent entity, or institutional funding.

Name

The Absinthe Group

Legal name

The Absinthe Group

Website

https://absinthegroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Absinthe Group is a privately held, founder-controlled collection of 5-6 San Francisco restaurants, bars, and a wine merchant (Absinthe Brasserie & Bar, Arbor, Arlequin Wine Merchant, Comstock Saloon, Bosco, Bellota) serving local diners, special-occasion patrons, and wine enthusiasts through dine-in, takeout, delivery, and a recurring wine club.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Restaurant and Hospitality Services

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Special Occasion & Destination Restaurants (THAFACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wine Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAB), Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF), Alcohol Subscription Clubs & Membership Retail (CRANAAAI), Wine Bars (THAFAEAF)

Keywords

• Restaurant operations
• Wine retail
• Hospitality services
• Food and beverage
• Private dining

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Dining: Full-service dining at multiple San Francisco restaurants including Absinthe Brasserie & Bar, Arbor, Comstock Saloon, and Bosco. Revenue generated from food and beverage sales during dine-in service.
2. Takeout and Delivery: Online takeout and delivery orders processed through Square and delivered via Postmates and DoorDash. Prepaid credit card orders through restaurant websites.
3. Wine Sales and Wine Club: Arlequin Wine Merchant sells premium hand-selected wines. Wine club memberships processed by Chargify, allowing members to add funds and receive recurring deliveries.
4. Gift Cards: Gift cards sold for use at any Absinthe Group Location. Minimum purchase of $25. No expiration or service fees. Additional funds may be added after purchase.
5. Private Events: Private dining and event bookings at Absinthe Brasserie & Bar, Bellota, and Comstock Saloon. Reservations and inquiries processed through OpenTable and Triple Seat. Deposits required for large parties.
6. Wine Tastings and Special Events: Arlequin Wine Merchant hosts Thursday tastings and special events. Free for Wine Club members; available to general public for a fee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Absinthe Group operates a portfolio of restaurants, bars, and wine merchants in San Francisco, including Absinthe Brasserie & Bar (French brasserie, Hayes Valley), Arbor (fast-casual neighborhood restaurant, Hayes Valley), Arlequin Wine Merchant (specialty wine retail and wine club, Hayes Valley), Comstock Saloon (historic saloon, North Beach), Bellota, and Bosco (SoMa). Offerings span full-service dining, fast-casual meals, premium wine retail, recurring wine club memberships, private event hosting, takeout and delivery, gift cards, and branded merchandise including a published book.

Product overview

The Absinthe Group is a collection of four to six food and wine enterprises (restaurants, bars, wine merchants) in San Francisco, overseen by President Eric Vreede and managed by founder Bill Russell-Shapiro. The portfolio includes Absinthe Brasserie & Bar (French brasserie, Hayes Valley, founded 1998), Arbor (fast casual neighborhood restaurant, Hayes Valley), Arlequin Wine Merchant (specialty wine shop, Hayes Valley), Comstock Saloon (historic saloon, North Beach), Bellota (restaurant, mentioned in legal documents), and Bosco (SoMa). The group also sells gift cards redeemable at any location and publishes 'The Art of The Bar' book. Key business services include reservations (via OpenTable), takeout/delivery (via Square, Tock, Postmates, DoorDash), wine club membership (via Chargify), and email marketing (via MailChimp).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Absinthe Brasserie & Bar A French-inspired brasserie and bar located in San Francisco's Hayes Valley neighborhood, founded in 1998 and recognized as one of the city's longest-running dining institutions. Offers full dining service, takeout, delivery, and private event hosting.
• Arbor A neighborhood fast-casual restaurant in Hayes Valley featuring burgers, big-bowl salads, and other healthful dishes focused on local ingredients, with wines on tap and bottles sourced from Arlequin Wine Merchant. Offers takeout and delivery.
• Arlequin Wine Merchant A specialty wine store in Hayes Valley featuring an extensive selection of premium hand-selected wines from around the world for both everyday and special occasion purchases. Operates a wine club membership program and hosts weekly tastings and special events.
• Bellota A restaurant operated by The Absinthe Group in San Francisco offering takeout service and private event bookings, referenced across the group's privacy policy and terms.
• Comstock Saloon A historic saloon located in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood offering food, beverages, and merchandise sales through its ecommerce store, along with private event hosting.
• Bosco A food and wine enterprise located in San Francisco's SoMa neighborhood, operated by The Absinthe Group.
• Arlequin Wine Club Membership Recurring monthly wine club membership at Arlequin Wine Merchant with stored credit card for in-store purchases, free tastings, and member events. Processed through Chargify subscription billing.
• Gift Cards Gift cards redeemable at any Absinthe Group Location with a $25 minimum purchase, no expiration, no service fees, and the ability to add additional funds after purchase. Sold online via Toast Tab and Square.
• The Art of The Bar A branded book published by The Absinthe Group and sold through the group's online shop.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• OpenTablecoreTechnology or IntegrationOpenTable processes and manages reservations for Absinthe Brasserie & Bar, Bellota, and Comstock Saloon. Collects and processes personal information including names, phone numbers, and email addresses for reservation purposes.
• SquarecoreTechnology or IntegrationSquare processes takeout orders, gift card purchases, and delivery orders for Absinthe Brasserie & Bar, Arbor, Bellota, and Arlequin Wine Merchant. Stores credit card information for wine club members.
• Authorize.netcoreTechnology or IntegrationAuthorize.net processes gift card purchases for The Absinthe Group, Absinthe Brasserie & Bar, Bellota, and Comstock Saloon.
• PostmatescoreTechnology or IntegrationPostmates delivers all delivery orders placed for Absinthe Brasserie & Bar. Receives personal information including names, delivery addresses, phone numbers, and credit card information.
• DoorDashcoreTechnology or IntegrationDoorDash delivers Arbor delivery orders processed by Tock. Receives contact information and payment details for order fulfillment.
• MailChimpcoreTechnology or IntegrationMailChimp manages email newsletters for The Absinthe Group, Absinthe Brasserie & Bar, Arbor, Bellota, Arlequin, and Comstock Saloon. Receives email addresses for marketing communications.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Hillstone Restaurant Group: Multi-concept upscale-casual restaurant operator (Hillstone, Houston's, R+D Kitchen, South Beverly Grill). Comparable multi-brand dining group with similar polished neighborhood-restaurant positioning.
• Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises: Large Chicago-based multi-concept independent restaurant group with 60+ venues across casual, upscale, and specialty dining. Comparable diversified multi-concept restaurant operating model, though at much greater scale and geographic footprint.
• Union Square Hospitality Group: Danny Meyer's multi-concept hospitality group (Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, Maialino, Shake Shack heritage). Large established multi-concept restaurant operator; broadly comparable business model but at substantially greater scale and geography.
• Dinex Group: Daniel Boulud's multi-concept restaurant group operating upscale dining venues. Comparable chef-driven multi-venue restaurant operator with a curated food-and-beverage identity similar to TAG's brasserie-plus-wine approach.
• One Off Hospitality Group: Chicago-based group (Blackbird, Avec, The Publican, Big Star) operating multiple chef-driven concepts. Similar multi-concept independent restaurant model with neighborhood-by-neighborhood venue strategy.

Direct peers

• K&L Wine Merchants: Specialty wine retailer with curated premium selections, retail locations, and importer/wholesale operations. Directly comparable to Arlequin Wine Merchant on the retail/wine side of TAG's business.
• Town Hall Restaurant Group: SF-based independent restaurant group (Salt House, Town Hall, Marlowe). Comparable multi-venue independent operator in San Francisco with a similar casual-to-upscale dining portfolio spanning multiple neighborhoods.
• Saison Hospitality Group: SF-based hospitality group (Saison, Angler, Sons & Daughters). Comparable independent SF restaurant group operating multiple high-end concepts with strong wine programs—analogous to TAG's Brasserie-plus-wine-merchant structure.
• State Bird Provisions / The Progress Group: San Francisco-based hospitality group (Stuart Brioza & Nicole Krasinski) operating multiple critically acclaimed neighborhood restaurants. Comparable SF multi-concept independent restaurant operator with a curated, chef-driven portfolio.
• Mina Group: Chef-driven SF-anchored restaurant group operating multiple upscale concepts (e.g., Michael Mina, Bourbon Steak, International Smoke). Closely comparable multi-concept fine-dining operator in San Francisco with similar neighborhood-by-neighborhood positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-absinthe-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries6 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 The Absinthe Group