Ivy City Smokehouse

What Ivy City Smokehouse does

Ivy City Smokehouse is a privately held, family-run specialty seafood company headquartered at 1356 Okie Street NE in Washington, D.C., producing traditionally smoked seafood products and operating an integrated smokehouse, restaurant (Ivy City Tavern), and retail seafood market (Ivy City Market) from a single facility. Its core products are cold-smoked and hot-smoked salmon (4 oz and 8 oz packs plus peppered, pastrami-style, Indian Candy, gravlax, and Nova variants), smoked bluefish, smoked trout, and salmon jerky, all produced in small batches using European-style dry cures with sea salt, brown sugar, and select spices followed by hardwood smoking; salmon is never frozen, purchased fresh daily, and the company uses BAP-certified farm sourcing, SQF food-safety certification, and all-natural ingredients with no artificial coloring. The company also runs a wholesale program offering custom/private labeling and recipe development for the foodservice industry, complemented by retail distribution through Amazon, Walmart, Wegmans, and Whole Foods and a DTC online store with nationwide overnight shipping.

The business is co-founded and operated by Ron Goodman (Culinary Institute of America 1972 graduate, in food since 1977, smoking since 1982) and Greg Casten (40+ years in fish and food), alongside master smoker Jesus Bercian (smoking since 1984), with the principals collectively holding 70+ years of combined fish-smoking experience. Revenue is generated across five streams — wholesale smoked seafood (to retail and foodservice), Ivy City Tavern restaurant sales (including private events up to 350 guests), Ivy City Market retail seafood counter sales, DTC e-commerce, and catering/charcuterie platters priced per person. Customers span individual consumers (in-store and online), foodservice operators (restaurants, hotels, caterers), and national retail grocery banners.

The company has accumulated substantial food-industry and culinary recognition, including three consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmand awards (2017, 2019, 2020), American Masters of Taste 2019 U.S.A. Taste Champion, RAMMY 2018, Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington Best Regional Food Producer/Manufacturer 2018, and designation by Eater DC, Washingtonian, Michelin Guide, and Food & Wine as a regional standout. No institutional funding, M&A activity, AI/ML capabilities, patents, or public financial disclosure is present in the source material; the business remains founder-controlled with sourcing support from affiliated Profish.

Name

Ivy City Smokehouse

Legal name

Ivy City Smokehouse

Website

https://ivycitysmokehouse.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ivy City Smokehouse is a privately held D.C. family-run seafood company that produces traditionally cold- and hot-smoked salmon and other smoked seafood in small batches, distributing nationally via Amazon, Walmart, Wegmans, and Whole Foods, while operating the Ivy City Tavern restaurant and Ivy City Market seafood counter at its Washington, D.C. headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Smoked Seafood Production

NAICS

Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (31171), Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (311710), Fish and Seafood Retailers (44525)

SIC

Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Smoked & Cured Seafood (Salmon, Herring, Lox) (AFANALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Steakhouses & Seafood Restaurants (THAFACAE), Smoked, Cured & Salted Seafood (Lox, Kippers, Bacalao) (AFANADAF)

Keywords

• Smoked salmon production
• Specialty seafood manufacturing
• Smoked fish wholesale
• Fresh seafood retail
• Restaurant and catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Smoked Seafood Products: Production and sale of smoked salmon, smoked fish, and related seafood products through retail and wholesale channels. Products include cold smoked salmon, hot smoked salmon, smoked trout, and smoked seafood platters.
2. Restaurant/Tavern: Full-service restaurant operation serving smoked seafood and other dishes. Hours noon-8pm. Includes private events venue with capacity up to 350 guests.
3. Seafood Market: Retail seafood market offering fresh fish, shrimp, crab, lobster, shellfish, smoked products, and caviar. Open Tuesday-Saturday with varying hours.
4. Wholesale Distribution: Wholesale supply to retail and foodservice industry. Includes custom/private labeling and recipe development. National delivery capability.
5. Online/Shipping: Direct-to-consumer online ordering with overnight shipping of smoked fish in insulated shippers with ice packs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ivy City Smokehouse produces traditionally smoked seafood — primarily cold-smoked and hot-smoked salmon plus smoked trout, bluefish, gravlax, and specialty items — in small batches at a custom smokehouse in Washington, D.C. It also operates the Ivy City Market seafood market, the Ivy City Tavern restaurant with private events, and a wholesale program distributing its smoked seafood to retail and foodservice customers with custom and private labeling.

Product overview

Ivy City Smokehouse is a seafood company offering smoked seafood products, a public seafood market, and a restaurant/tavern concept. The core products include cold-smoked and hot-smoked salmon varieties (sold in 4oz and 8oz packs), smoked bluefish, gravlax, nova bits, smoked trout, and specialty items like Indian Candy and Pastrami-style salmon. The company operates the Ivy City Market as a retail seafood market offering fresh fish, shrimp, crab, lobster, shellfish, and caviar. Additionally, Ivy City Tavern serves house-smoked seafood dishes in a full-service restaurant setting with rooftop patio and private event spaces. The company also maintains a wholesale program serving retail and foodservice customers with custom labeling options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ivy City Charcuterie from the Sea: Holiday seafood charcuterie platters featuring smoked salmon varieties, smoked trout, and smoked whitefish salad.

Products and services

• Cold Smoked Salmon Hand-cut salmon fillets dry-cured in traditional European style and cold-smoked with distinct hardwoods, sold in 4 oz and 8 oz packs, Nova bite-sized pieces, and gravlax (Scandinavian-style cured) variants, for consumers and foodservice customers.
• Hot Smoked Salmon Mild hot-smoked salmon over American hardwood with a flaky, moist texture, including a peppered variety, suitable for bagels, sandwiches, salads, and appetizers.
• Smoked Trout Fillet House-smoked trout fillet offered as part of the Ivy City Smokehouse smoked seafood assortment.
• Smoked Bluefish House-smoked bluefish product offered within the company's specialty smoked seafood assortment.
• Smoked Salmon Specialty Items (Indian Candy and Pastrami-style) Specialty smoked salmon products including Indian Candy (sweet and savory) and Pastrami-style smoked salmon, offering flavor alternatives to classic cold smoked salmon.
• Fresh Seafood Selection (Fish, Shrimp, Crab, Lobster, Shellfish, Caviar) Retail fresh seafood assortment sold through Ivy City Market: daily hand-selected fish (salmon, cod, halibut, tuna and local catches), shrimp (fresh, frozen, breaded, cooked), crab and lobster (Dungeness, King, Snow, Jonah claws, softshell, live lobsters), shellfish (clams, oysters, mussels, scallops), and caviar (California Paddlefish, Salmon Roe, Trout Roe).
• Ivy City Tavern Full-service restaurant and bar at 1356 Okie St NE featuring house-smoked seafood, fresh local ingredients, rooftop patio, live music venue, and private event spaces accommodating up to 350 guests; hours noon–8pm.
• Ivy City Market Open-to-the-public seafood market at 1356 Okie St NE offering fresh fish, smoked seafood, shellfish, and caviar, open Tuesday–Saturday with nationwide shipping available.
• Ivy City Charcuterie from the Sea (Holiday Platters) Holiday charcuterie platters featuring 3 oz or 6 oz portions of smoked salmon varieties, smoked trout, and smoked whitefish salad; priced per person with a minimum order of 4 people, for entertaining and corporate gifting.
• Wholesale and Private Label Program Wholesale distribution of smoked seafood to retail and foodservice customers with national delivery, including custom/private labeling and recipe development services for restaurant, hotel, catering, and retail partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 70 years of combined fish smoking experience among smoke masters

Named customers4 records

Segments3 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ProFishcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProFish is the wholesale partner providing fresh seafood products. ProFish brings over 25 years of local fisheries experience and relationships. They supply products to the Ivy City Market and support the smokehouse operations with fresh fish and shellfish.
• AmazoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAmazon serves as an online retail channel for Ivy City Smokehouse products, allowing nationwide distribution of smoked seafood through Amazon stores.
• WalmartcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWalmart serves as a major retail distribution partner, making Ivy City Smokehouse products available through Walmart's national retail locations.
• WegmanscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWegmans serves as a regional grocery retail partner, distributing Ivy City Smokehouse products through their supermarkets.
• Whole FoodscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWhole Foods serves as a retail distribution partner for Ivy City Smokehouse products, focusing on natural and organic grocery market segment.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Petrossian: Premium smoked salmon and caviar producer with retail locations and nationwide distribution. Comparable in premium positioning, product mix (smoked salmon + caviar), and DTC plus retail channel strategy.
• Lobster Place: NY-based seafood market, wholesale distributor, and restaurant operation offering fresh and smoked seafood. Closely comparable multi-revenue model combining retail market, wholesale, and on-premise dining.
• Russ & Daughters: Iconic NYC appetizing store specializing in smoked fish, caviar, and specialty seafood with both retail storefront and nationwide shipping. Comparable in traditional smoking methods, premium brand, and DTC national shipping.
• Flagship Seafood: Specialty seafood company offering smoked salmon, fresh fish, and shellfish to retail and foodservice. Comparable product breadth and emphasis on sustainable, premium sourcing.
• Ducktrap River of Maine: Artisanal smoked seafood producer specializing in cold and hot smoked salmon, trout, and other fish, distributed through specialty retail and foodservice. Highly comparable in traditional smoking methods and premium positioning.
• Acme Smoked Fish: One of the largest premium smoked fish producers in the US, supplying retail, foodservice, and private label customers nationwide. Direct competitor to Ivy City in the smoked salmon category with similar B2B/B2C distribution model.
• North Coast Seafoods: Boston-based seafood processor and distributor offering smoked salmon, fresh fish, and shellfish to retail and foodservice customers. Comparable vertical integration from sourcing through processing and distribution.
• Browne Trading Company: Specialty seafood retailer and wholesaler offering premium smoked salmon, fresh seafood, and caviar with nationwide shipping. Comparable premium positioning, product mix, and DTC focus.

Broad incumbents

• Legal Sea Foods: Established national seafood brand operating restaurants and retail markets with smoked seafood products in their portfolio. Comparable multi-channel model (restaurant + retail + wholesale) at significantly larger scale.

Emerging players

• The Lobster Shack: Regional seafood market and smokehouse concept combining fresh seafood retail with smoked products. Comparable in scale and integrated retail market + smokehouse model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/icshdc
• Facebookfacebook.com/IvyCitySmokehouse
• Instagraminstagram.com/explore/locations/528393343
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ivy-city-smokehouse

Compliance1 record

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 Ivy City Smokehouse