SUENO

What SUENO does

Sueño is a single-location, chef-driven Mexican restaurant operating at 607 E 3rd St in Dayton, Ohio, within the historic Avant Garde building in the Webster Station district. Founded under The Idea Collective (Ginger Roddick, David Kittredge, Chris Dimmick), the restaurant is led by 3-time James Beard nominee Executive Chef/Partner Jorge Guzmán, a Yucatán native and CIA graduate who also operates Petite Léon in Minneapolis. The culinary program centers on traditional Mexican fare built around heirloom corn varieties imported from Oaxaca and cooked over a live fire hearth in an open kitchen, supported by a Wine Director (Lauren Gay, CMS-certified, WSET Level 2 with distinction) and Beverage Director (Tyler Hampton) delivering one of the region's strongest wine, tequila, mezcal, and craft cocktail programs.

The business model is a traditional fine-dining restaurant with multiple revenue streams: dine-in service (entrées $21-$49, appetizers $9-$22, cocktails $7-$28, wine bottles $39-$238), daily happy hour (4-6 PM, bar only), curbside to-go and e-gift cards via Toasttab, ticketed public culinary events and reservations via Exploretock/Tock, and private event bookings with tiered prix fixe menus at $60 and $90 per person. Operating hours are dinner-only, six days per week (closed Sundays). Sueño co-tenants the Avant Garde building with sister concepts Tender Mercy (bar) and DOZO (sushi), both also owned by The Idea Collective, enabling combined hospitality offerings. Marketing is concentrated on Instagram, email capture, and the Squarespace-hosted website.

Sueño has earned multiple industry recognitions: James Beard Best Chef Midwest finalist/semi-finalist (3 times for Chef Guzmán), Food & Wine Top 10 Restaurant of the Year, AIA (American Institute of Architects) award for interior design, and a Grand Cochon competition appearance. There are no disclosed funding rounds, the company is privately held, and growth signals point to operational consolidation across the Idea Collective portfolio rather than multi-unit expansion.

Name

SUENO

Legal name

Sueño

Website

https://suenodyt.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Sueño is a chef-driven Mexican restaurant in downtown Dayton, Ohio, led by 3-time James Beard nominee Jorge Guzmán, serving heirloom-corn-based cuisine over live fire alongside an award-winning wine and agave spirits program, with private events and curbside to-go as secondary revenue streams.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Upscale Mexican Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Fine Dining Restaurants (THAFACAA)

Keywords

• Upscale Mexican dining
• Modern Mexican cuisine
• Craft cocktail bar
• Tequila mezcal program
• Private event catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Dayton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dine-In Food and Beverage Sales: Core revenue from serving authentic Mexican cuisine and cocktails to dine-in customers. Menu features appetizers ($9-$22), entrees ($21-$49), desserts ($8), cocktails ($7-$28), and extensive wine/spirits program. Happy hour daily 4-6 PM.
2. Curbside Takeout/To-Go Orders: Online ordering through Toasttab for curbside pickup at 607 E 3rd St location.
3. Private Events and Prix Fixe Dining: Private event bookings for parties, weddings, corporate events with prix fixe menu options at $60 and $90 per person.
4. Gift Cards: E-gift cards available through Toasttab platform for gifting to foodie friends.
5. Ticketed Public Events: Ticketed events through Exploretock platform for special culinary experiences and public gatherings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sueño operates a single-location, chef-driven modern Mexican restaurant in downtown Dayton, OH. It serves traditional Mexican cuisine featuring heirloom corn from Oaxaca cooked over a live fire hearth, alongside an extensive beverage program of craft cocktails, tequila, mezcal, and curated wines. The restaurant also offers private event bookings with prix fixe menus, curbside to-go ordering, and e-gift cards.

Product overview

Sueño is a single-location authentic Mexican restaurant offering a comprehensive dining experience. The core product is the restaurant itself featuring traditional Mexican cuisine with a focus on heirloom corn varieties from Oaxaca cooked over a live fire hearth. The restaurant operates several interconnected sub-products: a full food menu organized into categories (antojitos/appetizers, con masa dishes, platillos fuertes/entrees, sides, and desserts); an extensive beverage program spanning cocktails, beer, agave spirits (tequila and mezcal), and wine. Additional offerings include private event booking with prix fixe menus, e-gift cards, and curbside to-go service via Toasttab. The restaurant is led by 3-time James Beard nominee Chef Jorge Guzman and Wine Director Lauren Gay.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sueño Dine-In Restaurant Service
• Private Events with Prix Fixe Menus Private event booking service for weddings, birthdays, corporate events, fundraisers, and other celebrations, offering curated prix fixe menus at $60 and $90 per person. Bookings managed via email ([email protected]) and can be paired with the sister concept Tender Mercy's bar program for combined experiences.
• Sueño E-Gift Cards E-gift cards sold through the Toasttab platform that customers can purchase for use at Sueño, marketed as gifts for foodie friends.
• Curbside To-Go Ordering Online ordering service for curbside pickup of Sueño's Mexican cuisine menu items, fulfilled through the Toasttab platform at the restaurant's 607 E 3rd St location with complimentary curbside parking on 3rd Street.
• Ticketed Public Culinary Events Ticketed special culinary events and public gatherings hosted at Sueño, with reservations and ticket sales managed through the Exploretock (Tock) platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3-time James Beard Best Chef Midwest nominee/finalist
• +2 more outcomes

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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tender MercycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister concept bar located directly below Sueño in the same historic Avant Garde building. World-class bar program that pairs with Sueño's cuisine for combined private event experiences.
• DOZOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister concept sushi restaurant also located in the Avant Garde building above Tender Mercy. Part of the same hospitality ecosystem under The Idea Collective.
• Three BirdsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister concept under The Idea Collective ownership, mentioned alongside Tender Mercy and DOZO as part of the restaurant group.
• Jon Morton StudiosminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCreative partner who has shot team photos and media content for the restaurant. Described as 'dear friend' who creates thoughtful storytelling content.
• ToasttabcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline ordering platform for curbside pickup and gift card sales. Restaurant uses Toasttab for to-go orders at toasttab.com/sueno-607-e-3rd-st
• Exploretock (Tock)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReservation and ticketed events platform used for managing restaurant reservations and public event ticket sales.

Scale indicators3 records

Broad incumbents

• Cosme: Enrique Olvera's upscale Mexican restaurant in NYC. Comparable as a high-end modern Mexican concept with James Beard recognition, prix fixe and à la carte menus, and a globally influential agave/cocktail program.

Direct peers

• Picosito: Modern Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles with a deep agave program. Comparable as a chef-driven Mexican concept at a similar price point with strong cocktail and spirits focus.
• Taco María: Chef Carlos Salgado's James Beard-recognized modern Mexican restaurant in Costa Mesa, CA. Directly comparable as a chef-driven tasting-menu-leaning Mexican concept focused on heirloom corn and traditional preparation techniques.
• Petite León: Minneapolis modern Mexican restaurant owned by Sueño's Executive Chef Jorge Guzmán. Direct peer because it shares chef leadership, similar modern Mexican cuisine focus, and showcases the same culinary vision that defines Sueño.
• Barrio Café: James Beard-recognized upscale modern Mexican restaurant in Phoenix owned by Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza. Directly comparable in menu philosophy (regional Mexican, heirloom ingredients), bar program depth, and target segment.
• La Santa Modern Mexican Food: Upscale modern Mexican concept from the former Pujol team in Brooklyn. Comparable offering — modern Mexican cuisine, craft cocktails, and agave spirits — at the same chef-driven price point.
• Emilella's: Houston modern Mexican restaurant from Chef Emilella with a regionally sourced, chef-driven approach. Comparable in upscale Mexican positioning and focus on heirloom ingredients and craft beverages.

Emerging players

• Diablo Taco Bar: Modern taqueria-style concept in Tucson with a similar agave and craft cocktail focus. Comparable as an emerging modern Mexican concept in a smaller market with chef-driven sourcing.

Others

• Tender Mercy: World-class bar concept located directly below Sueño in the same building and owned by the same Idea Collective parent. Adjacent/ecosystem peer — paired for cross-promoted private events and shared beverage leadership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/sueno
• Facebookfacebook.com/suenodyt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 SUENO