FLOD MARKET

What FLOD MARKET does

The Food Market is a private restaurant group founded in 2012 and operating in Maryland. Its core operation comprises The Food Market restaurants in Hampden in Baltimore, Columbia, and Bethesda, serving individual diners and families through lunch, dinner, brunch, happy hour, cocktails, pickup, and delivery. The broader Hoopla Hospitality ecosystem includes Hoopla Catering and related concepts LA Food Marketa, Quality Snowballs, and Marketa at Vacation, extending the group into private events and off-site catering.\n\nRevenue is generated primarily through transactional food and beverage sales. Private-dining packages carry a $300 room fee and either $125 or $175 per guest, while catering orders, digital and physical gift cards, and a loyalty program provide additional revenue channels. Menu pricing ranges from approximately $10 for lower-priced items to $80 for steaks, and private events seat up to 12 guests. Distribution is regional and direct-to-consumer, supplemented by Toast Takeout, DoorDash, Resy, OpenTable, and ezCater.\n\nNo proprietary restaurant technology platform was identified. The operating stack uses Toast for point-of-sale, online ordering, pickup, gift cards, and loyalty; Resy and OpenTable for reservations; DoorDash for delivery; and ezCater for catering. Revenue, headcount, funding, and financial performance are not disclosed, so the available evidence establishes the operating model and channel structure but not scale or unit economics.

Name

FLOD MARKET

Legal name

The Food Market

Website

https://the-food-market.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Food Market is a private, multi-location Maryland restaurant group serving consumers, families, corporate clients, and private-event hosts through dine-in, brunch, pickup, delivery, catering, and private-dining offerings within the Hoopla Hospitality brand family.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casual Upscale Restaurant Dining

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (722320)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

All-Day Dining Restaurants (THAFACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Chef’s Table & Tasting Menu Restaurants (THAFACAG), Wedding & Social Event Catering (THAHAKAE)

Keywords

• Comfort food restaurants
• Brunch dining
• Private dining events
• Off-site catering
• Craft cocktail program

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Food & Beverage Sales: Core revenue from selling menu items including appetizers, entrees, steaks, seafood, brunch, cocktails, and beverages directly to dine-in customers across three Maryland locations.
2. Private Event Services: Private kitchen bookings generating $300 room fee plus per-guest pricing ($125-175/pp) for exclusive dining experiences, corporate events, and celebrations.
3. Catering Services: Off-site catering through ezCater platform and Hoopla Catering brand, delivering lunch and event catering to customers.
4. Gift Cards & Loyalty Program: Digital gift cards sold through Toast Tab platform and loyalty program earning 1 point per $2 spent with $5 reward redemption at 50 points.
5. Pickup & Delivery: Online ordering for pickup and DoorDash delivery orders through Toast Takeout app and website.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Food Market is a multi-location chef-driven restaurant group operating approachable upscale comfort food restaurants in Maryland. Core offerings include dine-in service with weekend brunch, lunch, dinner, and happy hour menus featuring signature items and a craft cocktail program, supplemented by an exclusive Private Kitchen experience with multi-course options, off-site catering through Hoopla Catering and ezCater, pickup and delivery via Toast Takeout and DoorDash, and digital gift cards.

Product overview

The Food Market is a multi-location restaurant group (Hoopla Hospitality brand) operating the flagship The Food Market Hampden (opened 2012), plus sister locations in Bethesda and Columbia, MD. The portfolio also includes Marketa at Vacation (Columbia), LA Food Marketa, and Quality Snowballs (Baltimore). Core offerings include dine-in service, weekend brunch, happy hour, and a Private Kitchen experience with multi-course options. Supporting services include Hoopla Catering for events, gift cards (digital and physical), and a Toast Tab-based loyalty program. Online ordering integrates Toast Tab for pickup and DoorDash for delivery, while reservations are managed via Resy (Hampden/Bethesda) and OpenTable (Columbia).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Named Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants in the Country by OpenTable
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Toast TakeoutcoreTechnology or IntegrationPOS and online ordering platform used across all locations for in-house ordering, pickup scheduling, and gift card sales. Critical operational technology partner.
• ResycoreTechnology or IntegrationReservation booking platform used for Hampden and Bethesda locations, enabling customers to book tables online.
• OpenTablecoreTechnology or IntegrationReservation booking platform used for Columbia location and Diner's Choice Awards recognition.
• DoorDashsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery partner for food delivery orders.
• ezCatersupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCatering marketplace platform for corporate and event catering orders, available for all locations.
• Hoopla CateringcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSister catering brand under Hoopla Hospitality parent company. Wedding couples receive Pretzels for Life card for free pretzels on return visits. Shared branding and culinary leadership.
• Hoopla HospitalitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent hospitality brand encompassing The Food Market, Hoopla Catering, La Food Marketa, and Quality Snowballs. Supports community engagement and non-profit event participation.
• Joel Cohen (Artist)minorOthersAll artwork showcased at The Food Market Baltimore was created by Joel Cohen (joelcohenpaintings.com).
• Daniel McGarrity PhotographyminorOthersWebsite photography by Daniel McGarrity (danielmcgarrityphotography.com).
• Mt Washington Pediatric HospitalminorOthersCharitable partner receiving toy and gift card donations from The Food Market. Toy drive events held at restaurant with free pretzel rewards for donors.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• True Food Kitchen: Nationally scaling health-forward upscale casual restaurant chain. Comparable on the upscale-casual, chef-influenced, multi-location full-service dining model, though positioned in a different culinary niche.
• Seasons 52: Darden-owned upscale casual grill and wine bar chain with national footprint. Comparable as a broader incumbent operating a chef-influenced seasonal menu at moderate-upscale price points across multiple locations.
• Hillstone Restaurant Group: Established multi-concept restaurant group operating upscale-casual concepts (Hillstone, Houston's, The Honor Bar). Comparable as a mature operator of upscale-casual, hospitality-driven restaurant brands with private dining capability.

Direct peers

• Founding Farmers: Multi-location DC-area chef-driven comfort food restaurant group with strong brunch and cocktail programs. Closely comparable on chef-led comfort food positioning, multi-location suburban-DC operations, and strong regional brand recognition.
• Atlas Restaurant Group: Baltimore-based multi-concept restaurant group operating upscale casual and specialty dining venues across the city. Comparable as a local multi-location hospitality operator competing for the same Maryland dining occasions.
• Woodberry Kitchen: Chef Spike Gjerde's Baltimore farm-to-table restaurant known for seasonal American comfort food in a converted industrial space. Directly comparable on chef-led positioning, comfort-food menu, Maryland location, and industrial-modern design sensibility.
• BlackSalt: Baltimore/DC chef-driven seafood-forward restaurant with attached fish market. Comparable as a Mid-Atlantic chef-led upscale casual concept that combines classic menus with private event and retail extensions.
• The Dabney: Jeremiah Langhorne's Michelin-recognized Mid-Atlantic restaurant emphasizing wood-fired regional American cuisine. Comparable on chef-driven Mid-Atlantic positioning and elevated approach to familiar regional comfort dishes.

Emerging players

• Tatte Bakery & Cafe: Fast-growing multi-location chef-driven bakery-cafe concept across the Mid-Atlantic and beyond. Comparable as an expanding chef-branded multi-location dining/cafe concept with strong brand recognition and daytime/dessert positioning.

Others

• Hoopla Catering: Sister brand within the same Hoopla Hospitality parent covering off-premise catering and events. Listed as a peer because it shares the same operator/ecosystem and is a direct adjacent comparable for the catering revenue line.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheFoodMarketBaltimore
• Instagraminstagram.com/thefoodmarket

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 FLOD MARKET