FLOUR + WATER LLC
Flour + Water is a San Francisco Italian fine dining restaurant founded in 2009, serving handmade pastas, Neapolitan-style pizza, and seasonal antipasti as the flagship concept of F+W Hospitality Group, which also operates Penny Roma, Trick Dog, a retail pasta shop, and packaged foods.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What FLOUR + WATER LLC does
Flour + Water is a San Francisco-based Italian fine dining restaurant operating under F+W Hospitality Group, founded in 2009 by chefs Thomas McNaughton and Ryan Pollnow. The flagship restaurant at 2401 Harrison Street in the Mission District serves dinner seven days a week from 5:00 to 9:30pm, offering a daily-changing menu centered on fresh handmade pasta (over 80 pasta varieties produced at the adjacent Flour + Water Pasta Shop), Neapolitan-style pizzas, and seasonal antipasti with Northern Californian influence on Italian cuisine. Reservations are managed exclusively through Resy, released 28 days in advance, with walk-ins also accepted; a $35 per-person cancellation fee applies for cancellations within 48 hours.
The business operates as part of a multi-concept hospitality platform that includes sister brands Penny Roma (Italian dining on the 20th Street corridor), Trick Dog (bar/restaurant), Flour + Water Pasta Shop (retail fresh pasta, sauces, and pasta kits), F+W Pizzeria and F+W Pizza Shop (Neapolitan-style pizza), and F+W Foods (packaged retail pasta products). The group's value proposition is built on culinary craftsmanship, chef-led brand authority (reinforced by a Penguin Random House cookbook), and earned-media recognition from outlets including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, GQ, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, and SF Chronicle.
Revenue is generated through multiple streams: dine-in food and beverage, private dining and events (Test Kitchen up to 10 guests, Dough Room up to 14, Penny Roma Upstairs up to 32, plus full buyouts), public and private pasta-making classes, retail pasta at the Pasta Shop and F+W Foods, physical and e-gift cards through Toasttab, a Wine Club subscription program, and cookbook sales through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Williams-Sonoma, and other retailers. The go-to-market is primarily direct-to-consumer and reputation-driven, with a Resy reservation platform, email mailing list, and active Instagram and Facebook presence supporting awareness. Private dining inquiries route through [email protected] and press through [email protected], indicating a centralized hospitality-group operating model.
FLOUR + WATER LLC firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- FLOUR + WATER LLC
- Legal name
- Flour + Water LLC
- Website
- https://flourandwater.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Flour + Water is a San Francisco Italian fine dining restaurant founded in 2009, serving handmade pastas, Neapolitan-style pizza, and seasonal antipasti as the flagship concept of F+W Hospitality Group, which also operates Penny Roma, Trick Dog, a retail pasta shop, and packaged foods.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
FLOUR + WATER LLC industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Italian Fine Dining Restaurant
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Cookie, Cracker, and Pasta Manufacturing (31182)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Chef’s Table & Tasting Menu Restaurants (THAFACAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Pasta Manufacturing (dry, fresh, filled) (AFAKABAB)
Keywords
Where FLOUR + WATER LLC is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
FLOUR + WATER LLC business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Restaurant Dining: Fine dining Italian restaurant serving dinner seven days a week. Revenue from food and beverage sales during service hours (5:00-9:30pm).
- Retail Pasta Products: Fresh housemade pasta, sauces, and pasta kits sold at Flour + Water Pasta Shop for at-home consumption.
- Pasta Cookbook: Published 'Flour + Water Pasta' cookbook by Thomas McNaughton sold online through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, GoogleBooks, iBooks, Williams-Sonoma, and at restaurant locations.
- Private Dining & Events: Private dining experiences including Test Kitchen (up to 10 guests), Dough Room (up to 14 guests), Penny Roma Upstairs (up to 32 guests), and full restaurant buyouts. Also includes private pasta classes.
- Gift Cards: Physical and e-gift cards sold in-person and online through Toasttab platform.
- Wine Sales: Curated wine list available for purchase by the bottle or as pairings with private dining tasting menus.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Fine dining Italian dinner menu |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
FLOUR + WATER LLC product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Flour + Water operates an Italian fine dining restaurant in San Francisco serving a daily-changing seasonal menu of handmade pastas (over 80 varieties formed daily), Neapolitan-style pizzas, and seasonal antipasti for dinner seven days a week. The group also sells fresh housemade pasta, sauces, and pasta kits retail through Flour + Water Pasta Shop and F+W Foods, hosts private dining events and pasta-making classes, runs a Wine Club membership, and publishes a pasta cookbook through Penguin Random House.
Product overview
Flour + Water operates as a hospitality group comprising multiple Italian dining concepts in San Francisco's 20th Street corridor. The portfolio includes the flagship Flour + Water restaurant (Italian fine dining with handmade pastas and Neapolitan pizzas), sister concepts Flour + Water Pasta Shop (retail pasta), Flour + Water Pizzeria, and Penny Roma. Additional offerings include F+W Foods retail products, private dining and event services, a Wine Club membership, pasta-making classes, and a published cookbook. The company is led by Co-Executive Chefs Thomas McNaughton and Ryan Pollnow, with support from Chef de Cuisine Elijah Baccus and General Manager Becca Courtright.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Flour + Water Pasta Shop: Housemade pasta, sauces, and pasta kits for at-home dining
- Penny Roma
- F+W Pizzeria
- Trick Dog
- F+W Foods
Products and services
- Flour + Water Restaurant The flagship Italian fine dining restaurant offering a daily-changing seasonal menu of handmade pastas (over 80 varieties), Neapolitan-style pizzas, and seasonal antipasti inspired by regions across Italy with a Northern Californian influence. Open seven days a week for dinner service.
- Flour + Water pasta Shop Retail shop located near the main Flour + Water restaurant selling fresh housemade pasta, sauces, and pasta kits for at-home preparation, with dog-friendly outdoor seating.
- Flour + Water Pizzeria Neapolitan-style pizza restaurant serving wood-fired pizzas as part of the F+W Hospitality Group's dining portfolio.
- Penny Roma Italian restaurant sister concept in San Francisco's 20th Street corridor, available for à la carte service, private dining events up to 32 guests in its Upstairs room, and private pasta classes for groups up to 12.
- F+W Foods Retail Pasta Products Online retail line of fresh and packaged pasta, sauces, and related Italian food products from the Flour + Water Hospitality Group available for direct purchase through its own website.
- Private Dining and Events Private event hosting service offering exclusive dining spaces for groups of 8 to 60 guests, including Test Kitchen (up to 10 guests), Dough Room (up to 14 guests), Upstairs at Penny Roma (up to 32 guests), full restaurant buyouts, and curated wine pairings.
- Flour + Water Wine Club Subscription-based wine club offering curated wine selections, tasting experiences, and access to pairings tied to Flour + Water's wine program.
- Pasta-Making Classes Public pasta-making classes booked through Exploretock plus private pasta classes for groups up to 12 guests, taught by Flour + Water's culinary team in dedicated event spaces.
- Flour + Water Pasta Cookbook A pasta-focused cookbook by Chef Thomas McNaughton featuring over 50 unique recipes covering the full pasta production spectrum, seasonal Italian ingredients, and how-to photography, published by Penguin Random House and sold through major online retailers and in-restaurant.
- Gift Cards Physical and electronic gift cards for Flour + Water available for purchase in-restaurant and online through Toasttab, redeemable at the restaurant.
Quantifiable outcome
- Producing over 80 types of fresh handmade pasta daily
Companies that use FLOUR + WATER LLC
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
FLOUR + WATER LLC technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
FLOUR + WATER LLC partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Flour + Water Pasta ShopcoreSister restaurant under F+W Hospitality Group. Located near Flour + Water main restaurant, offering fresh housemade pasta, sauces, and pasta kits for at-home enjoyment. Dog-friendly outdoor seating.
- Penny RomacoreSister restaurant under F+W Hospitality Group. Can host parties up to 32 guests in their Upstairs private dining room. Offers private pasta classes for groups up to 12.
- Trick DogminorSister brand under F+W Hospitality Group, featured alongside other group restaurants on Flour + Water's website.
- F+W PizzeriaminorSister brand under F+W Hospitality Group, noted as part of the restaurant group ecosystem.
- ResycoreExclusive reservation platform for Flour + Water. Reservations released 28 days in advance at midnight. Guests can text through Resy if running late for reservations.
- Penguin Random HouseminorPublisher of 'Flour + Water Pasta' cookbook by Thomas McNaughton.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
FLOUR + WATER LLC competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- A16: San Francisco Southern Italian restaurant known for house-made pasta and Neapolitan pizza. Directly overlaps Flour + Water on the handmade pasta + Neapolitan pizza positioning.
- Misi: New York Italian restaurant also from Missy Robbins, focused on handmade pasta and Italian technique. Closely comparable handmade pasta concept with national press profile.
- Quince: San Francisco Italian fine dining institution where founder Thomas McNaughton trained under chef Michael Tusk. Comparable Michelin-level Italian tasting menu and same geographic market.
- Roberta's: Brooklyn-based Italian restaurant and pizza group with wood-fired pizza, pasta, and a hospitality group model. Comparable Neapolitan pizza + multi-concept hospitality positioning.
- Lilia: New York Italian fine dining from Missy Robbins centered on handmade pasta. Closely matches Flour + Water's pasta-first Italian fine dining thesis in a peer metro.
- Cotogna: San Francisco Italian restaurant adjacent to Quince, focused on rustic Italian and house-made pasta. Closely comparable Italian fine dining concept with similar handmade pasta craft.
- Delfina: San Francisco Italian fine dining where 20th Street executive chef Rachel Orner spent five years. Same category, same city, comparable handmade pasta program.
- Bestia: Los Angeles Italian fine dining with handmade pasta and a buzzy national reputation. Comparable Italian fine dining concept on the West Coast at similar price/quality tier.
- Osteria Mozza: Nancy Silverton/Mario Batali Italian fine dining concept in Los Angeles offering handmade pasta and Italian regional cuisine. Comparable nationally recognized Italian fine dining brand.
Broad incumbents
- Eataly: Large-scale Italian restaurant and retail CPG operator combining dine-in with packaged Italian groceries. Comparable on the combination of Italian food service + retail packaged goods, though at vastly larger scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
FLOUR + WATER LLC social profiles
Digital presenceFLOUR + WATER LLC financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
FLOUR + WATER LLC leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
FLOUR + WATER LLC funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
FLOUR + WATER LLC M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about FLOUR + WATER LLC
What does FLOUR + WATER LLC do?
Flour + Water operates an Italian fine dining restaurant in San Francisco serving a daily-changing seasonal menu of handmade pastas (over 80 varieties formed daily), Neapolitan-style pizzas, and seasonal antipasti for dinner seven days a week. The group also sells fresh housemade pasta, sauces, and pasta kits retail through Flour + Water Pasta Shop and F+W Foods, hosts private dining events and pasta-making classes, runs a Wine Club membership, and publishes a pasta cookbook through Penguin Random House.
Is FLOUR + WATER LLC a public or private company?
FLOUR + WATER LLC is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was FLOUR + WATER LLC founded?
FLOUR + WATER LLC was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is FLOUR + WATER LLC based?
FLOUR + WATER LLC is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does FLOUR + WATER LLC make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Restaurant Dining is the primary driver. The others are retail Pasta Products, pasta Cookbook, private Dining & Events, gift Cards and wine Sales.
Who are FLOUR + WATER LLC's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are A16, Misi, Quince, Roberta's, Lilia, Cotogna, Delfina, Bestia and Osteria Mozza. Eataly is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does FLOUR + WATER LLC have an API?
No public API is recorded for FLOUR + WATER LLC.
What industry is FLOUR + WATER LLC in?
FLOUR + WATER LLC's product category is Italian Fine Dining Restaurant. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFACAG, Chef’s Table & Tasting Menu Restaurants, with a secondary code of AFAKABAB, Pasta Manufacturing (dry, fresh, filled). Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.