lovina

What lovina does

Lovina is a woman-owned, single-location full-service restaurant in Calistoga, California, operating from a 1904 historic home on Cedar Street. Founded in 2017 by Jennifer Bennett, the restaurant serves seasonal California cuisine with Italian influences through weekend brunch (10am-2pm) and nightly dinner (5pm-9pm), supported by a curated wine program emphasizing Napa Valley producers, a craft cocktail and mocktail program, and an espresso bar featuring La Coppa coffee. The core technology stack is commodity restaurant software: OpenTable for reservations, Toast Tab for online ordering, and a Weebly website for marketing and gift card sales.

The business runs on a distinctive tip-free operating model in which 30% of all menu sales are distributed directly to staff as revenue share, and all employees regardless of full-time/part-time status receive health and dental insurance (50% employer-funded), a 401(k) with employer match, paid family leave, and two weeks paid vacation. Menu prices embed these costs, and a 2.9% credit card surcharge is applied per California law. Additional revenue streams include family-style takeout and delivery (minimum 8 servings, 24-hour notice), corporate meeting venue rental ($200/hour with four-hour minimum), private dining events with a Chef's Tasting Menu, gift cards in $50-$500 denominations, and handmade pottery by the owner sold online with free shipping (10% of pottery revenue is donated to Calistoga Food Bank).

The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer, leveraging OpenTable, Toast Tab, social media (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest), an email newsletter, and the website. Distribution is exclusively domestic and concentrated in Calistoga. Customer segments include individual dining guests, takeout/delivery customers for group entertaining, and private event guests including corporate offsite users. The company is privately held with no disclosed parent, no subsidiaries, and no institutional investment; operations are led by owner and wine buyer Jennifer Bennett, General Manager Ian Triglia, and Co-Chefs de Cuisine Leticia Martinez and Raul Loyola.

Name

lovina

Legal name

Lovina

Website

https://lovinacalistoga.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Lovina is a woman-owned, tip-free full-service restaurant in Calistoga, California, operating from a 1904 historic home. It serves seasonal California-Italian cuisine via weekend brunch and nightly dinner to locals and Napa Valley tourists, with ancillary revenue from corporate events, takeout, gift cards, and owner-made pottery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Full-service restaurant

NAICS

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

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Occasion & Destination Restaurants (THAFACAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Private Culinary Experiences (Chef’s Table, Home Dining, Market-to-Meal) (THAJALAH)

Keywords

• California cuisine
• Tip-free restaurant
• Farm-to-table dining
• Private event catering
• Corporate meeting venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Calistoga

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Restaurant Sales: Full-service dining with seasonal California cuisine featuring Italian influences. Revenue from food and beverage sales during brunch (weekends 10am-2pm) and dinner service (nightly 5pm-9pm).
2. Takeout and Delivery: Family-style takeout and delivery menu available with 24-hour notice, minimum 8 servings per item. Ordered via email or Toast Tab online platform.
3. Gift Cards: Physical gift cards mailed via USPS in denominations from $50 to $500.
4. Pottery Sales: Handmade pottery created by owner Jennifer Bennett, including plates, olive dishes, bottle toppers, and creamers. 10% of pottery sales donated to Calistoga Food Bank.
5. Corporate Events and Private Dining: Venue rental for corporate meetings and private events with tiered pricing including optional food and beverage packages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lovina operates a full-service, tip-free restaurant in a 1904 historic home in Calistoga, California, offering nightly dinner and weekend brunch featuring seasonal California cuisine with Italian influences. Beyond dine-in service, the restaurant sells family-style takeout and delivery meals, rents the historic home as a private dining and corporate meeting venue, and retails handmade pottery by the owner and physical gift cards.

Product overview

Lovina is a woman-owned restaurant operated as a unified dining experience rather than a modular platform. The core offering consists of nightly dinner service and weekend brunch in an 120-year-old historic home, complemented by a full cocktail and wine program. Additional revenue streams include private dining events, corporate meeting space rental, handcrafted pottery by the owner, gift cards, and family-style takeout delivery. The restaurant differentiates itself through a 'Tip Free' model where menu prices include revenue share, full benefits (health insurance, dental, 401k with employer match, paid vacation) for all staff regardless of full-time/part-time status, with 30% of all sales distributed directly to staff.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dinner Service Nightly dinner service from 5pm-9pm featuring seasonal California cuisine with Italian influences, including dishes such as Heritage Pork and Beef Bolognese, Seared Pacific Halibut, and Braised Wagyu Beef Boneless Short Rib. Served to dine-in guests in the 1904 historic home.
• Weekend Brunch Weekend brunch service from 10am-2pm offering items such as French Toast, Breakfast Burritos, Benedicts, salads, and the Locally Famous Little Gems Salad. Served to dine-in guests in the historic home.
• Cocktail and Mocktail Program Full bar featuring craft cocktails such as Jen's Juice, Hazelnut Espresso Martini, and The Spicy Tourist, plus zero-proof house cocktails and local beer from Barrel Brothers brewery. Available to dine-in guests during brunch and dinner.
• Wine Program Curated wine list featuring local Napa Valley wines, Old World selections, and Jen's vintage finds, with wines available by the glass and bottle, plus Wine Wednesdays with reduced prices.
• Private Dining and Celebratory Events Chef's Tasting Menu available as celebratory private dining for parties of two or more, with customizable menu options.
• Corporate Events and Meeting Space Corporate meeting and private event venue rental in the 1904 historic home with three rooms and a covered heated porch, featuring fast internet, screen, whiteboard, and Sonos sound system. Venue fee of $200/hour with a four-hour minimum, available 8am-4pm, with optional add-on food and beverage packages.
• Lovina's Pottery Hand-thrown pottery created by owner Jennifer Bennett in her home studio. Items include Oatmeal/Antique Blue plates, olive dishes, bottle toppers, cream pitchers, ramekins, bowls, and tumblers. Prices range from $12 to $125 with free shipping; 10% of pottery sales are donated to Calistoga Food Bank.
• Gift Cards Physical gift cards available in denominations from $50 to $500, mailed via USPS within three days of ordering. Email gift certificates also available.
• Family Meal Takeout and Delivery Family-style takeout and delivery service for large groups, with meals served cold and ready to reheat or assemble. Minimum of 8 servings per item. Menu includes appetizers ($14/serving), salads ($18/serving), entrees ($35/serving), and desserts ($16/serving). 24-hour notice required.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Zazie RestaurantcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister restaurant located in San Francisco, also owned and operated by Jennifer Bennett. Both restaurants share the same tip-free business model with revenue sharing and full benefits for staff. Zazie was sold to three long-term employees in 2020. Zazie was recognized as a San Francisco Legacy Business in 2019.

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Zazie Restaurant: Sister restaurant in San Francisco founded and operated by Lovina's owner Jennifer Bennett using the identical tip-free, full-benefits business model. Sold to three long-term employees in 2020 and recognized as a San Francisco Legacy Business in 2019; the most direct comparison for Lovina's concept and labor philosophy.
• Solbar (Calistoga): Calistoga-located restaurant at Solage resort serving seasonal California cuisine with a farm-driven program. Direct local competitor for destination diners, hotel guests, and private event business in the same town.
• Auberge du Soleil: Luxury Rutherford (Napa Valley) restaurant and resort destination with a Michelin-recognized dining program and extensive Napa wine list. Comparable as a Napa destination dining and private-event venue serving high-spending wine country visitors.
• The French Laundry: Iconic Yountville (Napa Valley) fine-dining destination with chef's tasting menu, premium pricing, and global destination appeal. Comparable to Lovina as a Napa Valley special-occasion and destination dining concept with high per-cover spend and reservation-driven demand.
• Press Restaurant St. Helena: St. Helena fine-dining destination from the Lettis family with a deep Napa Valley wine list and farm-driven seasonal cuisine. Comparable to Lovina in pricing tier, Napa Valley destination status, and emphasis on local wines and seasonal ingredients.
• Single Thread Farm-Restaurant-Inn: Healdsburg farm-to-table destination with seasonal California cuisine, a curated wine and sake program, and a strong farm partnership. Highly comparable positioning to Lovina's seasonal California cuisine with Italian influences and locally-sourced garden ingredients.
• Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch: St. Helena farm-to-table restaurant anchored by the Long Meadow Ranch estate vineyards and gardens, with a strong estate-to-table story and local Napa wine program. Comparable to Lovina in seasonal California cuisine, locally-sourced narrative, and Napa Valley destination positioning.
• The Restaurant at Meadowood: St. Helena luxury resort restaurant known for a multi-course tasting menu focused on Napa-sourced ingredients and a deep local wine program. Comparable to Lovina as a Napa Valley fine-dining destination with a chef's-table-style experience.
• Gramercy Tavern: Danny Meyer's flagship New York restaurant that was among the first prominent American restaurants to eliminate tipping in favor of higher menu prices and full benefits. Closest direct peer for Lovina's tip-free, full-benefits employment philosophy at full-service price points.

Regional players

• Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen: Calistoga farm-to-table restaurant serving seasonal California cuisine in a casual-upscale setting. Comparable as a Calistoga-based farm-driven dining option competing for the same local and tourist dining dollars.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lovinacalistoga
• Pinterestpinterest.com/lovinacalistoga

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 lovina