black trumpet

What black trumpet does

Black Trumpet is a privately-held neighborhood bistro and bar operating from a single waterfront location at 29 Ceres Street in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Founded in March 2007 by Chef Evan Mallett and Denise Mallett, the restaurant occupies a historic building that previously housed the legendary Blue Strawbery (1970-1998). The business serves individual diners, small groups, and private event clients seeking seasonal American cuisine with locally-sourced ingredients from regional farmers, fishers, and foragers, complemented by craft cocktails and a curated wine program. Operating hours are dinner-only, Tuesday through Sunday from 5pm, with takeout and delivery available Tuesday-Friday and Sunday from 5-8pm.

Core offerings include dine-in dinner service with menu items ranging from $9 to $45, takeout/delivery through the UpServe platform, reservation management via Tock, a published cookbook ("Black Trumpet: A Chef's Journey Through Eight New England Seasons"), gift cards, on-premise private events (downstairs room up to 30 guests or full restaurant up to 55), and off-site catering specializing in outdoor and farm settings. The technology stack is minimal and entirely third-party: UpServe for online ordering, Tock for reservations, Constant Contact for email marketing, with no proprietary systems, APIs, or AI/ML components identified. The restaurant has earned five James Beard Award semi-finalist nominations across Chef Mallett (Best Chef, Northeast in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017) and the restaurant itself (Outstanding Hospitality in 2020), and publishes the Heirloom Harvest Project as a community engagement vehicle.

The business model is purely transactional and direct-to-consumer, with a la carte unit pricing across four tiers (small dishes $10-$23, medium dishes $18-$28, mains $23-$45, desserts $14-$16). Revenue is generated through per-cover dine-in sales as the primary stream, supplemented by takeout, private event buyouts, off-site catering, gift card sales, and cookbook retail. Distribution is single-location and domestic (USA), serving the New England Seacoast market with no franchise, multi-unit, or geographic expansion signals. Marketing relies on organic social (Facebook, Instagram), an email newsletter, the "Table Zero" chef's blog, and substantial earned media coverage in regional and national outlets including The New York Times, Bon Appetit, NPR, and the Boston Globe.

Name

black trumpet

Legal name

Black Trumpet

Website

https://blacktrumpetbistro.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Black Trumpet is a privately-held seasonal neighborhood bistro and bar in Portsmouth, NH, founded in 2007 by Chef Evan Mallett, serving locally-sourced New England cuisine, wine, and cocktails via dine-in dinner service, takeout, private events, catering, and a published cookbook.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Dining Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (72241)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Brasseries, Bistros & Trattorias (THAFACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants (THAFACAD), Neighborhood Bars & Taverns (CRANACAA), Fine Dining Restaurants (THAFACAA)

Keywords

• Fine dining restaurant
• Seasonal New England cuisine
• Private event catering
• Locally sourced bistro
• Wine and cocktail bar

Headquarters

HQ city

Portsmouth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Restaurant Service: The primary revenue stream comes from in-restaurant dining. Customers pay per visit for food and beverages. The restaurant offers a seasonal menu with items ranging from $9-$45. Wine and cocktails are also available for purchase.
2. Takeout and Delivery: Takeout service is available Tuesday-Friday and Sunday from 5-8pm (no takeout on Saturday). Orders can be placed through UpServe platform.
3. Gift Cards: Gift cards are available for purchase through the UpServe platform, providing pre-paid restaurant credit.
4. Private Events and Catering: The downstairs dining room (up to 30 people) is available for private events Sunday through Friday. The entire restaurant (up to 55 people) is available any night including Saturdays. Off-site catering is also offered, specializing in outdoor and farm settings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Black Trumpet is a neighborhood bistro and bar on Portsmouth, NH's Historic Waterfront that serves seasonal, locally sourced New England cuisine for dine-in dinner service Tuesday–Sunday from 5pm, alongside takeout and delivery, a curated wine and craft cocktail program, private event hosting, off-site catering, gift cards, a published cookbook, and the annual Heirloom Harvest Project farm-based culinary events.

Product overview

Black Trumpet is a cozy neighborhood bistro and bar overlooking Portsmouth harbor, offering dine-in dinner service, takeout, a curated wine program, private event hosting, and catering. The restaurant also publishes a cookbook ("Black Trumpet: A Chef's Journey Through Eight New England Seasons") and hosts the annual Heirloom Harvest Project events (Farm-a-Q and Barn Dinner). Gift cards are available for purchase. The core offering is seasonal American cuisine using locally-sourced, sustainable ingredients, complemented by craft cocktails and an innovative wine list.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• GathercoreOthers · 1 January 2020Black Trumpet formed a profound relationship with Gather, a local hunger-relief non-profit organization. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant cooked meals for families in need using PPP money, eventually moving operations to The Atlantic Grill after the Labrie family offered their unused banquet kitchen. The partnership scaled to producing hundreds of meals per week for families in need, continuing even after PPP funding ended.
• The Atlantic Grill / Labrie FamilymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Labrie family, owners of The Atlantic Grill, offered their massive banquet kitchen to Black Trumpet when they witnessed the restaurant's efforts to feed the community during the pandemic. This partnership enabled a scaled operation that could churn out hundreds of meals per week for Gather.
• Popup NHmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlack Trumpet was featured as the one restaurant at Popup NH, a heroic conversion of a Bridge Street parking lot into a socially distanced live theater and dining venue. This auxiliary business helped the restaurant survive the summer and fall months during the pandemic.
• VeggieGo / Three River Farmers AllianceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBlack Trumpet sold dish kits through VeggieGo, a Three River Farmers Alliance program. The kits included recipes and videos to demonstrate how to cook dishes with local ingredients, providing an additional revenue stream during the pandemic.
• Savor the Sol Kitchen Takeover ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlack Trumpet participated in monthly Savor the Sol kitchen takeover events with Najee Brown, creating collaborative dining experiences and community engagement.
• Stock + SpiceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStock + Spice in Portsmouth serves as a retail outlet for the Black Trumpet cookbook 'Black Trumpet: A Chef's Journey Through Eight New England Seasons.' The cookbook is available for purchase at the store and online.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Earth at Hidden Pond: Farm-driven seasonal restaurant at Hidden Pond resort in Kennebunkport, ME. Comparable seasonal New England cuisine, strong chef reputation, similar small-operator feel, and overlap with the Seacoast/Southern Maine fine-dining customer that Black Trumpet also attracts.
• Oleana: Ana Sortun's farm-to-table Eastern Mediterranean bistro in Cambridge, MA. Highly comparable: similar single-location fine-dining bistro model, strong chef-driven identity, James Beard recognition, seasonal sourcing narrative, and direct competition for the New England foodie diner.
• Bondir: Cambridge, MA small chef-driven farm-to-table restaurant. Comparable intimate fine-dining bistro format, locavore sourcing narrative, and seasonal tasting-style menu at similar price points to Black Trumpet.
• The Friendly Toast: Portsmouth, NH location of this New England-based eclectic brunch/dinner chain. Direct local competitor for casual Portsmouth diners and group outings, with overlapping weekend dinner traffic.
• TIPO: Portsmouth, NH small-plates pasta and wine bar in the same Historic Waterfront district as Black Trumpet. Competes directly for the same neighborhood dinner, cocktails, and walk-in traffic in downtown Portsmouth.
• Ristorante Massimo: Upscale Italian fine-dining restaurant located directly in Portsmouth, NH. Same local market, similar price point and date-night/celebration occasion, directly competing for Portsmouth and Seacoast diners who want a special-occasion meal.
• The Mews Restaurant & Cafe: Coastal bistro in Provincetown, MA with a long-running seasonal menu and craft cocktail program. Comparable as a New England coastal bistro with strong bar program, dinner service, and a similar tourist-and-local dual audience.

Broad incumbents

• The White Barn Inn Restaurant: Relais & Châteaux fine-dining destination in Kennebunkport, ME. Higher-end and larger in scale (part of a luxury inn), but a benchmark Seacoast/New England fine-dining operator competing for the same destination-diner dollars.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/blacktrumpet
• Instagraminstagram.com/blacktrumpetnh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/black-trumpet

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 black trumpet