Black Cat
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Black Cat firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Black Cat
- Legal name
- Black Cat
- Website
- https://blackcatdc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Black Cat industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Music Venue
- NAICS
- Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Live Music Clubs & Venues (MPAGAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Live Music Venues & Concert Bars (THAFAEAD), Nightclub & Small Live Venue Operations (Clubs, Bars with Stages) (MPAGALAF)
Keywords
Where Black Cat is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Black Cat business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Black Cat sells tickets through its box office (cash, no service fee) and through Etix online ticketing (service fee applies). Tickets cover admission to mainstage concerts and events.
- Food and Beverage: The Red Room Bar operates after every Mainstage event until midnight, serving craft brews, imports, bourbon, scotch, and cocktails. Food For Thought Café serves vegan/vegetarian fare, burgers, nachos, and sandwiches before and during events. Cash and card accepted; no Apple Pay or digital wallets.
- Merchandise: The Black Cat operates an online merch shop selling t-shirts, patches, and accessories, as well as a physical merch stand at events.
- Space Rental / Private Events: The venue's spaces (Mainstage, Red Room, Food for Thought Café) are available for private bookings and third-party produced events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Box office tickets — cash, no service fee |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Online tickets via Etix — with service fee |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Merchandise — t-shirts, patches, accessories |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bar and café — food and drink |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Black Cat product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Black Cat operates a 7,000-square-foot live music venue in Washington, DC's U Street Corridor hosting national and local independent, alternative, punk, and experimental touring acts. The venue also operates the Red Room Bar, Food for Thought Café, on-site and online merchandise sales, and rents its spaces for private and third-party produced events such as comedy, drag, dance parties, and film screenings.
Product overview
Black Cat is a music venue in Washington, DC offering a multi-faceted entertainment experience. The core offering centers on the Mainstage Concert Room, a 7000 square-foot performance space hosting national independent touring acts and local bands. Supporting venues include the Red Room Bar (open after shows until midnight) and the Food for Thought Café. The venue also operates a Merch Stand selling branded apparel, maintains a collection of pinball and vintage arcade games, and provides ticketing services through Etix. The venue has been operating since 1993 in the historic U Street Corridor.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Red Room Bar: A bar venue within Black Cat offering craft-brews, imports, bourbon, scotch, darts, pinball, and a jukebox, open until 12:00AM after Mainstage events
- Food for Thought Café
Companies that use Black Cat
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Black Cat technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Black Cat partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- SpotHerominorSpotHero is a parking reservation service. Black Cat has partnered with SpotHero to allow concert-goers to reserve parking in advance near the venue, improving the customer experience for those driving to events.
- Parking PandaminorParking Panda (now merged with SpotHero) was listed as a parking reservation partner on the Black Cat's about page, allowing patrons to reserve parking in advance through the platform.
- Food Not Bombs DCminorFood Not Bombs DC is a mutual aid organization. Black Cat hosts an annual Garbage Fest benefit show, with proceeds supporting Food Not Bombs DC's mutual aid work.
- Immigrant Solidarity Mutual AidminorBlack Cat hosted a benefit show for Immigrant Solidarity Mutual Aid, a DC-based mutual aid organization, featuring Argo & The Violet Queens' record release.
- Brazilian Cultural Center EducARTEminorEducARTE is a Brazilian cultural center that presents Rastapé's concert at Black Cat DC, serving as the event promoter and cultural presenting partner for this Brazilian forró performance.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Black Cat competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Hamilton: DC live music venue and full-service restaurant near the White House offering ticketed concerts alongside food and bar service — overlapping audience and the same concerts-plus-F&B revenue architecture.
- Songbyrd Music House: DC music venue and café combining indie/alternative performances with an integrated daytime café — a smaller-scale analog to Black Cat's combined music-plus-café format.
- 9:30 Club: DC's flagship indie/alternative live music venue and Black Cat's most direct competitor — both operate mid-sized, all-ages-friendly general-admission rooms hosting national touring indie, punk, and alternative acts.
- U Street Music Hall: Smaller-format dance-party and electronic-leaning venue in the same U Street Corridor neighborhood, competing for similar late-night audiences with a comparable mid-cap ticketed event model.
- Rock & Roll Hotel: DC indie music venue on H Street NE with a comparable small-to-mid cap room format, similar all-ages indie/alternative programming, and on-site bar revenue model.
- DC9 Nightclub: Multi-level DC music venue and nightclub hosting indie, dance, and themed events — directly comparable in scale, programming mix (music plus bar), and target demographic to Black Cat.
- Lincoln Theatre: Historic DC theater in the U Street Corridor hosting live music, comedy, and film — comparable as a mid-sized, all-ages venue in the same neighborhood with overlapping programming types.
- Union Stage: DC waterfront live music venue and restaurant combining ticketed concerts with a full F&B operation — directly comparable multi-revenue-stream venue model to Black Cat's Mainstage + Red Room + Café setup.
Broad incumbents
- The Anthem: Larger-format (2,300–6,000 cap) DC waterfront venue operated by I.M.P. — comparable as a ticketed live music competitor in the same city, though at a higher capacity tier than Black Cat.
Regional players
- The Fillmore Silver Spring: Live Nation-operated mid-cap music venue in nearby Silver Spring, MD — comparable format and programming but operating in the adjacent DC suburb rather than competing head-to-head in DC proper.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Black Cat social profiles
Digital presenceBlack Cat financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Black Cat leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Black Cat funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Black Cat 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 Black Cat
What does Black Cat do?
Black Cat operates a 7,000-square-foot live music venue in Washington, DC's U Street Corridor hosting national and local independent, alternative, punk, and experimental touring acts. The venue also operates the Red Room Bar, Food for Thought Café, on-site and online merchandise sales, and rents its spaces for private and third-party produced events such as comedy, drag, dance parties, and film screenings.
Is Black Cat a public or private company?
Black Cat is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was Black Cat founded?
Black Cat was founded in 1993.
Where is Black Cat based?
Black Cat is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Black Cat make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are food and Beverage, merchandise and space Rental / Private Events.
Who are Black Cat's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Hamilton, Songbyrd Music House, 9:30 Club, U Street Music Hall, Rock & Roll Hotel, DC9 Nightclub, Lincoln Theatre and Union Stage. The Anthem is listed as a broad incumbent. The Fillmore Silver Spring is listed as a regional player.
Does Black Cat have an API?
No public API is recorded for Black Cat.
What industry is Black Cat in?
Black Cat's product category is Live Music Venue. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAIAB, Live Music Clubs & Venues, with a secondary code of THAFAEAD, Live Music Venues & Concert Bars. Its NAICS code is 71131 and its SIC code is 7900.