The Epicurean Trader — Investor Offering
The Epicurean Trader
Investor Offering · 2026
The Future of Artisan Specialty Retail

Small by design.
Wide by reach.

Raising capital on StartEngine to expand our curated showroom network and launch the Provisions Club — AI-powered artisan discovery at scale.

Bay Area Showrooms
5
Gross Annual Revenue
$13M
Annual Site Visitors
6.5M
StartEngine.com · 2026
Raising $1.9M – $15M
The Problem

The specialty retail gap.

The consumable retail market is fragmented — and the best artisan goods never reach the consumers who want them most.

01 — Big Box Retail

Mass distribution, mass-market goods.

If a brewery ships to Albertsons, it isn't that special. Scale forces compromise on the artisan standard.

02 — Premium Chains

Scaled past true curation.

Whole Foods–tier retailers' volume requirements exclude the best small producers by design.

03 — Independents

Deep, but only one or two categories.

Family-owned shops are experts in their lane but can't deliver a complete specialty shopping experience.

"The best artisan producers in every region are effectively invisible to the consumers who would love them most — there is no single trusted destination for exceptional local goods."
The Epicurean Trader
The Specialty Retail Gap
02 / 09
Our Solution

Small by design.
Wide by reach.

Operating exclusively in 1,000–2,000 sq ft showrooms — physically constrained to carry only the absolute best.

①
Curated Showrooms

Every item in every location passes our strict artisan curation standards. When you walk in, you know anything you buy will be exceptional.

②
Local-First Identity

Bay Area stores showcase California producers. Chicago stores spotlight Midwest artisans. Each cluster is a celebration of its regional artisan community.

③
Omni-Channel Power

Physical discovery drives digital loyalty. Each showroom feeds our e-commerce flywheel and Provisions Club subscription platform.

The Vision
A national network of intimate showrooms, each reflecting the finest local artisan producers — connected by e-commerce and AI-powered discovery.
5
Bay Area locations
6.5M
Site visitors in 2025
The Epicurean Trader
Our Solution
03 / 09
Proprietary Platform

The Provisions Club.

Our AI-powered discovery and curation platform — bridging retail showrooms, e-commerce, and personalized taste profiles.

Step 01 — Profile
Tinder for groceries.

New customers complete a quick ranking exercise to build a fully customized taste profile in minutes.

Step 02 — Curators
A guide with personality.

A dedicated AI curator with its own voice guides discovery based on cuisine preferences and specialty categories.

Step 03 — Discover
A continuously refined feed.

Curators refine enrichment data, generate custom recipes, and deliver a personalized content stream over time.

Proprietary Enrichment DatabaseEvery product catalogued with flavor profiles, packaging, design, and brand mission. AI surfaces what's complementary, not just similar.
$750KYear 1 Revenue Bump
$2MYear 2 Forecast
The Epicurean Trader
The Provisions Club
04 / 09
Proven Business

Real revenue.
Real demand.

Operating profitably across 5 Bay Area showrooms with national digital reach.

$2.5M
Avg revenue per store
$13M
Gross annual revenues
6.5M
Annual site visitors
$1M
Online sales (2025)
Geographic Demand Signal
Northern California
40%
Southern California
15%
Other Markets
<4%
SoCal demand is clear — and we're not there yet.
Working Capital Uplift

With additional working capital and inventory build, we project a 20% bump to existing revenues in Year 1 post-close.

$10.5M
Current
→
$15.6M
Year 1 (existing biz)
The Epicurean Trader
Proven Business
05 / 09
Raising $1.9M – $15M

Use of funds.

Every dollar allocated to measurable growth. Expansion begins in Southern California.

$1.5M
Working Capital

CapEx and inventory build to support existing stores and unlock the 20% existing-revenue uplift.

$400K
Provisions Club

Platform build, marketing, advertising, and community manager for our AI-powered discovery platform.

$1.5M
Per New Store

Fit-out ($500K), build-period working capital ($780K), and opening inventory ($220K) for each new SoCal location.

Expansion Roadmap — Southern California Cluster
$1.9M
Base raise
$3.4M
+1 store
$4.9M
+2 stores
$9.4M
+5 stores
$15M
+7 stores (max)
Target markets: Santa Barbara · Los Angeles · San Diego
The Epicurean Trader
Use of Funds
06 / 09
Financial Forecast

Revenue projections.

Each new store adds $2.5M in Year 1, plus a 20% e-commerce / subscription revenue bump.

Existing + Provisions Club New Store Y1
$17.6M
Existing
$20.6M
+ Store 1
$23.6M
+ Store 2
$26.6M
+ Store 3
$30.2M
+ Store 4
$33.2M
+ Store 5
$36.8M
+ Store 6
$40.4M
+ Store 7
Max raise ($15M) projects $40.4M in Y1 revenues
The Epicurean Trader
Revenue Projections
07 / 09
Why The Epicurean Trader

The investment case.

A profitable, proven retailer expanding into an underserved market with a proprietary technology moat.

01 — Proven Unit Economics
$2.5M average annual revenue per location.

Exceptional revenue-per-square-foot in 1,000–2,000 sq ft of specialty retail.

02 — Validated Demand
15% of 6.5M annual visitors are already in SoCal.

Organic demand is established before a single SoCal store opens.

03 — Technology Moat
Provisions Club is not replicable overnight.

The proprietary enrichment database and AI curation engine are a durable competitive advantage.

04 — Asset-Light Scalability
Small footprint, lower CapEx, replicable lean ops.

Each new location is a known-good unit — not a bespoke build.

★
At Maximum Raise
7 new SoCal locations + Provisions Club = projected $40.4M in Year 1 gross revenues.
The Epicurean Trader
The Investment Case
08 / 09
Join Us

Invest in the future of
artisan retail.

The Epicurean Trader is raising on StartEngine to build the nation's premier artisan specialty retail network — powered by curation, community, and AI.

$1.9M
Minimum Raise
$15M
Maximum Raise
7
New Locations
1/9
The Epicurean Trader — Investor Offering
The Epicurean Trader
Investor Offering · 2026
The Future of Artisan Specialty Retail

Small by design.
Wide by reach.

Raising capital on StartEngine to expand our curated showroom network and launch the Provisions Club — AI-powered artisan discovery at scale.

Bay Area Showrooms
5
Gross Annual Revenue
$13M
Annual Site Visitors
6.5M
StartEngine.com · 2026
Raising $1.9M – $15M
The Problem

The specialty retail gap.

The consumable retail market is fragmented — and the best artisan goods never reach the consumers who want them most.

01 — Big Box Retail

Mass distribution, mass-market goods.

If a brewery ships to Albertsons, it isn't that special. Scale forces compromise on the artisan standard.

02 — Premium Chains

Scaled past true curation.

Whole Foods–tier retailers' volume requirements exclude the best small producers by design.

03 — Independents

Deep, but only one or two categories.

Family-owned shops are experts in their lane but can't deliver a complete specialty shopping experience.

"The best artisan producers in every region are effectively invisible to the consumers who would love them most — there is no single trusted destination for exceptional local goods."
The Epicurean Trader
The Specialty Retail Gap
02 / 09
Our Solution

Small by design.
Wide by reach.

Operating exclusively in 1,000–2,000 sq ft showrooms — physically constrained to carry only the absolute best.

①
Curated Showrooms

Every item in every location passes our strict artisan curation standards. When you walk in, you know anything you buy will be exceptional.

②
Local-First Identity

Bay Area stores showcase California producers. Chicago stores spotlight Midwest artisans. Each cluster is a celebration of its regional artisan community.

③
Omni-Channel Power

Physical discovery drives digital loyalty. Each showroom feeds our e-commerce flywheel and Provisions Club subscription platform.

The Vision
A national network of intimate showrooms, each reflecting the finest local artisan producers — connected by e-commerce and AI-powered discovery.
5
Bay Area locations
6.5M
Site visitors in 2025
The Epicurean Trader
Our Solution
03 / 09
Proprietary Platform

The Provisions Club.

Our AI-powered discovery and curation platform — bridging retail showrooms, e-commerce, and personalized taste profiles.

Step 01 — Profile
Tinder for groceries.

New customers complete a quick ranking exercise to build a fully customized taste profile in minutes.

Step 02 — Curators
A guide with personality.

A dedicated AI curator with its own voice guides discovery based on cuisine preferences and specialty categories.

Step 03 — Discover
A continuously refined feed.

Curators refine enrichment data, generate custom recipes, and deliver a personalized content stream over time.

Proprietary Enrichment DatabaseEvery product catalogued with flavor profiles, packaging, design, and brand mission. AI surfaces what's complementary, not just similar.
$750KYear 1 Revenue Bump
$2MYear 2 Forecast
The Epicurean Trader
The Provisions Club
04 / 09
Proven Business

Real revenue.
Real demand.

Operating profitably across 5 Bay Area showrooms with national digital reach.

$2.5M
Avg revenue per store
$13M
Gross annual revenues
6.5M
Annual site visitors
$1M
Online sales (2025)
Geographic Demand Signal
Northern California
40%
Southern California
15%
Other Markets
<4%
SoCal demand is clear — and we're not there yet.
Working Capital Uplift

With additional working capital and inventory build, we project a 20% bump to existing revenues in Year 1 post-close.

$10.5M
Current
→
$15.6M
Year 1 (existing biz)
The Epicurean Trader
Proven Business
05 / 09
Raising $1.9M – $15M

Use of funds.

Every dollar allocated to measurable growth. Expansion begins in Southern California.

$1.5M
Working Capital

CapEx and inventory build to support existing stores and unlock the 20% existing-revenue uplift.

$400K
Provisions Club

Platform build, marketing, advertising, and community manager for our AI-powered discovery platform.

$1.5M
Per New Store

Fit-out ($500K), build-period working capital ($780K), and opening inventory ($220K) for each new SoCal location.

Expansion Roadmap — Southern California Cluster
$1.9M
Base raise
$3.4M
+1 store
$4.9M
+2 stores
$9.4M
+5 stores
$15M
+7 stores (max)
Target markets: Santa Barbara · Los Angeles · San Diego
The Epicurean Trader
Use of Funds
06 / 09
Financial Forecast

Revenue projections.

Each new store adds $2.5M in Year 1, plus a 20% e-commerce / subscription revenue bump.

Existing + Provisions Club New Store Y1
$17.6M
Existing
$20.6M
+ Store 1
$23.6M
+ Store 2
$26.6M
+ Store 3
$30.2M
+ Store 4
$33.2M
+ Store 5
$36.8M
+ Store 6
$40.4M
+ Store 7
Max raise ($15M) projects $40.4M in Y1 revenues
The Epicurean Trader
Revenue Projections
07 / 09
Why The Epicurean Trader

The investment case.

A profitable, proven retailer expanding into an underserved market with a proprietary technology moat.

01 — Proven Unit Economics
$2.5M average annual revenue per location.

Exceptional revenue-per-square-foot in 1,000–2,000 sq ft of specialty retail.

02 — Validated Demand
15% of 6.5M annual visitors are already in SoCal.

Organic demand is established before a single SoCal store opens.

03 — Technology Moat
Provisions Club is not replicable overnight.

The proprietary enrichment database and AI curation engine are a durable competitive advantage.

04 — Asset-Light Scalability
Small footprint, lower CapEx, replicable lean ops.

Each new location is a known-good unit — not a bespoke build.

★
At Maximum Raise
7 new SoCal locations + Provisions Club = projected $40.4M in Year 1 gross revenues.
The Epicurean Trader
The Investment Case
08 / 09
Join Us

Invest in the future of
artisan retail.

The Epicurean Trader is raising on StartEngine to build the nation's premier artisan specialty retail network — powered by curation, community, and AI.

$1.9M
Minimum Raise
$15M
Maximum Raise
7
New Locations
1/9