Salt & Straw
Dining · 57+ locations · Portland, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, San Diego, and other cities across 10 states
Private equity firm KarpReilly and Danny Meyer's growth-equity fund have backed Salt & Straw since 2017, joined by Dwayne Johnson two years later. Co-founders Kim and Tyler Malek still run the small-batch ice cream chain day to day, but are now exploring an outright sale reportedly worth more than $200 million.
The Big Picture
Salt & Straw's small-batch, Portland-born image runs alongside real institutional money: private equity firm KarpReilly and Danny Meyer's growth-equity fund have held stakes since 2017, and the company is now exploring an outright sale reportedly worth more than $200 million. Kim and Tyler Malek still run the company day to day, but a wage-and-hour class action over meal and rest breaks has been unresolved for four years. Whoever buys Salt & Straw next inherits both the ice cream and that open legal question.
The Dirty Details
Ownership
Enlightened Hospitality InvestmentsGrowth Equity
Enlightened Hospitality Investments is the growth fund founded by restaurateur Danny Meyer (Union Square Hospitality Group, Shake Shack), investing minority stakes in hospitality and food brands it wants to help scale. Its style is hands-on operational support with founders staying in charge.
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Company data last updated July 2026
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