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.
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Company data last updated July 2026
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