What Cunningham Restaurant Group does

Cunningham Restaurant Group (CRG) is a privately held, founder-owned multi-concept hospitality company headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, founded in 1997 by Mike Cunningham. It operates 19 distinct restaurant concepts across 44+ locations in Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky, spanning price points from fast-casual (BRU Burger Bar, Shin Dig, Theo's Italian) to upscale and fine dining (Vida — AAA 4-Diamond since 2017, Commission Row, Stone Creek, Nesso, Livery). Core customers are general consumers, fine-dining enthusiasts, and private event hosts across the Midwest. CRG is vertically integrated through proprietary operating assets: the CRG Grow USDA-certified hydroponic greenhouse (founded 2016), CRG Test Kitchen (320 N Meridian, Indianapolis), CRG Delivery Kitchen (433 N. Capitol Ave), and the CRG Event Center (capacity 350–800 guests).

CRG's technology stack is composed of third-party SaaS rather than proprietary platforms: Netmasons powers e-commerce and web properties, Paytronix powers the CRG VIP mobile app and loyalty program, Google Analytics handles web tracking, and Empower Delivery runs the delivery kitchen's order-to-fulfillment workflow. The CRG VIP loyalty program issues 1 point per $1 spent redeemable for $100 rewards at 1,000 points with a 1,000-point daily cap effective January 1, 2025; gift cards are sold in preset or custom denominations with no expiration across 45 locations (excluding Cafe 251 and Cafe Link). No AI/ML capabilities or proprietary models are disclosed.

Revenue is generated through transaction-based food and beverage sales (dine-in, carryout, delivery), private dining and catering, gift card sales, and event center bookings. Distribution is omnichannel: owned physical restaurants, proprietary delivery kitchen, direct online ordering via website and mobile app, DoorDash for third-party delivery, and a dedicated gift card e-commerce storefront. The company has no external institutional funding and remains founder-controlled under Mike Cunningham as CEO; recent leadership additions include Corporate Chef de Cuisine Collin Hilton (2025 World Food Champion). Notable accolades include Nation's Restaurant News Top 25 Restaurant Groups (2024), Yelp Top 100 placements for Livery and Vida, and James Beard Award semifinalist recognition for Executive Chef Thomas Melvin.

Name

Cunningham Restaurant Group

Legal name

Cunningham Restaurant Group

Website

https://crgdining.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Cunningham Restaurant Group is a privately held, founder-owned Indianapolis hospitality company operating 19 restaurant concepts across 44+ locations in Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky, with vertically integrated assets including a hydroponic greenhouse, test kitchen, delivery kitchen, and event center serving Midwest consumers and event hosts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Multi-concept restaurant hospitality

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (722320), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Casual Dining Restaurants (THAFACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fine Dining Restaurants (THAFACAA), All-Day Dining Restaurants (THAFACAJ)

Keywords

• Multi-concept restaurant group
• Casual and fine dining
• Hospitality services
• Private dining events
• Restaurant catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Food & Beverage Sales: Primary revenue stream from dine-in, carryout, and delivery orders across 44+ restaurant locations spanning 19 concepts in Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky.
2. Private Dining & Events: Revenue from hosting private events at restaurant locations with dedicated private dining rooms, and at the CRG Event Center with capacity up to 800 guests.
3. Online Ordering & Delivery: Revenue from online carryout and delivery orders placed directly through CRG websites, the mobile app (Paytronix), and DoorDash partnerships. Downtown Indianapolis is served by CRG's own dedicated delivery kitchen.
4. Gift Card Sales: Sale of eGift cards and physical gift cards in any denomination. Gift cards never expire and are redeemable at 45 CRG locations. eGift cards delivered instantly or on a scheduled date.
5. Catering: Catering services through dedicated catering website (CRG Premier Catering) and to-go group packages for events of any size.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cunningham Restaurant Group owns and operates 19 distinct restaurant concepts across 44+ locations in Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky, ranging from fine dining (Vida, Commission Row) to casual (BRU Burger Bar, Stone Creek) and Latin-inspired (Livery) and Asian-influenced (Modita) formats. Beyond dine-in service, CRG provides online ordering and delivery, private dining and event hosting, catering, and gift cards, supported by an in-house hydroponic greenhouse, a culinary test kitchen, and a VIP loyalty program.

Product overview

Cunningham Restaurant Group (CRG) is a hospitality group operating 19 restaurant concepts with 45+ locations across Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky since 1997. The portfolio includes fine dining (Vida with AAA 4-Diamond rating, Commission Row chophouse), casual dining (Bru Burger Bar with 16+ locations, Stone Creek Dining Company), Latin-inspired (Livery named Yelp Top 100), and Asian-influenced (Modita, Nesso Italian). Core operational products include the CRG VIP Loyalty Program for customer rewards, CRG Delivery Kitchen for delivery services, and the CRG Grow Greenhouse for hydroponic produce sourcing. The group also operates a Test Kitchen for culinary development and offers private dining, catering, online ordering, and gift card services across its branded locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bru Burger Bar: Award-winning gourmet burger restaurant with multiple locations across Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky.
• Boulder Creek Dining Company
• Charbonos
• Livery
• Mesh
• Nesso
• Provision
• Rize
• Shin Dig
• Stone Creek Dining Company
• Tavern at the Point
• Theo's Italian
• Union 50
• Vida
• Modita
• Commission Row
• Marquee at the Landing
• CRG Event Center
• CRG Grow Greenhouse
• CRG Test Kitchen
• CRG Delivery Kitchen
• The Lawrence Restaurant + Events

Products and services

• BRU Burger Bar Gourmet burger restaurant concept with multiple locations across Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky; signature burgers, sandwiches, and craft cocktails (honey chipotle BBQ burger named Indiana's most outrageous burger by Esquire).
• Boulder Creek Dining Company American dining restaurant and the first CRG concept opened in 1997 in Brownsburg, Indiana.
• Livery Latin-inspired tapas restaurant with locations in Indianapolis, Noblesville, and Montgomery, Ohio; named Yelp's Top 100 Places to Eat for 2024 (#66) and 2023 (#4); features empanadas, paella, and specialty margaritas.
• Vida Fine dining restaurant with AAA 4-Diamond rating; James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef Great Lakes; seasonally changing menus with locally sourced ingredients and a hydroponic herb wall.
• Commission Row Fine dining steakhouse and seafood restaurant in partnership with Pacers Sports & Entertainment near Gainbridge Fieldhouse; includes Mel's speakeasy and Above private event space (capacity 250+).
• Theo's Italian Pizza and pasta concept offering Roman Style Pinsa (lighter Italian pizza), pasta, salads, appetizers, and sandwiches; located at The Shops at Perry Crossing in Plainfield, Indiana.
• Stone Creek Dining Company Fine dining restaurant serving steaks, seafood, and pasta; locations in Greenwood, Montgomery, Noblesville, Plainfield, and Zionsville, Indiana.
• Union 50 Chef-driven restaurant in Indianapolis's Mass Ave neighborhood featuring innovative American cuisine; recognized for Best Service by Indianapolis Monthly; private dining capacity of 50.
• Mesh Innovative American cuisine restaurant with locations in Indianapolis and Louisville, Kentucky; listed among best private dining locations in Indianapolis.
• Nesso Italian kitchen restaurant in Indianapolis recognized with the Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DiRōNA) Award of Excellence in 2023.
• Modita Asian-influenced cuisine with sushi and dim sum offerings in Indianapolis.
• CRG Event Center Full-service event center for weddings, social events, and business functions with capacity for 350–800 guests across CRG locations.
• CRG VIP Loyalty Program Registered loyalty rewards program: earn 1 VIP point per $1 spent on food, beverages, and private dining; $100 VIP Reward at 1,000 points; complimentary appetizer or dessert for birthday and anniversary members; effective January 1, 2025 the program carries a daily cap of 1,000 points.
• CRG Grow Greenhouse In-house hydroponic greenhouse producing basil, mint, thyme, microgreens, tomatoes, and peppers used across CRG restaurants and supporting the living wall at Vida.
• CRG Delivery Kitchen Dedicated delivery kitchen at 433 N. Capitol Street, downtown Indianapolis, operating 10:30am–9pm seven days a week; serves delivery orders from CRG brands including Livery, Mesh, BRU, Union 50, Modita, and Tavern at the Point.
• Online Ordering Digital ordering platform for carryout and delivery from participating CRG restaurant locations through the CRG website, mobile app, and DoorDash integration.
• Catering Services Private dining and catering services for events from social gatherings to business functions across multiple CRG restaurant locations; includes to-go group packages for events of any size.
• Gift Cards Physical and eGift cards (preset or custom denomination $10–$1,000) available for use at 45 CRG locations (excluding Cafe 251 and Cafe Link); never expire and can be applied to private dining.

Quantifiable outcome

• CRG was named one of America's Top 25 Restaurant Groups by Nation's Restaurant News (NRN)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Thompson ThriftcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 January 2026Thompson Thrift, the developer of The Union at Fishers District (a $750 million mixed-use development in Fishers, Indiana), announced that CRG signed a lease to open a new restaurant concept at the development. CRG will occupy a two-story building with ~5,700 sq ft of fine dining upstairs and a 2,400 sq ft bar on the ground floor, representing a new concept unique to both the Fishers market and CRG's 20+ concept portfolio.
• Purdue Research FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024CRG announced a partnership with Purdue Research Foundation to open a farm-to-table restaurant in a historic barn (Beck Barn, donated by Sonny Beck of Beck's Hybrids) in the Discovery Park District at Purdue. The ~10,600 sq ft multi-use building will include restaurant, retail, and event space, with the Purdue Agriculture program partnership connecting CRG to local sourcing.
• Pure DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Pure Development partnered with CRG to bring the Shindig restaurant concept to the Penn Electric Switch adaptive reuse project in the North Mass District expansion in Indianapolis. The $12 million project includes creative office spaces and the Shindig restaurant from CRG.
• Beck's Hybrids (Sonny Beck)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Sonny Beck, CEO of Beck's Hybrids, donated a century-old barn to Purdue Research Foundation, which CRG will revitalize as a farm-to-table restaurant and community hub in the Discovery Park District at Purdue. The barn's character and historic feel will be preserved in the new hospitality space.
• Pacers Sports & EntertainmentflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2022CRG partnered with Pacers Sports & Entertainment to develop Commission Row, a three-level, 30,000-square-foot dining and entertainment complex at Bicentennial Unity Plaza adjacent to Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis. The venue features Mel's speakeasy (basement), a chophouse and seafood restaurant (street level), and Above at Commission Row (upper-level private event space with capacity 200+ guests). The partnership is central to CRG's growth strategy and represents one of its largest developments.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CRGRestaurants
• Facebookfacebook.com/CRGRestaurants
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cunningham-restaurant-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/crgrestaurants

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Cunningham Restaurant Group