Cohn Restaurant Group

What Cohn Restaurant Group does

Cohn Restaurant Group (CRG) is a family-owned restaurant operator founded in 1981 by David and Lesley Cohn, headquartered in San Diego, California. The company operates 23 unique dining concepts spanning casual, upscale, and event-driven formats, with a heavy concentration in the San Diego market (20+ locations) and incremental presence in Long Beach, California and Maui, Hawaii. Its offering includes a centralized weddings and private events business, a gift card program, and the CRG Loyalty Club, which together create a cross-portfolio commercial layer on top of individual restaurant operations.

CRG's underlying operating model is multi-concept portfolio management: the company develops, brands, and operates each concept as a distinct dining experience while centralizing culinary leadership, marketing, reservations, and loyalty infrastructure across the group. The company self-describes as assembling a "culinary dream team" to execute concept-level differentiation, and it markets the portfolio as "Award Winning Restaurants in San Diego." Revenue mechanics combine per-cover dining sales across differentiated price points, private event contracts, and prepaid gift card / loyalty spend. The reported employee base is 101-250, which appears low for 23 operating units and suggests meaningful reliance on part-time staffing, a number of smaller-format concepts, or underreported headcount.

The company is privately held with no disclosed external funding rounds, acquisitions, or technology partnerships, and the source material contains no references to AI/ML, proprietary software, patents, or technology vendors beyond standard restaurant-stack tooling. Customer base is broadly distributed — general diners, tourists (notably in Maui), corporate clients, and social event bookers — with no concentration in any single named account.

Name

Cohn Restaurant Group

Legal name

Cohn Restaurant Group

Website

https://cohnrestaurants.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Cohn Restaurant Group is a family-owned, multi-concept restaurant operator founded in 1981, running 23 unique dining concepts across San Diego, Long Beach, and Maui for general diners, tourists, and private event clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Restaurant Operations

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

All-Day Dining Restaurants (THAFACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Occasion & Destination Restaurants (THAFACAK), Hotel & Resort Restaurants (THAFACAH)

Keywords

• Restaurant operations
• Upscale dining
• Casual dining
• Event catering
• Hospitality services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Dining Services: Revenue generated from food and beverage sales at 23 restaurant locations across San Diego, Long Beach, and Maui. Includes dine-in, takeout, and potentially delivery services.
2. Gift Card Sales: Sale of gift cards through the company's website and at restaurant locations, generating upfront revenue redeemable at future dining visits.
3. Events & Weddings: Private event and wedding hosting services, generating revenue from venue rental and catering services for special occasions.
4. Loyalty Program: CRG Loyalty Club - Eat. Earn. Redeem. program generating repeat customer engagement and spending through reward redemption.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cohn Restaurant Group operates 23 unique restaurant concepts across San Diego, Long Beach, and Maui, spanning upscale steakhouses, waterfront dining, casual eateries, pizzerias, wine bars, bakeries, and themed diners. Beyond restaurant operations, the group sells gift cards, runs the CRG Loyalty Club (Eat. Earn. Redeem.) customer rewards program, and hosts private events and weddings.

Product overview

Cohn Restaurant Group is a portfolio of 23 distinct restaurant concepts spanning San Diego, Long Beach, and Maui, operating as a family-owned restaurant group founded in 1981. The portfolio includes diverse dining concepts ranging from upscale steakhouses (Island Prime), waterfront venues (C Level, Coasterra), casual beach bars (Coaster Saloon), and themed establishments (Corvette Diner) to wine bars (Vin de Syrah), bakeries (Con Pane), pizza concepts (Surf Rider Pizza, ZIGZAG Pizza Pie), and Asian cuisine (Tea Pavilion). The group also operates a proprietary loyalty program (CRG Loyalty Club) and offers wedding/event venue services across properties. Each concept maintains its own brand identity and specialized cuisine while sharing centralized group ownership and operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 333 Pacific: Oceanside waterfront restaurant featuring Pacific cuisine.
• BO-beau kitchen + roof tap
• Casa Gabriela
• Castaway Cafe
• C Level
• Coaster Saloon
• Coasterra
• Coin Haus
• Con Pane
• Corvette Diner
• Del's Hideout
• Draft Republic Carlsbad
• Draft Republic San Marcos
• Island Prime
• The Melting Pot
• Pacific Social
• Park Social
• Surf Rider Pizza
• Tea Pavilion
• The Plantation House
• The Prado at Balboa Park
• Vin de Syrah
• Vintana wine + dine
• ZIGZAG Pizza Pie
• SEA180º Coastal Tavern

Products and services

• 333 Pacific Oceanfront fine dining restaurant in Oceanside offering Pacific cuisine with waterfront views.
• BO-beau kitchen + roof tap Farm-to-table kitchen and rooftop tap bar in Long Beach featuring elevated American comfort food and craft cocktails.
• Island Prime Premium steakhouse and seafood restaurant at Harbor Island, San Diego, with refined ambiance and waterfront views.
• C Level Upscale waterfront lounge and restaurant at Harbor Island, San Diego, featuring California coastal cuisine with harbor views.
• Coasterra Modern waterfront restaurant at Harbor Island featuring California-Mexican fusion cuisine with panoramic bay views.
• The Prado at Balboa Park California cuisine restaurant in historic Balboa Park offering seasonal menus in an elegant setting; also serves as an event venue.
• Vintana wine + dine Wine-centric restaurant in Escondido offering sophisticated New American cuisine with an extensive wine program.
• Vin de Syrah Wine bar and bistro in Gaslamp Quarter featuring an extensive wine selection paired with small plates and charcuterie.
• The Plantation House Upscale island dining destination at Kapalua Resort in Maui featuring Hawaiian-inspired cuisine with ocean views.
• Castaway Cafe Tropical-inspired cafe at Ka'anapali Villas in Maui offering casual island dining.
• The Melting Pot Fondue dining experience in Gaslamp Quarter offering interactive tableside cooking with cheese and chocolate fondues.
• Casa Gabriela Authentic Mexican restaurant in La Mesa offering traditional Gabriela-style cuisine.
• Draft Republic Carlsbad Craft beer-focused gastropub in Carlsbad with an extensive selection of local and regional craft beers paired with elevated pub food.
• Draft Republic San Marcos Craft beer-focused gastropub in San Marcos featuring an extensive selection of local and regional craft beers paired with elevated pub food.
• Coaster Saloon Classic beach bar and casual eatery in Mission Beach with a lively atmosphere and American fare.
• Corvette Diner 1950s-1960s themed diner in Liberty Station featuring classic American comfort food and vintage decor.
• Con Pane Artisan bakery and cafe in Liberty Station specializing in fresh breads, pastries, and European-style coffee.
• Coin Haus Retro-themed bar and restaurant in La Mesa blending vintage gaming with craft beer and cocktails.
• Del's Hideout Casual dining spot in Del Cerro offering classic American bar fare in an intimate setting.
• Pacific Social Upscale casual dining in Carmel Valley featuring modern American cuisine, craft cocktails, and a social dining atmosphere.
• Park Social Neighborhood gathering spot in Kearny Mesa offering American comfort food, craft drinks, and community-focused dining.
• Surf Rider Pizza Surf-themed pizzeria in La Mesa serving wood-fired pizzas and casual beach-inspired fare.
• ZIGZAG Pizza Pie Artisan pizzeria in Oceanside offering handcrafted pizzas with unique toppings in a casual dining atmosphere.
• Tea Pavilion Asian-inspired restaurant in Balboa Park offering traditional tea service, dim sum, and Pan-Asian cuisine.
• CRG Loyalty Club Customer loyalty program allowing diners to earn points and redeem rewards across all Cohn Restaurant Group locations under the tagline "Eat. Earn. Redeem."
• Weddings & Private Events Private event and wedding hosting services offered across select Cohn Restaurant Group venues, including venue rental and catering for special occasions.
• CRG Gift Cards Gift cards sold online and at restaurant locations, redeemable across Cohn Restaurant Group concepts for future dining visits.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cohnrestaurantgroup
• Instagraminstagram.com/dinecrg
• Xx.com/dinecrg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cohn-restaurant-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Cohn Restaurant Group