Craig's

What Craig's does

Craig's is a privately-held American restaurant founded in 2012 in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, operating under the DBA "Craig's – An American Restaurant." The concept delivers upscale comfort food alongside an unusually deep vegan menu, executed by Chef Kursten Kizer. The flagship at 8826 Melrose Avenue runs a split-day operating model: to-go lunch service from noon to 2PM and full-service dinner from 5PM to 11PM daily, with main dining room, bar hightops, and a heated covered patio. A second location operates in Nashville, Tennessee (craigsnash.com), and the company has extended the brand into a dedicated vegan sub-brand, Craig's Vegan (craigsvegan.com), and a merchandise storefront selling branded apparel including anniversary hoodies ($75–$95), t-shirts ($18–$22), and hats ($19–$45).

The business generates revenue across six identifiable streams: in-restaurant full-service dining (entrées such as steaks from $45+), to-go lunch takeout, alcohol sales (cocktails, wine by the glass from $15–$26, beer $6–$14, $75–$120 corkage), catering and special events for corporate and social functions, branded merchandise e-commerce, and the separate Craig's Vegan product line. Distribution is omnichannel within a small footprint: physical dine-in, OpenTable-powered online reservations (up to 14 days out, parties of 1–12), Toast Tab online ordering for takeout and gift cards, and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce shop. Valet parking at $20 and a $30 per-person minimum food charge indicate a premium positioning.

The underlying "technology" stack is a standard restaurant operating stack — Toast Tab for POS and online ordering, OpenTable for reservations, plus organic social on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok (@craigsla). No proprietary software, AI/ML, patents, or unique data assets are disclosed. The company appears founder- or privately-held with no institutional investors, no funding rounds, and no parent entity, leaving ownership and capitalization as material data gaps for diligence.

Name

Craig's

Legal name

Craig's

Website

https://craigs.la

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Craig's is a privately-held American restaurant founded in 2012 in West Hollywood, offering upscale comfort food and vegan specialties. It operates two dine-in locations (Los Angeles, Nashville), a Craig's Vegan sub-brand, catering services, and branded merchandise under Chef Kursten Kizer.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

West Hollywood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Full-Service Dining: In-restaurant dining experience offering classic American fare, upscale comfort food, vegan specialties, cocktails, wine, and beer during dinner service from 5PM-11PM.
2. To-Go Lunch: Lunch takeout service operating from noon to 2PM offering the restaurant's menu items for pickup.
3. Alcohol Sales: Revenue from cocktails, wines by the glass and bottle, and beer. Corkage fee of $75 applies for guest wines.
4. Merchandise Sales: Branded merchandise including hoodies, t-shirts, hats, and accessories sold through the online shop.
5. Catering & Special Events: Offsite and onsite catering services for lunches, dinners, special events, and galas.
6. Vegan Products: Separate Craig's Vegan brand offering vegan ice cream, merchandise, and potentially food items.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Craig's operates a full-service American restaurant at 8826 Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood, serving upscale comfort food and vegan specialties alongside a full bar of craft cocktails, wine, and beer during dinner service (5PM-11PM) and to-go lunch (Noon-2PM). The business extends to onsite and offsite catering for special events and galas, a branded apparel merchandise shop, gift cards, and a dedicated vegan sub-brand (Craig's Vegan) with its own website and product line. A second location operates in Nashville, Tennessee.

Product overview

Craig's is a single-location American restaurant in West Hollywood, CA, operated by Chef Kursten Kizer. The core offering is full-service dining featuring upscale comfort food alongside vegan specialties. The business operates as a unified restaurant with supporting ancillary offerings: catering and special events services, an online merchandise shop (branded apparel), and a dedicated vegan sub-brand. Two locations are mentioned—Nashville and Los Angeles—with the primary focus on the Los Angeles venue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Craig's Vegan: Vegan-focused sub-brand offering plant-based menu items including Vegan Rigatoni Bolognese, Vegan Spaghetti Squash Primavera, Vegan Chicken Parmigiana, and vegan desserts. Operates separate website at craigsvegan.com.

Products and services

• Craig's Restaurant Dining Full-service American restaurant offering upscale comfort food, vegan specialties, craft cocktails, wine, and beer at 8826 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood. Daily service includes to-go lunch (Noon-2PM) and full-service dining (5PM-11PM) with seating in the main dining room, bar hightops, and a heated covered patio.
• Catering & Special Events Onsite and offsite catering services for corporate lunches, dinners, galas, and private special events, featuring Craig's signature cuisine and service. Booking is handled via the events page (craigs.la/events).
• Branded Merchandise Online shop selling Craig's branded apparel and accessories including anniversary hoodies ($75-$95), t-shirts ($18-$22), tank tops ($18), unisex hoodies ($28), and hats ($19-$45).
• Craig's Vegan Dedicated vegan sub-brand and website offering plant-based menu items including Vegan Rigatoni Bolognese, Vegan Spaghetti Squash Primavera, Vegan Chicken Parmigiana, vegan desserts such as ice cream and chocolate mousse, and vegan merchandise. Operates as a separate brand under Craig's.
• Gift Cards Gift cards redeemable at Craig's Los Angeles, purchased online through the Toast Tab platform.
• Craig's Nashville Restaurant Second Craig's restaurant location operating in Nashville, Tennessee (craigsnash.com), extending the brand's American dining offering beyond Los Angeles.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Scale indicators2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• The Butcher's Daughter: The Butcher's Daughter is a multi-location plant-based restaurant and juice bar concept with locations in NYC, LA, and other major U.S. markets. Comparable to Craig's Vegan as a scaled, multi-market vegan/plant-based restaurant brand, though with a more casual, daytime positioning.

Direct peers

• Boa Steakhouse: Boa Steakhouse is an upscale American steakhouse in West Hollywood with a celebrity clientele, premium price points, and a comparable bar/lounge program. Overlaps with Craig's on steak-forward menu items, upscale ambiance, and Hollywood guest base.
• Elephante: Elephante is a trendy upscale Italian/Mediterranean rooftop restaurant in Santa Monica with a similar celebrity-and-industry clientele, premium cocktails, and Instagram-driven marketing presence. Targets the same affluent LA dining crowd as Craig's.
• Catch LA: Catch LA is an upscale celebrity-favorite American restaurant in West Hollywood with a similar rooftop patio, nightlife-adjacent dining, and heavy celebrity/socialite clientele. Operates a comparable elevated American menu at premium price points and serves as a direct experiential competitor to Craig's.
• The Ivy: The Ivy is a long-established celebrity-favorite American restaurant on Robertson Boulevard in LA, known for upscale comfort food, paparazzi-friendly patio dining, and similar Hollywood-industry clientele. It is the canonical comparison point for Craig's celebrity-cachet, full-service American dining model.
• Gracias Madre: Gracias Madre is a plant-based, upscale Mexican restaurant in West Hollywood with a celebrity-friendly atmosphere and similar vegan-forward positioning to Craig's Vegan. It competes in the same upscale LA vegan/plant-based dining niche.
• Crossroads Kitchen: Crossroads Kitchen is a vegan fine-dining restaurant in Los Angeles with multiple locations serving upscale plant-based cuisine. Directly comparable to Craig's Vegan sub-brand as a premium vegan dining concept in the same market.

Broad incumbents

• Hillstone Restaurant Group: Hillstone operates a portfolio of upscale American restaurants (Hillstone, Houston's, R+D Kitchen) across multiple U.S. markets. Comparable to Craig's on upscale American comfort food and full-service dining, though at a more institutional, less celebrity-driven scale.
• Fig & Olive: Fig & Olive was a multi-location upscale Mediterranean restaurant with a celebrity-friendly ambiance and a West Hollywood location. Comparable to Craig's on upscale casual fine dining, premium pricing, and LA-trend-driven positioning.
• Mr Chow: Mr Chow is a globally recognized, celebrity-favorite upscale restaurant chain with locations in Beverly Hills, NYC, and Las Vegas. While cuisine differs (Chinese), it competes for the same celebrity-driven, see-and-be-seen fine dining occasions and validates the multi-market celebrity-restaurant model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/craigsla
• Facebookfacebook.com/Craigs-100063749850518
• Instagraminstagram.com/craigsla
• TikToktiktok.com/@craigsla

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Craig's