McNellie's Group

What McNellie's Group does

McNellie's Group is a privately held, founder-owned multi-concept restaurant operator headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Founded in 2004 by Elliot Nelson with a single Irish pub, the company has grown to 30+ locations across four cities in Oklahoma and Arkansas (Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Bentonville, and Little Rock), employing 900+ people across a portfolio of 20+ distinct restaurant brands spanning Irish pubs, steakhouses, Italian restaurants, sushi bars, bowling lounges, German beer halls, diners, and burger concepts.

The company's core offering is dine-in and to-go food and beverage service across these varied concepts, supplemented by 16+ private dining rooms, full-service catering, and a unified gift-card and merchandise e-commerce shop. Underlying technology consists of standard restaurant POS and operations software plus the McNellie's Passport mobile rewards application (iOS and Android, powered by the Thanx platform), which runs tiered loyalty programs (Beer, Whiskey, Champagne tiers) with 100,000+ monthly reward redemptions across more than 15 locations.

McNellie's generates revenue primarily through direct-to-consumer food and beverage transactions at company-owned locations, with secondary streams from private event bookings, gift card sales (denominations $25–$300), and branded merchandise. Go-to-market is multi-channel: company-owned restaurants, an online shop for gift cards and apparel, a mobile loyalty app for retention, email and social media marketing for engagement, and direct sales for private events. The company emphasizes a people-first hospitality culture, reflected in employee testimonials highlighting career growth and workplace conditions, and has received James Beard Semifinalist recognition in 2023 (culinary) and 2025 (Outstanding Restaurateur).

Name

McNellie's Group

Legal name

McNellie's Group

Website

https://mcnelliesgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

McNellie's Group is a privately held, founder-owned multi-concept restaurant operator running 30+ distinct dining brands across Oklahoma and Arkansas, serving local consumers through company-owned restaurants, private event spaces, gift cards, and a tiered mobile loyalty app.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Multi-Concept Restaurant Group

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Steakhouses & Seafood Restaurants (THAFACAE)

Keywords

• Multi-concept restaurant group
• Hospitality and dining services
• Private event venues
• Restaurant rewards program
• Catering services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tulsa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Dining: Core revenue from food and beverage sales across 20+ restaurant concepts including Irish pubs, steakhouses, Italian restaurants, sushi bars, bowling alleys, and more. Each location offers dine-in service with diverse menus.
2. Private Event Dining: Revenue from private dining room bookings across multiple locations, including dedicated event spaces like The Vault, Acquario Room, Berkshire Room, and others accommodating groups from 8-170 guests.
3. Gift Cards: Physical and digital gift card sales across all McNellie's Group locations. Gift cards available in $25, $50, $75, $100, $200, and $300 denominations.
4. Merchandise: Branded merchandise including apparel (Route 66 Centennial Tee at $25) and accessories (Bishop Quigley Ebbets Field Hat at $70). Sold through online shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

McNellie's Group operates a portfolio of 20+ company-owned restaurant and bar concepts across Oklahoma and Arkansas, including Irish pubs, steakhouses, sushi bars, bowling lounges, German beer halls, Italian restaurants, diners, and burger joints. The company also offers private dining rooms, full-service catering, physical and digital gift cards, branded merchandise, and a unified mobile rewards program (McNellie's Passport) usable across all locations.

Product overview

McNellie's Group is a multi-brand hospitality company operating a portfolio of 20+ restaurant concepts across Oklahoma and Arkansas since 2004. The company offers a diverse range of dining experiences including Irish pubs (McNellie's Pub), steakhouses (City Hall, Bull in the Alley, Jimmy's Chophouse, Mr. Kim's), sushi bars (Yokozuna), bowling lounges (Dust Bowl), German beer halls (Fassler Hall), Asian fusion, burger joints (Howdy Burger), and casual dining (Dilly Diner, The Tavern, Malfi Enoteca, Forno Santo, Maple Ridge Grocer). The product ecosystem includes McNellie's Group Gift Cards (physical and digital), the McNellie's Passport rewards mobile app with three membership tiers (Beer, Whiskey, Champagne), a merchandise e-commerce shop, over 15 private dining rooms across multiple locations, and catering services. All locations are accessible through a unified rewards program and gift card system, with the company emphasizing a 'people-first' hospitality philosophy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bar Serra: Elevated food, wine, and cocktails in a modern greenhouse setting at Utica Square in Tulsa and OKC.
• Bishop Quigley
• Bull in the Alley
• City Hall
• Dilly Diner
• Dust Bowl
• Elgin Park
• Fassler Hall
• Forno Santo
• Howdy Burger
• Jimmy's Chophouse
• Malfi Enoteca
• Maple Ridge Grocer
• McNellie's Pub
• Mr. Kim's
• Red Light Chicken
• Swirl 66
• The Tavern
• Wild Fork
• Yokozuna

Products and services

• McNellie's Group Restaurant Brands Portfolio of 20+ restaurant concepts including Irish pubs (McNellie's Pub), steakhouses (City Hall, Bull in the Alley, Jimmy's Chophouse, Mr. Kim's), sushi bars (Yokozuna), bowling lounges (Dust Bowl), German beer halls (Fassler Hall), Italian restaurants (Forno Santo, Malfi Enoteca), diners (Dilly Diner), burger joints (Howdy Burger), neighborhood pubs (Bishop Quigley, The Tavern), and casual concepts across Oklahoma and Arkansas. Targeted at local consumers seeking diverse dining experiences.
• McNellie's Passport Rewards App Mobile rewards app enabling guests to earn points per dollar spent, redeem rewards, and access birthday treats across all McNellie's Group locations. Features tiered Beer, Whiskey, and Champagne membership levels. Over 100,000 rewards are redeemed each month across 15+ participating locations. Available on iOS and Android.
• McNellie's Group Gift Cards Physical and digital gift cards accepted at all McNellie's Group locations. Available in denominations of $25, $50, $75, $100, $200, and $300. Gift cards never expire and are usable across the full portfolio of restaurant concepts.
• Private Dining Rooms Over 15 private event spaces across multiple restaurant locations offering dedicated service, custom menus, and flexible planning for celebrations, corporate events, and special occasions. Named rooms include The Vault, Acquario Room, Berkshire Room, and others accommodating groups from 8 to 170 guests. Targeted at corporate meeting planners, event hosts, and individuals arranging weddings, birthdays, and corporate gatherings.
• Catering Services Full-service catering available across McNellie's Group restaurants for private events, corporate gatherings, and celebrations. Customers can request catering through the company's contact form, with service coordinated through the hospitality team.
• McNellie's Group Merchandise Shop Online merchandise store selling branded apparel and accessories including Route 66 Centennial Tee ($25) and Bishop Quigley Ebbets Field Hat ($70). Free shipping on orders over $100. Targeted at fans of the brands and restaurant-goers seeking branded merchandise.

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Saltgrass Steak House: Texas-based steakhouse chain under Landry's. Comparable as a regional/multi-market steakhouse operator with full bar service, similar in concept to McNellie's premium steakhouse brands.
• Bloomin' Brands: Multi-concept full-service restaurant operator (Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's, Bonefish Grill, Fleming's) running diverse brands across casual and premium dining — directly comparable to McNellie's multi-concept structure.
• The ONE Group Hospitality: Hospitality company operating STK Steakhouse, Benihana, and other restaurant/lounge concepts. Comparable as a multi-concept operator combining premium steakhouses with broader hospitality formats.
• Ruth's Chris Steak House: Premium steakhouse chain with locations across the US. Directly comparable to McNellie's steakhouse concepts (Bull in the Alley, Jimmy's Chophouse, City Hall, Mr. Kim's) that anchor the group's premium dining segment.
• Del Frisco's Restaurant Group: Premium steakhouse operator (Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse, Sullivan's). Closest direct comparable to McNellie's premium steakhouse concepts in check size and dining experience.
• The Cheesecake Factory: Full-service casual/upscale dining operator with an extensive menu and high-volume locations. Comparable to McNellie's diverse dining concepts in check size, service model, and experiential positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Texas Roadhouse: National steakhouse chain with broad geographic footprint. Larger scale competitor in the steakhouse category where McNellie's competes via City Hall, Bull in the Alley, and Jimmy's Chophouse.
• Darden Restaurants: Largest US multi-concept full-service restaurant operator (Olive Garden, Capital Grille, LongHorn, Ruth's Chris). Industry benchmark for multi-concept portfolio management at scale.
• Brinker International: Operates Chili's Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy. Comparable multi-concept full-service operator, though more limited in cuisine diversity than McNellie's portfolio.

Regional players

• Cracker Barrel: Full-service family/casual dining chain with strong regional presence in the South and Midwest — overlapping geography with McNellie's OK/AR footprint and similar casual dining positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 McNellie's Group