CRAVE Restaurant

What CRAVE Restaurant does

CRAVE Restaurant (legally operating as CRAVE American Kitchen & Sushi Bar) is a privately held, multi-location full-service restaurant company founded in 2007. The company operates 11 physical restaurant locations across four U.S. states — nine in Minnesota (Eden Prairie, Edina, Mall of America/Bloomington, Maple Grove, Minneapolis LaSalle Plaza, Woodbury, Roseville, St. Louis Park, Rochester), one in Fargo (North Dakota), one in Sioux City (Iowa), and one in Sioux Falls (South Dakota). The core offering pairs American comfort cuisine (steaks, burgers, shareables, bowls) with a sushi and sashimi program under one roof, augmented by a craft cocktail, wine, and sake beverage program and dedicated dessert and kids menus. Customers engage across dine-in service, online ordering for pick-up and delivery, private dining room rentals with capacity from 8 to 300+ guests, hotel room service at three hotel properties, gift card sales, and a tiered loyalty program called CRAVE Rewards accessed through iOS and Android mobile applications.

The business model is multi-stream. Transactional revenue comes from dine-in service, online ordering (pickup and delivery), and group delivery catering (Minnesota Metro, Rochester, and Sioux Falls areas). Professional-services-style revenue is generated through private dining event rentals ($30-$80 per-person tiered catering packages) and full-service off-premise catering for weddings and corporate galas. Recurring-style revenue is supported by CRAVE Rewards (1 point per $1 spent, redeemable for $10 rewards at 250 points plus birthday, anniversary, and referral bonuses). Prepaid revenue is collected through physical and e-gift cards via the CardFoundry platform. Channel partnerships include hotel room service at Hotel Indigo Rochester (IHG), Hilton Garden Inn Sioux City, and Hilton Garden Inn Sioux Falls. Marketing combines organic social (Facebook, Instagram), email, the loyalty referral program, the website craveamerica.com, and OpenTable marketplace reservations. Pricing uses unit pricing with location-specific happy hour specials ($5-$7 drinks, $6-$8 shareables), weekly promotional programs (Burger Night $14.95 on Mondays, Steak Night $19.95 on Wednesdays, The Sushi Set, Kids Eat Free on Sundays-Thursdays), a $39 Guest Appreciation 3-course menu, and tiered event catering packages.

The go-to-market motion is hybrid. Direct-to-consumer channels (dine-in, online ordering, app, social) acquire and retain general diners, families, and loyalty members, while a sales-led motion (with dedicated catering and sales contact channels plus Tripleseat event software) targets corporate catering, social event catering, and full-service event business. Back-office technology is delivered entirely through third-party SaaS: SpotHopper (website, social, email marketing), Paytronix (loyalty and mobile app), OpenTable (reservations), Tripleseat (private event management), CardFoundry (gift cards), and Google Maps (location discovery). The customer base is fragmented — no concentrated enterprise logos are disclosed beyond the three hotel partners — with named B2B supplier relationships limited to Sebastian Joe's Ice Cream for dessert menu items. The company is privately held with no disclosed investors, no public listing, no funding rounds, and no parent company relationships in the source data.

Name

CRAVE Restaurant

Legal name

CRAVE American Kitchen & Sushi Bar

Website

https://craveamerica.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Short description

CRAVE Restaurant is a privately held full-service restaurant chain founded in 2007, operating 11 American kitchen and sushi bar locations across four upper-Midwestern states. It serves consumer diners, corporate catering clients, and hotel guests through dine-in, online ordering, private events, and catering.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casual Dining Restaurants

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (722320)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Farm-to-Table & Contemporary American Restaurants (THAFACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hotel & Resort Restaurants (THAFACAH), Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants (THAFACAD), Exclusive Dining Access & Chef’s Table Reservations (HSACAMAJ)

Keywords

• Full-service restaurant
• American cuisine dining
• Sushi bar service
• Private event catering
• Hotel room service

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Restaurant Sales: Traditional restaurant revenue from food and beverage sales at 11 physical locations across Minnesota, North Dakota, Iowa, and South Dakota. Includes lunch, dinner, and bar service.
2. Online Ordering: Direct online ordering for both pickup and delivery, available at all locations through the website and mobile app.
3. CRAVE Rewards Program: Loyalty program driving repeat visits. For every 250 points earned ($1 spent = 1 point), guests receive a $10 CRAVE reward. Also drives referral traffic through friend referral bonuses ($5 reward for referrer, $10 for new member).
4. Gift Cards: Sale of traditional physical gift cards and e-gift cards, driving prepaid revenue and customer acquisition.
5. Office Catering: Drop-off catering services for corporate events, meetings, team trainings, and employee appreciation. Delivered to workplaces in Minnesota Metro and Rochester areas.
6. Social Catering: Catering for home or venue celebrations including graduations, birthdays, and anniversaries with signature sushi platters and decadent desserts.
7. Private Dining Events: Revenue from private dining room rentals for various events including birthday parties, rehearsal dinners, corporate gatherings, and holiday celebrations. Multiple room sizes accommodate groups from 8 to 300+ guests.
8. Full-Service Catering: High-end catering for weddings, corporate galas, and milestone events including custom menu planning, on-site service staff, elegant presentation, and seamless execution.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

CRAVE Restaurant operates full-service restaurants combining an American kitchen menu with a sushi bar at multiple locations across the Upper Midwest. Beyond dine-in service, the company sells food and beverage through online ordering for takeout and delivery, hosts private dining and catered events, and supplies hotel partners via room service programs.

Product overview

CRAVE American Kitchen & Sushi Bar operates as a multi-location restaurant chain across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Iowa. The core offering is a full-service restaurant combining American cuisine with Japanese sushi and sashimi. The product portfolio includes the main dining experience, private dining events, a loyalty rewards program (CRAVE Rewards via Paytronix), gift cards, online ordering, and group catering services. Digital infrastructure is powered by SpotHopper with OpenTable for reservations and Tripleseat for event management. Hotel room service partnerships extend the brand to Hilton Garden Inn and Hotel Indigo properties. Special dining programs include happy hour, kids eat free promotions, and weekly burger/steak night specials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dine-in restaurant service Full-service on-premises dining at CRAVE Restaurant locations, offering both American kitchen menu items and a sushi bar for walk-in and reservation guests.
• Online ordering (takeout and delivery) Online ordering service that allows customers to order CRAVE Restaurant food for takeout and delivery from the company's restaurant locations.
• Catering services Off-premise and group catering service providing CRAVE Restaurant's American and sushi menu items for events, meetings, and gatherings.
• Private dining and events Reserved private dining spaces and event hosting at CRAVE Restaurant locations for celebrations, corporate functions, and group occasions.
• Hotel room service partnerships In-room dining supply and service provided to partner hotels, drawing on the restaurant's American and sushi menus.
• Gift cards Stored-value gift cards redeemable at CRAVE Restaurant locations for menu purchases.
• Customer loyalty program Customer loyalty program designed to reward repeat visits and spending at CRAVE Restaurant.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hotel Indigo RochestercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRAVE operates as the restaurant and room service provider at Hotel Indigo Rochester, providing in-house dining services for hotel guests. Available 3pm - 8:30pm daily. 20% gratuity automatically applied to room service bills.
• Hilton Garden Inn Sioux CitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRAVE operates as the restaurant and room service provider at Hilton Garden Inn Sioux City. Room service available 4pm - 9:30pm Monday-Saturday and 4pm - 8:30pm Sunday.
• Hilton Garden Inn Sioux FallscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRAVE operates as the restaurant and room service provider at Hilton Garden Inn Sioux Falls. Room service available 4pm - 9pm daily.
• OpenTablecoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline reservation platform integration allowing customers to make reservations at all CRAVE locations through the OpenTable platform, linked from the CRAVE website.
• PaytronixcoreTechnology or IntegrationLoyalty program platform provider powering the CRAVE Rewards program, including the mobile app for iOS and Android, point tracking, and reward redemption.
• SpotHoppercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWebsite design, social media marketing, and email marketing provider for CRAVE Restaurant. Powers the restaurant's digital presence and customer communication.
• TripleseatcoreTechnology or IntegrationPrivate event management software used for booking and managing private dining events across all CRAVE locations, enabling customers to request quotes and book event spaces online.
• Sebastian Joe's Ice CreamminorOthersLocal Minneapolis ice cream partner providing ice cream selections for CRAVE's dessert menu, including Nicollet Avenue Pothole and vanilla flavors, plus raspberry sorbet.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Benihana: Benihana is an established national chain combining Japanese (sushi/teppanyaki) with American full-service dining — same dual-cuisine logic as CRAVE but at broader scale and higher price point.
• The Cheesecake Factory: The Cheesecake Factory is a broad-menu, casual-upscale chain with extensive offerings, full bar, and large-format locations; comparable to CRAVE in menu breadth, dine-in + event positioning, and price tier.
• Bonefish Grill: Bonefish Grill is an upscale-casual chain featuring seafood-forward menu, sushi-style offerings, craft cocktails, and private dining — closely aligned with CRAVE's casual-upscale full-service positioning and event capabilities.
• Maggiano's Little Italy: Maggiano's is a casual-upscale Italian-American chain with strong private dining and large-format event business; comparable to CRAVE as an upscale-casual, event-driven full-service chain with family-style and banquet revenue streams.
• Seasons 52: Seasons 52 is a Darden-owned upscale-casual American chain with a focused seasonal menu, full bar, and private dining — overlapping CRAVE's American-cuisine, full-service, and event positioning at a similar price point.
• P.F. Chang's: P.F. Chang's is a national casual-dining chain offering Asian cuisine with full bar and event/private dining programs; comparable to CRAVE as a casual full-service chain combining an Asian menu component with American casual-dining service standards.

Regional players

• Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises: LEYE is a Chicago-based multi-concept restaurant group operating full-service casual-upscale venues with strong event/catering arms; comparable to CRAVE as a regional, multi-format full-service operator with broad menu concepts.

Direct peers

• Kona Grill: Kona Grill operates a casual American + sushi dual-concept restaurant model with full bar programs, directly mirroring CRAVE's American kitchen + sushi bar positioning and event/private dining capabilities.
• RA Sushi: RA Sushi is a casual chain blending American fare (burgers, shareables) with a sushi menu and bar program, very similar in concept mix and price point to CRAVE's hybrid American/sushi offering.
• Mitchell's Fish Market: Mitchell's Fish Market is a seafood + sushi casual-upscale chain — a direct functional comparable to CRAVE's sushi bar paired with a non-Asian main menu and full bar/dining experience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/766034476754419
• Instagraminstagram.com/craveamerica

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 CRAVE Restaurant