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Brand Highlights

#8: Cunningham Restaurant Group, Indianapolis, 38 units

Indianapolis-based Cunningham Restaurant Group (CRG) was formed in 1997 by Mike Cunningham and today, with some recent openings, counts 42 total restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. From BRU Burger Bar, a gourmet burger and craft beer hangout, to Vida, a fine-dining venue with sommeliers in-house, to Union 50 with a chef-driven menu and industrial feel, CRG aspires to make sure its restaurants are part of their local communities. Many of CRG’s concepts showcase locally grown produce from the company’s own CRG Grow Greenhouse, in addition to locally sourced meats and vegetables.

CRG began with Boulder Creek Dining Company in Brownsburg, Ind., and expanded in 1999 with the opening of Charbonos. Cunningham’s first standalone restaurant came in 2003 with the opening of Stone Creek Dining Company. Now the company includes 18 unique concepts: Boulder Creek, Bru Burger Bar, Café 251, Charbonos, Commission Row, Livery, Marquee at the Landing, Mesh, Modita, Nesso, Provision, Rize, Stone Creek Dining Company, Tavern, Theo’s Italian, Union 50, Vida and Shin Dig.