Cameron Mitchell Facts

FACT SHEET

Founded by Cameron Mitchell in 1993, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, LLC (CMR) has built a diverse portfolio of varied concepts, ranging from multi-location upscale destinations to single neighborhood favorites. Today, CMR operates 50 restaurants company-wide under 20 different concepts, with 23 restaurants located in Columbus, Ohio. In addition, Cameron Mitchell Premier Events, the premier catering and event planning company in Central Ohio, oversees three venues in Columbus. The national Ocean Prime concept has 21 locations in 15 states plus the district of Columbia. The Rusty Bucket Restaurant & Tavern, a sister company of CMR, currently operates 19 locations in four states. CMR is partnering with Crawford Hoying to open a luxury boutique hotel in Dublin, OH in 2026. CMR and the various concepts have received numerous culinary, leadership, entrepreneur, community service and readers’ choice awards. For more information, visit www.cameronmitchell.com.

As seen on CNN, Forbes and Smart Business, Mitchell shares his story and the wisdom he has gained through the years in his new book “Yes is the Answer. What is the Question?”, available now — www.shopcameronmitchell.com.

Founding Date: October 5, 1993 – Celebrated 30 years in business in 2023
Corporate Office:
390 W. Nationwide Blvd. Ste. 300
Columbus, OH 43215
614.621.3663
www.CameronMitchell.com
Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. ET
Founder: Cameron Mitchell

AWARDS

Recent awards and accomplishments include…

2023 Nation’s Restaurant News, 100 Under 100:  Emerging Restaurant Chains Taking the US By Storm (Ocean Prime)
2023 Nation’s Restaurant News, America’s Top 25 Restaurant Groups
2023 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, East Central Lifetime Achievement Award, Cameron Mitchell

OpenTable’s 2023 Diner’s Choice Awards:

Cap City (Columbus): 100 Most Popular Brunch Spots in America
Del Mar (Naples): 100 Most Popular Restaurants for Outdoor Dining in America

OpenTable’s 2022 Diner’s Choice Awards; categories include Contemporary American, Food, Overall, Service, Most Booked, American, Lunch, Ambiance, Hot Spot, Vibrant Bar Scene, Italian, Value, Notable Wine List, Romance, Special Occasions, Groups, Late Night Find, Scenic View, Steak, Foodies:

Cameron’s American Bistro, Columbus
Cap City Fine Diner & Bar, Dublin, Gahana, Grandview (Columbus)
Del Mar Naples
Del Mar SoCal Kitchen, Columbus (now SoCal Kitchen + Bar)
Hudson 29, Upper Arlington (Columbus)
Marcella’s, Columbus
Marcella’s Italian Kitchen, Polaris (Columbus)
Martini Modern Italian, Columbus
Mitchell’s Ocean Club, Columbus
Molly Woo’s, Columbus
Prime Social, Kansas City
The Avenue Steak Tavern, Columbus
The Barn at Rocky Fork Creek, Columbus
The Guild House, Columbus
The Pearl, Dublin, Short North Columbus

Cameron Mitchell named one of the “Most Influential CEOs in the Country” by Nation’s Restaurant News
Cameron Mitchell recipient of 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award for Columbus Business First
Cameron Mitchell named 2022 C-Suite Most Admired CEO for Private Companies with 500+ Employees by Columbus Business First
Rusty Bucket in Nation’s Restaurant News and Datassential’s Top 500 Report — June 2022
Ocean Prime in Restaurant Business and Technomic’s Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report – June 2022
Most Romantic Restaurants in the Country, Ocean Prime Denver – OpenTable 2022
# 1 Highest Rated Seafood Restaurant in NYC, Ocean Prime – TripAdvisor 2022
Top 100 Restaurants in the Country, Ocean Prime Tampa – OpenTable 2022
FSR NextGen25, The Trailblazers of Casual Dining, Ocean Prime, April 2022
Keynote Speaker, Glion University, Switzerland — 2021
Most Influential CEOs in the Country — Nation’s Restaurant News, 2021
Best Restaurants List – Ocean Prime – Tampa Magazine, 2021
International New York Restaurant Show – Cameron Mitchell featured speaker – 2020
American Culinary Federation — Cameron Mitchell Keynote Speaker – 2021
Best Bartender, Best of Dallas –Ocean Prime – Dallas Observer, 2020
Best Private Room, Best of the Gulfshore – Ocean Prime – Gulfshore Life, 2020

MILESTONE DATES

October 1993: CMR’s first restaurant, Cameron’s American Bistro, opened
July 2001: Cameron Mitchell Premier Events launched
May 2002: Founded sister company Rusty Bucket Restaurant & Tavern
August 2006: Mitchell’s Ocean Club opened, starting the Ocean Prime brand
February 2008: Sold 19 Mitchell’s Fish Market and three Mitchell’s Steakhouse to Ruth’s Hospitality Group; now owned by Landry’s
June 2008: First Ocean Prime outside Ohio opens in Troy, MI
October 2014: Ocean Prime Beverly Hills opened
October 2015: Ocean Prime New York City opened, officially giving CMR a coast-to-coast footprint
2017: More than 2.5 million guests served through CMR’s 30 restaurants
December 7, 2017: Ocean Prime’s culinary team cooks at James Beard House
January 2018: Nation’s Restaurant News includes Cameron Mitchell in The Power List 2018’s Reader Picks
March 2018: Columbus State Community College announces CMR’s $3.5 million gift toward Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts building. Cameron Mitchell is chair of the philanthropic campaign
April 2018: Cameron Mitchell speaks at Harvard Business School
October 2018: 25th Anniversary
November 2018: Cameron Mitchell’s “Yes is the Answer, What is the Question” book launch
April 2019: Cameron Mitchell and “Yes is the Answer” featured on CBS Saturday Morning’s “The Dish’ segment
August 2019: “Yes is the Answer, What is the Question” book is included in Forbes’ “Best Business Memoirs of All Time”
2019-2020: CMR opens Ocean Prime Chicago, Del Mar SoCal Kitchen (Columbus), Lincoln Social Rooftop (Columbus), The Pearl at Bridge Park.
2021-2023: CMR rebounds post-pandemic and opens 9 restaurant locations across the country.

CONCEPTS

Butcher & Rose (Columbus, OH)
Cap City Fine Diner & Bar (Dublin, Gahanna and Grandview)
Cameron’s American Bistro (Worthington)
Hudson 29 Kitchen + Drink (Upper Arlington and New Albany)
Marcella’s Ristorante (Short North Arts District, Polaris)
Martini Modern Italian (Short North Arts District)
Mitchell’s Ocean Club (Easton Town Center)
Molly Woo’s Asian Bistro (Polaris Fashion Place)
The Avenue Steak Tavern (Grandview and Dublin)
The Barn at Rocky Fork Creek (Gahanna)
The Guild House (Short North Arts District)
The Pearl Restaurant, Tavern & Oyster Room (Short North Arts District, Dublin; Tampa)
Ocean Prime (Beverly Hills, Boston, Columbus [Mitchell’s Ocean Club], Dallas, Denver [Tech Center & Larimer Square], Detroit/Troy, Indianapolis, New York City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Tampa, Washington D.C., Naples, Chicago, Kansas City, Las Vegas)
SoCal Kitchen + Bar (Short North Arts District – formerly Del Mar SoCal Kitchen)
Lincoln Social (Short North Arts District)
Budd Dairy Food Hall (Italian Village)
Prime Social Rooftop (Kansas City, MO)
Del Mar (Naples, FL and Easton)
Valentina’s (Dublin)
Cento (Columbus/German Village, OH)

Upcoming Openings
Big Rock Italian Chophouse (Birmingham, MI) — opens 2025
Cap City Fine Diner & Bar (Cincinnati, OH) — opens 2024
Ocean Prime (Sarasota, FL) — opens 2024
Ocean Prime (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) — opens 2025
Prime Social Reserve (Naples, FL) — opens 2025
Ocean Prime (Nashville, TN) — opens 2025
Del Mar (West Palm Beach, FL) — opens 2025

NUMBER OF ASSOCIATES: 5,000

LEADERSHIP TEAM

Cameron Mitchell: Founder and Chief Executive Office
David Miller: President and Chief Operating Officer
Brian Hinshaw: Senior Vice President of Food & Beverage, Executive Corporate Chef
Chuck Kline: Senior Vice President of Operations
Heather Leonard: Senior Vice President of Marketing
Wayne A. Schick: Senior Vice President of Store Planning & Procurement
Steve Weis: Vice President of Development
Kerry Boyle: Vice President and General Counsel
J.R. Dehring: Chief Financial Officer
Jim Sauter: Vice President of Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern
Katie Laudick: Vice President of Human Resources
Melissa Johnson: Vice President of Cameron Mitchell Premier Events & Community Relations
Mitch Miller: Vice President of Ocean Prime

About Cameron Mitchell Premier Events

Cameron Mitchell Premier Events (CMPE) began in 2001 and is an established premier caterer in Columbus and Central Ohio. CMPE is a premier catering and event planning company, which expertly plans, designs and coordinates each and every detail of the event.

CMPE has three exclusive venues: The Exchange at Bridge Park, The Terrace, and The Stack at Municipal Light Plant, as well as numerous relationships with venues around Central Ohio.

CMPE can provide event planning for any event from weddings, to corporate events and social events. For more information, visit www.cameronmitchellpremierevents.com or call 614.848.4700.

About Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern

Recognized for its chef-inspired, made-from-scratch American cuisine and beverage, Rusty Bucket is a friendly neighborhood restaurant, with a tavern-like atmosphere. A sister company of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, Rusty Bucket is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, with 19 locations in neighborhoods across Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and North Carolina.

Founded in 2002, the nationally-recognized brand has received several accolades, including Technomic’s Top 500 Leading U.S. Chain Restaurants, FSR 50’s Top 10 Fast Growing, High-Performing Chains, ranked on Restaurant Business’ Future 50 list and named by Nation’s Restaurant News as a Breakout Brand.

For more information, visit MyRustyBucket.com or call 614.621.1105. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Ocean Prime

Ocean Prime is a nationally-acclaimed dynamic seafood & steakhouse from the award-winning Cameron Mitchell Restaurants.

Ocean Prime delivers an elevated experience with exceptional ambiance, a chef-curated menu, signature hand-crafted cocktails, a Wine Spectator-honored wine list and genuine hospitality. Ocean Prime’s menu is elaborate and modern, featuring indulgent seafood presentations, prime steaks, hand-rolled sushi, decadent side dishes and house made desserts. Each dish is carefully made-from-scratch by our chef team, emphasizing quality ingredients. Ocean Prime cocktails are inspired by classics and delivered with creativity. Just as with its chefs with food, the concept’s bartenders take a thoughtful approach to cocktails, using the finest spirits, hand-squeezed juices, and unique aperitifs. Guests create lasting memories raising a toast with its signature smoking Berries & Bubbles or spicy Pineapple Picante.

Every Ocean Prime restaurant is uniquely designed to capture the energy and elegance of each city — making it an unmatched destination to socialize, talk business, celebrate, and indulge. Each location features stunning private dining rooms fit for celebrating with groups of all sizes. Ocean Prime’s guests can expect best-in-class hospitality from passionate and knowledgeable associates coast-to-coast.

Guests can experience Ocean Prime in Beverly Hills, Boston, Columbus, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Denver, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Naples, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Tampa, and Washington, D.C. Ocean Prime Sarasota is opening in late 2024 and Ocean Prime Nashville is opening in 2025. For more information, please visit  www.ocean-prime.com.