Sage Restaurant Concepts, founded in 1984 as a third-party hotel management firm, evolved to develop and operate independent restaurants and bars adjacent to its hotels. It now has a portfolio that includes 60 hotels; 61 restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and entertainment venues; and five mixed-used projects.

Hillstone Restaurant Group traces its roots to the first Hillstone that opened in 1977. Hillstone’s founder, George Biel, wanted to create a place with high energy that would attract a broad range of customers for steaks, burgers, and entrée salads. Biel and his wife, Carol, brought in a minority partner to open their first restaurant in Nashville, Tenn., which they named Houston’s in reference to their native state of Texas.

Square One Concepts is a full-service hospitality management, design, and consulting firm. Concepts include Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers, B&B Cocktail Lounge, Bourbon & Bones, Famous 48, Wasted Grain, Nook Arcadia Italian Restaurant, Pacific Beach Shore Club, Bootlegger, and Park 101.

Ethan Stowell Restaurants started with the launch of a single restaurant in downtown Seattle in 2003 and has since expanded to 12 unique concepts and more than 20 locations, mostly in the Pacific Northwest. It describes its restaurants as being known for their “dedication to unfussy sophistication and comfortable dining.”

Kurt Huffman founded ChefStable in 2008 and has built a business that partners with chefs to operate a diverse portfolio of acclaimed restaurants in Portland, Ore., and other West Coast markets.

San Francisco-based Mina Group, founded by renowned chef Michael Mina, operates more than 30 restaurants around the world, with a focus on innovative fine-dining destinations. The restaurants include several locations of Bourbon Steak in major markets across the country, among other concepts.

Cohn Restaurant Group, founded by David and Lesley Cohn in 1981, has expanded from a single diner to include a diverse collection of 24 concepts in San Diego and Long Beach, Calif., and in Maui, Hawaii. In partnership with noted chef Deborah Scott, venues now include fine-dining destinations such as Vintana as well as an eclectic assortment of casual eateries.

Denver-based Gastamo Group, founded by Peter Newlin and Philippe Failyau, operates several local casual-dining destinations in and around the Mile High City, including four outlets of Park Burger, three locations of Homegrown Tap & Dough, two outlets of Lady Nomada, and one each of Perdida and Park & Co.

King’s Seafood Co. traces its roots back to1983, when Jeff and Sam King partnered to open Long Beach, Calif.’s 555 East Steakhouse, which continues to operate today. Along the way, the family-owned company, based in Costa Mesa, Calif., has expanded to include 23 restaurants under six different concepts, including Water Grill, King’s Fish House, and others.

Future Restaurant Group, based in Las Vegas, is a boutique hospitality management and consulting company with a variety of concepts in Nevada, plus two recently opened venues in Marfa, Texas. Its dining and nightlife destinations include the award-winning Downtown Cocktail Room in Las Vegas, among others.

Orange, Calif.-based Wild Thyme Restaurant Group specializes in operating innovative restaurant concepts in hotels and resorts in several Western U.S. travel destinations and in Koolbaai, Sint Maarten. It focuses on sustainable, locally sourced foods at concepts that include Mexican, Italian, barbecue, and other cuisines.

Las Vegas-based Clique Hospitality, founded by Andy Masi in 2001, seeks to create approachable, upscale dining and nightlife venues though its collaborations with food and beverage professionals. It has operations in Las Vegas, Southern California, and Chicago.

Urban Restaurant Group, a family-owned business founded by the husband-and-wife team of Carla and Mark Byrum, operates acclaimed restaurants in Portland, Eugene, and other Oregon locations. Among the newest locations are Toro Mexican Kitchen, Taylor Street Tavern, and The Palm Court, all in the company’s headquarters city of Portland.

West Hollywood, Calif.-based Innovative Dining Group (IDG) operates several restaurants in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Austin, Texas, that seek to reimagine classic venues such as the steakhouse, sushi bar, and robatayaki restaurant. Founded in 1997, IDG now operates 13 restaurants under several different concepts, including Sushi Roku, Boa Steakhouse, and Katana.

RH Restaurants operates 21 elegant dining destinations in locations around the U.S., as well as in Canada and the U.K. The restaurant and wine bar division of based in Corte Madera, Calif.-based upscale home furnishings retailer RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, was founded in 2015.

Created in 1989 by Guy Villavaso and Larry Foles, Guy + Larry Restaurants has locations in Austin and Houston, Texas, and Scottsdale, Ariz. They created Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, which is now in the Darden Restaurants portfolio. Restaurants today include Red Ash Italia, Salty Show, Roaring Fork, Tumble 22 Hot Chicken, ATX Cocina, J. Carver’s, and Bulevar Mexican Kitchen

The h.wood Group operates several high-end, vintage-themed restaurants and cocktail bars in its home market of Los Angeles, as well as one location each in Las Vegas; Miami; Nashville, Tenn.; Toronto; and Dubai. Founded in 2008 by John Terzian and Brian Toll, The h.wood Group is known for restaurant/nightlife concepts including Delilah, The Nice Guy, Bootsy Bellows, and Harriet’s.

Boulder, Colo.-based Big Red F Restaurant Group operates 15 locations under six brands, including Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar, Centro Mexican Kitchen, West End Tavern, The Post Chicken & Beer, Big Red F Catering + Provisions, and Velvet Elk Lounge. The company was founded in 1994 by Dave Query.

Beverly Hills, Calif.-based SBE Entertainment Group, founded in 2002 by hospitality innovator Sam Nazarian, operates several outlets of the Katsuya and Casa Dani restaurant concepts in Los Angles and New York, among other dining and nightlife destinations, including the recently opened Kumi Las Vegas. Additional concepts under development include MXO Steakhouse in West Hollywood, Calif.

TS Restaurants was founded in 1977 by Rob Thibaut and Sandy Saxton, when they opened Kimo’s on the waterfront in Old Lahaina Town on the Hawaiian island of Maui. The family-owned company has since expanded to California and other Hawaii locations, including multiple outlets of its Duke’s and Hula Grill concepts.

Chef Troy Guard founded Tag Restaurant Group in Denver in 2009 and has since expanded to several locations in the Mile High City and, recently, Houston as well. The company operates multiple diverse concepts, including Los Chingones, Guard and Grace, Bubu, HashTAG, Done Deal Cocktail Lounge, and TAG Burger Bar.

Los Angeles-based 1933 Group operates a network of eclectic cafes and cocktail lounges — and one iconic hot dog restaurant, Tail o’ the Pup — in Los Angeles. The company is known for reviving classic venues, including the iconic Formosa Café.

Blue Collar Restaurant Group, based in Jackson, Wy., operates a diverse range of concepts, from the Liberty Burger chain in Texas, Wyoming, and Montana to the Blue Lion in a historic house in Jackson Hole, along with several casual-dining concepts. Joe and Denise Rice founded the company in 1989 with the opening of their first restaurant, The Merry Piglets.

Pearl West Restaurant Group, based in Vancouver, Wash., and led by Jorge Castro, operates several Latin-cuisine-inspired restaurants in Washington, Oregon, and California. Concepts include Margarita Factory, DOSALAS Latin Kitchen + Tequila Bar, and DIOSA.

Las Vegas-based Mon Restaurant Group seeks to offer a traditional Japanese dining experience in each of its 10 locations, located in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Dallas. Concepts include ramen, sushi, and Izakaya restaurants until multiple brands, including Monzo, Kabuto, Shogun Ramen, and M. Max Izakaya, among others.

Portland, Ore.-based Independent Restaurant Concepts manages a group of eight Portland-area restaurants that range from pizza parlors to sports pubs to a live music venue. Founders James Hall and Josh Johnston launched their first property, North 45, in 2006. They also have an offsite catering operation and consulting business.

Common Ground Culinary, a collection of neighborhood restaurants, was created by Phoenix-raised chef Christopher Collins in 2011. Brands include Collins Brothers Public House, Grassroots Kitchen & Tap, Wally’s American Gastropub, Sweet Provisions, The Collins Small Batch Kitchen, The Macintosh, The Neighborly, and Arcadia Catering Company.

Refined Restaurant Group, cofounded by Alexandra Lourdes and Lin Jerome, owns a handful of concepts in its home market of Las Vegas, including Café Lola, Saint Honoré, Pizza Anonymous, and 3 Little Chicks. Its also has a hospitality marketing agency specializing in business development, concept creation, and operations.

Genuine Concepts is a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based hospitality group that’s rooted in community and charity. Founded in 2006, each of the group’s six concepts is known for their quirky and laid-back vibes, including an Italian bistro and Phoenix’s second-oldest bar. Every month, Genuine Concepts donates $2 from every pint of the month’s featured beer toward a select charity.