Who We Are
Who We Are
Union Square Hospitality Group has created some of New York’s most beloved restaurants, cafes, and bars, which offer outstanding food delivered with our signature warmth and hospitality.
Founded by CEO Danny Meyer with the opening of Union Square Cafe in 1985, the company now extends beyond the walls of its eateries. In addition to creating Shake Shack, USHG offers operational consulting, runs a multifaceted catering and events business, Union Square Events, and a growth fund, Enlightened Hospitality Investments (EHI).
With operations in New York and beyond, USHG has long supported its communities through hunger relief and civic organizations. USHG holds 28 James Beard Awards and numerous accolades for its distinctive style of hospitality.
Our Community
At USHG, we work to improve lives, inside and outside the walls of our restaurants. We believe that by extending our hospitality to our communities, we strengthen our own culture and business.
USHG supports nation-wide and local hunger relief initiatives such as Rethink, Share Our Strength, City Harvest, Bed-Stuy Campaign Against Hunger, and the World Central Kitchen, as well as civic organizations and efforts to maintain and beautify our urban environment.
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Our Family of Businesses
1985
Union Square Cafe
Danny Meyer opened Union Square Cafe at 27 years old, changing the NYC restaurant landscape and setting the table for our entire family of businesses.
1994
Gramercy Tavern
Gramercy Tavern opened nine years later, serving elegant and fiercely seasonal cuisine in a warm, rustic setting reminiscent of a classic American tavern.
2002
Blue Smoke & Jazz Standard
Blue Smoke and Jazz Standard combined the soulful cuisine and spirit of the American South with the fine-dining DNA of our other restaurants. While the original Flatiron location closed, the pits remain alight in Battery Park City.
2004
Cafe 2 / Terrace Cafe
Inside the Museum of Modern Art, Cafe 2 and Terrace Cafe (formerly Terrace 5) take the museum cafe to new heights, offering delicious and seasonal food to museum guests.
Shake Shack
Shake Shack sprouted from a hot dog cart in Madison Square Park in Manhattan to support the Madison Square Park Conservancy’s first art installation. Three years later a permanent kiosk opened in the park and the rest is burger history.
2005
The Modern
Located at the Museum of Modern Art, The Modern features a refined, contemporary prix-fixe menu served in a stunning room overlooking MoMA’s Sculpture Garden, as well as an à la carte menu in the lively adjacent Bar Room.
2006
Union Square Events
Union Square Events, USHG’s catering and venue hospitality business, creates experiences to savor in unique venues, cultural institutions, sports arenas, and more.
2009
Maialino
Located at the Gramercy Park Hotel, Maialino captures the warmth of a neighborhood Roman trattoria, with a menu reflective of the rich cultures of both Rome and New York.
2010
Hospitality Quotient
Hospitality Quotient is USHG’s organizational consulting business, helping leaders activate the transformative power of hospitality as a sustainable competitive advantage.
2012
North End Grill
North End Grill featured rustic, ingredient-driven cooking, imbued with smoke from the restaurant's wood-burning grills and mesquite charcoal ovens.
2014
Marta
Marta is a lively restaurant inspired by the rustic cooking of Rome and the season’s freshest local produce. Marta serves up Roman-inspired pizzas and seasonal specials cooked over open embers.
2015
Porchlight
Porchlight is a New York City cocktail bar with a Southern accent, drawing on the region’s rich food and drinks heritage.
2016
Union Square Cafe
After 30 years in its original location on 16th Street, Union Square Cafe relocated to its new home a few blocks north on 19th Street. The new Union Square Cafe features the same market-driven, seasonal American cooking that earned the #1 spot on Zagat Survey’s New York’s Most Popular Restaurant ranking an unprecedented 9 times.
Untitled
Untitled was a contemporary American restaurant in the Whitney Museum of American Art’s new Renzo Piano-designed Meatpacking District building.
Studio Cafe
Located on the eighth floor of the Whitney Museum, Studio Cafe offers museum-goers panoramic views of the High Line and downtown Manhattan.
2017
Daily Provisions
Daily Provisions is your neighborhood cafe with everything you need throughout the day to dine in or take away. Opening early in the morning with coffee, fresh baked goods, and breakfast sandwiches. Throughout the afternoon and evening, they offer made-to-order sandwiches, slow-roasted rotisserie chicken, seasonal sides, and a selection of beer and wine to toast the day.
Vini e Fritti
Vini e Fritti is a Roman-style aperitivi bar, celebrating the marriage of bubbles and salty, crispy antipasti. Vini e Fritti rounds out Union Square Hospitality Group’s array of Roman eateries at the Redbury New York Hotel, along with Caffe Marchio and Marta.
Caffe Marchio
Caffe Marchio honors the Roman tradition of delicious coffee in an energetic and convivial environment. Caffe Marchio serves espresso and traditional Italian pastry in the morning, and at midday, casual Roman tramezzini and sandwiches featuring braised meats and vegetables are available along with beer, wine, and seasonal contorni.
Enlightened Hospitality Investments
Enlightened Hospitality Investments (EHI) is the strategic investment platform within Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group, dedicated to driving growth for values-aligned companies in the hospitality and technology sectors. EHI leverages the businesses and professionals of USHG to evaluate growth potential and investment opportunities in both internal and outside ventures.
2018
Tacocina
Tacocina is a taco stand on the Williamsburg waterfront. Tacocina presses their own tortillas and serves tacos alongside Mexican beers and cocktails in a laid-back, lively setting overlooking the East River.
Manhatta
Manhatta combines sky-high views with the down-to-earth spirit of a neighborhood spot. With a seasonal and soulful menu complimented by a wine menu deep in Burgundy. Perched 60 stories above Lower Manhattan, Manhatta and the Bay Room, an adjacent Event Space, offer stunning views of New York City.
Bay Room at Manhatta
A stunning, full-service space located 60 floors above Lower Manhattan, the Bay Room at Manhatta features panoramic views of Manhattan and its surrounding waterways. The Bay Room is available for weddings, galas, corporate gatherings, and intimate gatherings.
Intersect by Lexus
INTERSECT BY LEXUS – NYC is a collaboration between Lexus and Union Square Hospitality Group. The restaurant showcases a rotating lineup of top chefs from across the globe, who bring their unique culinary vision to life within the space. Past Restaurants-in-Residence include: Paris’ Frenchie, 040 of Santiago, Mishiguene of Buenos Aires, O Pedro of Mumbai, and The Grey of Savannah.
2019
Cedric’s at the Shed
Cedric’s is located in the lobby of The Shed, a Hudson Yard's arts center. Cedric’s serves a menu of daytime and evening fare including cocktails, craft beer, wine, and coffee, accompanied by shareable bites, sandwiches, and salads. Cedric’s draws on the creativity and inventive spirit of The Shed, offering a welcoming and casual experience for locals and visitors alike