What a 25-concept restaurant group can teach a single location

Chef Michael Mina has spent decades building one of hospitality’s most expansive and influential restaurant groups, with more than 25 concepts spanning steakhouses, omakase counters, Mediterranean restaurants and luxury hotel dining. Yet even as The MINA Group grows, Mina remains focused on creating restaurants that feel deeply personal and rooted in place. In this conversation, he discusses balancing consistency with localization, translating his Egyptian heritage into concepts like Orla and why integrated hotel food-and-beverage programs represent a major opportunity for operators today. 

—Interview by Kelly Dobkin, edited by Bianca Prieto

With MINA Group now operating more than 25 concepts—from Bourbon Steak to Pabu—how do you maintain brand cohesion while tailoring each concept to its specific market?

Maintaining brand cohesion is something we are very intentional about, and we put a lot of work into ensuring we build brands that can endure and evolve. From the menu and culinary experience to the service touchpoints and interior design, it is very important that the experience is consistent no matter what restaurant you are in. But from there, it is equally important to us to open restaurants that are specific to their neighborhood. 

For example, while you will always be greeted by a trio of french fries at every Bourbon Steak, we determine the seasonings and accompanying sauces based on the location. The design of the restaurant itself is also very specific to the location—a city restaurant will have a different vibe than something on the beach. 

With Orla by Michael Mina drawing directly from your Egyptian heritage, how do you approach translating a personal narrative into a menu/restaurant concept?

Growing up in an Egyptian family, I assumed everything I ate was Egyptian food. And while it was, by and large, as I dug deeper, I discovered that the culinary traditions I was raised with had actually been the influence on Greek cuisine and culture in Egypt. While Greek food is more widely known in the U.S., there is a lot of opportunity for Egyptian food here, so with Orla, I wanted to show how these foods connect, complement and inspire one another.

There are certain flavors and spices that are very Egyptian or very Greek, so showing them side by side not only illustrates both cuisines but also allows me to share how I learned the story of my culture’s food. 

What are the strategic advantages for operators to open restaurants within hotels, like you have done? For example, The Regent Santa Monica 

There are many advantages in the kitchen when you can build menus that work together. We've recently fully taken over food & beverage operations at the Regent Santa Monica, building off and influenced by our original concept on the property, Orla, which centers around Egyptian-Mediterranean cuisine. It's a very personal project for me, given that it ties into my Egyptian heritage, and with the restaurant, we're also exploring Greece's influence on Egyptian cuisine.

While our other F&B offerings across the hotel will be broader and have something for everyone, there will be a throughline across certain offerings back to Orla as a reference point, which makes the guest experience of the food and beverage program much more holistic. Wherever you are, you're experiencing our unique interpretation of this idea when we can create the full venue culinary offering. 

What are you working on in 2026 (and beyond)?

In addition to our full F&B takeover of the Regent Santa Monica, we started 2026 by opening a new restaurant, Acqua Bistecca, in Estero Bay, Fla. We will also be opening a Bourbon Steak in Charlotte, N.C., later this year, in addition to some other very exciting projects. There are a few additional announcements around the corner, and we are certainly going to have a busy year!  

(Image courtesy The MINA Group)

The Prep's Take 

You don't need 25 concepts to think like Mina. Pick the one thing about your restaurant that never changes—a dish, a philosophy, a feeling—and let that anchor every decision you make about growth, new locations or menu updates. The operators who scale without losing their identity aren't doing something complicated. They just know exactly what they stand for.

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The Prep is written by Kelly Dobkin and edited by Bianca Prieto.