“I knew I loved to bake,” says Haley Nutter-Sitek, a hometown local who graduated from Loveland High School in 2009. So, when the time came to plan courses for her first year of college, she thought, “Maybe I should learn how to, you know, see what cooking is like.”
Today, Haley and her husband, Chef Anthony Sitek, operate the Crown Restaurant Group. Founded in 2018, it oversees six restaurants across downtown Cincinnati, and will soon expand into Columbus.
“Each establishment reflects a commitment to culinary excellence, exceptional hospitality, and a passion for fresh, authentic flavors,” the Group’s website boldly states. “In a Crown establishment, each choice and dish is infused with intention and love … where simplicity is an art, and style is in the execution.” If that alone doesn’t make you want to sink your teeth right in, there’s more.
“Everything we do is made in-house, from breads to ice cream,” Haley adds. “We also do our own butchery ... I think we’re one of the only companies in Ohio that does that, if not the only one that’s completely from scratch, which is pretty cool.” We couldn’t agree more.
Haley met her future husband while studying the culinary arts at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, which she attended on a tennis scholarship. The couple became fast friends, and agreed early on that working under someone else wouldn’t align with their own goals.
“My husband is very talented,” Haley points out. “Born and raised in New Jersey, he worked in New York City, worked under some great chefs ... he had so much vision. He wanted to bring that to Cincinnati.”
To say they’ve established themselves in the Queen City is an understatement.
“It’s funny, because I didn’t really envision this for myself in general,” she laughs. “Running my own company was never part of the plan. But, as you get older, and you work under people, you gain so much knowledge ... some things you like, some things you don’t. And then it kind of makes you wonder, ‘well, how would I run this business or restaurant if it were mine?’”
Wonder no more: Haley and Chef Anthony employ about 300 staff. The best part, according to Haley, “those employees want to grow with us,” crediting that to “taking care of our team.”
Over the past seven years, Haley has also learned a thing or two about general entrepreneurship. “It means asking for help and leaning on the people around you. Building into your team around you, so that they want to continue to build into you, and what your dream is, as well,” she explains.
“Failing is part of succeeding ... you can’t have success without failure,” she continues. “I think it’s really important to not be so headstrong in your vision, so that you can recognize when you need to make that change, to pivot and kind of roll with the punches.”
Haley can’t imagine building that sort of a foundation anywhere but Cincinnati. Before returning to the area, Haley and her husband spent time considering the innovative culinary scenes in places like Chicago and Miami. Eventually, of course, home came calling. And, after opening that first restaurant, they haven’t looked back.
“There was a reason we wanted to come back here. I mean, I can tell you I didn’t think my Jersey boy husband would have ever thought he’d end up in Midwest Ohio. But coming back here and visiting over the years, the community Cincinnati is, the community it has … it’s kind of hard to put into words,” she smiles.
“Cincinnati feels cozy and inviting and welcoming,” Haley explains. “I don’t think a lot of people can say that about a city most of the time. The people of Cincinnati have been so great to us. We wouldn’t have been able to grow at the rate we did, as fast as we did, if it weren’t for everyone coming out to support us.”
Cuisine for Every Occasion
Crown Restaurant Group oversees six acclaimed restaurants downtown. No matter your cravings or plans, they’ve got the perfect spot.
- Crown Republic Gastropub: Homestyle/New American, Central Business District
- Rosie’s Italian: Scratch Italian Kitchen, Central Business District
- Cantina (formerly Crown Cantina): Modern Mexican, Pendleton
- Losanti: Italian Boutique Steakhouse, Washington Park (coming soon to Columbus)
- Five Kitchen & Bar (formerly Five on Vine): Modern American Comfort Food, OTR
- Marigold: British/Indian Public House, Fountain District