Electric Works and Cunningham Restaurant Group announce a new partnership that will bring three original restaurant concepts to the historic Electric Works campus in Fort Wayne over the next year.
Electric Works news release:
Electric Works and Cunningham Restaurant Group Announce Partnership to Bring Three New Dining Concepts to Fort Wayne
Three new concepts will expand the dining and entertainment offerings at Electric WorksFort Wayne, Ind. (September 16, 2026) — Electric Works and Cunningham Restaurant Group (CRG) announced a new partnership that will bring three original restaurant concepts to the historic Electric Works campus in Fort Wayne over the next year expanding dining options and creating new opportunities for people to gather, connect and further experience the district.
Together, Electric Works and CRG will introduce new dining experiences designed to complement the campus’s continued growth while serving employees, residents, visitors and the broader Fort Wayne community.
“This project represents exactly the kind of opportunity that excites us as a restaurant group,” said Mike Cunningham, founder and CEO of Cunningham Restaurant Group.
“Electric Works is a place with an incredible history and an ambitious vision for the future. We are proud to become part of that story and to create restaurants that serve the people in this community.”
Cunningham Restaurant Group and Electric Works began exploring the partnership earlier this year, recognizing a shared opportunity to expand the food, beverage and entertainment offerings while creating additional reasons for people to visit Electric Works throughout the day and into the evening.
“The addition of these concepts is another important step in the continued evolution of Electric Works as a true live, work and play district,” said Jeff Kingsbury, Chief Customer Officer for Ancora, the lead developer of Electric Works.
“Cunningham Restaurant Group is a great Indiana entrepreneurial success story. They join a community of homegrown companies and new ventures choosing Electric Works as a place to grow, innovate and create their next chapter. Mike and his team bring a proven ability to build compelling restaurant brands and deliver consistently strong hospitality. These concepts will provide unique, valuable amenities for the people who work and live here while also giving the broader community new reasons to experience the campus.”
CRG currently operates Marquee at The Landing and Bru Burger Bar in Fort Wayne and has spent more than 30 years building restaurant concepts throughout Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.
“We want to create concepts that feel like they belong here, meet genuine needs within the district and become places the community chooses to return to,” said Carl Chambers, VP of Culinary for Cunningham Restaurant Group.
Once fully operational, the three concepts are expected to create approximately 120 new jobs, including restaurant management, culinary, service and support positions.
Construction for the first of these concepts is currently underway, with the restaurants projected to open in late 2026 or the first quarter of 2027.
Names, menus and additional details for each restaurant are still being finalized and will be announced through a series of future concept reveals.
Strategic consulting and brokerage services for the transaction were provided by Kylee Shirey of Bold Wave Consulting in Fort Wayne.
About Cunningham Restaurant Group
Cunningham Restaurant Group (CRG) currently operates 18 unique restaurant concepts across the Midwest, most located in Central Indiana. Some of the company’s beloved locations include BRU Burger Bar, Marquee (both located in Fort Wayne), Vida, Commission Row, Livery and more. Known for its innovation and dedication to quality, CRG continues to set the standard for exceptional dining experiences. For more information, visit www.crgdining.com or follow @crgrestaurants on Instagram and Facebook.About Electric Works
Electric Works is a mixed-use district of innovation, energy and culture, developed as a public-private partnership between Ancora and the City of Fort Wayne, Allen County, and the State of Indiana. A redevelopment and adaptive reuse of the former General Electric campus, Electric Works is on the National Register of Historic Places and includes more than one million square feet of space with office, innovation, education, healthcare, retail, entertainment, residential and community uses to create new opportunities for inclusive economic growth. For more information, visit the Electric Works website at fortwayneelectricworks.com.
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