Ruth's Chris Steak House Indianapolis Northside, operated by Prime Hospitality Group (PHG), has opened an expanded private dining wing that adds two distinct bookable rooms and a standalone private bar — a capital investment aimed squarely at the high-margin corporate and social events segment.
The buildout delivers the Estate Room (up to 36 guests) and the Vintage Room (up to 24 guests), plus a private bar and lounge open Friday and Saturday evenings for pre- or post-dinner service. The full suite is available for buyout, giving PHG a flexible inventory that can serve an intimate board dinner one night and a 60-person company celebration the next.
Why Operators Should Pay Attention
Private dining is no longer a nice-to-have amenity at upscale independents — it's a revenue line. Event-booked covers typically carry higher check averages, guaranteed minimums, and beverage attach rates that outperform the general dining room. For multi-unit operators, purpose-built private space also reduces the friction of ad hoc buyouts that disrupt floor operations. PHG, which runs 13 Ruth's Chris franchise locations across the Midwest and Southeast, is treating Indianapolis Northside as a proof-of-concept for what dedicated events infrastructure can do to unit-level economics.
The private bar component is a meaningful detail. Operators who add a bar within the event footprint create a revenue center that starts generating before the first entrée is ordered. Friday and Saturday evening cocktail access — even when no dining buyout is booked — keeps the space productive across more hours of the week.
What This Signals for the Broader Market
PHG's move tracks a post-pandemic shift in how full-service restaurant operators approach their physical footprint. Corporate event budgets have partially migrated away from hotel ballrooms toward restaurant-controlled environments that offer a more distinctive guest experience. Operators who built or expanded private dining capacity between 2023 and 2025 generally reported that event revenue helped offset softness in walk-in covers during shoulder periods.
Kristy Rans, President of Prime Hospitality Group, framed the expansion as a direct response to guest behavior: "Whether it's an intimate dinner, a corporate gathering or a larger celebration, these spaces allow us to create a more personalized experience while delivering the hospitality our guests know and expect."
For brand launch and distribution teams selling into the events channel, newly expanded private dining rooms represent a live sampling and visibility opportunity — particularly for spirits, wine, and specialty beverage suppliers seeking placement on event menus and buyout packages. And for operators still weighing whether to carve out dedicated event space, PHG's build is a data point worth tracking as it moves through its first full booking season.
Operators evaluating similar investments should also consider the technology stack required to manage private dining revenue effectively — reservation and event-management software, deposit-handling integrations, and CRM tools that convert one-time event bookers into repeat general-dining guests.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
