Cameron Mitchell Restaurants

Founded by Cameron Mitchell in 1993, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants (CMR) has built a diverse portfolio of varied concepts, ranging from multi-location upscale destinations to single neighborhood favorites.

In 2023, the company celebrated its 30th anniversary and marked the occasion with the opening of Cameron’s passion project, a fine-dining Italian concept in the historic German Village neighborhood. Cento, which means 100 in Italian, is the company’s 100th restaurant opening.

Inspire was tasked with securing a significant feature story to highlight the milestone year and concept opening. Additionally, Inspire wanted to strategically time the article to align with the grand opening of Cento.

The objectives were to celebrate and promote CMR’s 100th restaurant opening alongside the 30th anniversary as a testament to Cameron’s dedication to the community. Additionally, Inspire wanted to further establish CMR as a restaurant company that provides quality dining experiences that embrace the legacy and genuine hospitality that make the brand a household name in central Ohio and beyond.

Inspire developed a well-crafted pitch to the Columbus Dispatch feature reporter, Erica Thompson, and worked with her to develop a well-round story, including providing valuable background information such as the CMR fact sheet and a copy of Cameron’s book “Yes, is the Answer. What is the Question.”

Inspire coordinated several interviews, including with Cameron, as well as partners such as Crawford Hoying, the Ohio Restaurant & Hospitality Alliance and Cameron’s wife, Molly. Inspire also developed a detailed media brief with talking points and helpful tips to assist with Cameron’s interview preparation, staffed the interview to offer additional background and help guide the conversation. Later, Inspire coordinated a photoshoot at Cento to support strong visuals for the story.