In 1996, a group of entrepreneurs and restaurateurs put together their combined total of over sixty years of successful restaurant and real estate experience to develop a concept that later became Coltons Steak House & Grill. Their vision was to open a steak house anyone could walk into and feel at home, have fun, relax, eat delicious food, and enjoy excellent service in an atmosphere with the feel of the "American West." Once the concept was completed, they formed what would eventually become Coltons Restaurant Group Inc. (CRG), the franchisor of the concept. In August 1996, the first location opened its doors in Conway, Arkansas. It wasnt long before the second restaurant opened in Searcy, AR. As the sixth Coltons opened, a new corporate operating partner came on the scene: Hand Cut Steaks, Inc. (HCS). During HCSs primary expansion period, the President, CEO and cofounder of CRG was President, CEO and cofounder of HCS. HCS currently operates seven of the thirty-seven Coltons. Today, all CSHG restaurants operate as franchises, with locations in Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee. The current owners of CRG also own an interest in over half of the Coltons now in operation. With a broad menu offering exceptional food and service, with a casual Western atmosphere, the group accomplished what they set out to do, and they continue to build and grow the Coltons concept.