OutWest Restaurant Group

OutWest Restaurant Group

OutWest Restaurant Group functions as the investment and management entity for David Cohn and the Cohn family, whose wealth originates from the Cohn Restaurant Group, a portfolio of more than 20 dining concepts across Southern California. Founded in the early 1980s, the restaurant group grew from a single diner into a collection spanning fine dining, casual eateries, and event spaces. The family office structure consolidates ownership of operating entities and the real estate holdings that anchor them. The firm deploys capital primarily into hospitality operating companies and the commercial real estate that houses them. Its restaurant portfolio has included concepts such as Coasterra, Island Prime, and Vintana Wine + Dine, alongside more casual brands. The real estate strategy favors acquiring fee-simple interests in prime San Diego County locations — a posture that captures both operating income and property appreciation. The geographic footprint concentrates heavily in San Diego, with select ventures extending into neighboring Southern California markets. Team composition and total deployment figures remain private. The family office does not publicly disclose its balance sheet, and no recent fundraises or third-party capital vehicles have been reported. The Cohn Restaurant Group has historically been an owner-operated enterprise, with David Cohn maintaining a visible role in the San Diego business community through board positions and local philanthropy, though no formal philanthropic foundation has been publicly documented. What distinguishes OutWest from a pure restaurant holding company is the deliberate real estate overlay. Rather than operating as a traditional family office allocating to external managers, the structure appears designed to vertically integrate the ownership of operating businesses with the hard assets they occupy — a real-estate-heavy model that generates dual returns from hospitality cash flows and Southern California property appreciation.