Tavern Restaurant Group
Serving 40 years of genuine hospitality through dedication and commitment to our communities.
About TRG
At the heart of any successful restaurant, is a team of passionate people.
Nick Sanders founded Tavern Restaurant Group with deSha’s Maysville, KY in 1981, followed by deSha’s American Tavern Cincinnati in 1990. After several trips to the UK, Nick decided to model his next concepts off of the warmth and hospitality he found in public houses throughout Europe. This led to the opening of Nicholson’s in 1997 and The Pub Rookwood in 2001. The Tavern Group currently operates all of its original concepts, plus The Backstage Event Center, and an additional seven Pubs in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Florida.
Founder and CEO of Tavern Restaurant Group, Nick Sanders, has been building innovative and authentic bars and restaurants for over 45 years, including: deSha’s, Nicholson’s, The Pub, Horse and Barrel, and The Backstage Event Center. Nick was inspired to design these concepts out of the culture and hospitality he discovered during his travels throughout the United Kingdom. He is a native of Lexington, KY, a UK alum, and longtime resident of Cincinnati, OH.
Nick Sanders
Owner & Founder
Meet Me at deSha’s
deSha’s Maysville is a family restaurant named for Nick’s father, deSha Sanders. It has been a community favorite since opening in 1981, offering unique dining experience with steaks, seafood, pasta, and regional favorites not found anywhere else.
In the summer of 1990, following the success of deSha’s Maysville, Nick opened the doors to deSha’s Cincinnati. Since then, they’ve been on a mission to be a comfortable, down-home place to get authentic food and drink.
A lot has changed over the years, but the most important things have stayed the same for both deSha’s restaurants: an unwavering dedication to warm hospitality, top-notch tavern fare, and carefully selected beer, wine, and spirits.
A Brit About The Pub
The Pub offers a unique British Pub experience complete with brilliant food, drink, and genuine hospitality. We are best known for our signature Fish-n-Chips which were voted The Best Fish and Chips in the U.S. by Greene King Brewing, the U.K.’s largest brewer and pub retailer. Our menu features an array of shareable dishes, burgers, and savory comfort food. An extensive beverage selection gives our guests the opportunity to discover fine ales and lagers from the United Kingdom, Europe, and the USA. We also feature a comprehensive collection of single malt scotch, bourbon, wine, and specialty cocktails. In true pub fashion, guests will be warmly greeted by an enthusiastic team ready to take part in their memorable experience.
Nicholson’s
Fine Food & Whisk(e)y
Located in downtown Cincinnati across from the Aronoff Center for the Arts, Nicholson’s offers a dining experience unlike any other in the city. A restaurant and bar in the heart of the theater district serving food and drink in a genuine Scottish tavern setting, taking inspiration from the public houses found throughout Great Britain and providing guests with authentic hospitality. Nicholson’s offers a wide variety of local craft beer, European ales, and spirits–along with the largest selection of single malt scotch whiskies in the region combined with a vast bourbon collection and proprietor’s barrel program.
The Backstage Event Center
The Backstage Event Center is located in downtown Cincinnati’s theater district, on the second floor above Nicholson’s Fine Food & Whisk(e)y.
The space is specifically designed to provide guests with a one-of-a-kind experience for wedding receptions, rehearsal dinners, business meetings, holiday parties, or special events.
This second level space features exposed brick, hardwood floors throughout, an art-deco glass elevator, and two outdoor terraces with views of the city.