Our History
After a special lunch in Charleston, SC – a counter service experience with incredible, high-quality food at a reasonable price – our fearless leader, Russ, was inspired. At the time he was building Russell Morin Catering & Events’ office in Newport, and had no plans to join the city’s restaurant scene. But then the space next door to the catering office went up for sale, and he decided to take the leap into fine casual dining. The doors to CRU Cafe opened in 2015. The team tweaked and tinkered with the service model, always driven by a passion for improving the lives of our guests, and soon we’d created something special of our own. Today the atmosphere is eclectic, uplifting, and downright convivial. The food is fresh and ample. And the community we’ve built over the years is truly one of a kind. We have folks come in every day because they know a visit to the CRU will improve their mood – and that is a responsibility we don’t treat lightly.
