Church and Union
Church and Union is an American New American restaurant chain owned by Charleston-based 5th Street Group.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Church and Union is an American restaurant chain serving New American cuisine. The brand is owned by 5th Street Group, a hospitality company based in Charleston, South Carolina. Its locations operate in Charleston, Charlotte, Denver, and Nashville, giving the concept a multi-city presence across the United States. The business began with a location in Charlotte and later expanded to Charleston in 2015. It subsequently added Nashville and Denver, with the Denver restaurant opening in 2024. The Nashville location introduced a brunch menu in late 2021, illustrating the brand's expansion beyond a conventional lunch-and-dinner format. Available reference material does not establish the exact founding year, the names of the founders, or the precise date on which the original restaurant opened. Church and Union was previously known as 5Church. The change in identity is associated with a dispute between the restaurant's owners, although the available reference material does not provide enough detail to describe the legal or business issues involved. Accordingly, the former name is best treated as an important historical alias rather than as a separate unrelated brand. The restaurants are positioned as design-conscious, upscale-casual or contemporary dining venues rather than as a standardized mass-market chain. The Charlotte location has been described by The Infatuation as "swanky" and is noted for black leather seating and cherry-blossom branches suspended from the ceiling. These interior details support a theatrical, visually distinctive hospitality positioning, although the available sources do not document a formal brand strategy or national advertising platform. The menu identity is centered on New American restaurant fare, with city-specific food and beverage offerings. Publicly referenced examples include cider doughnuts introduced at the Nashville restaurant in 2021. Eater Nashville included those doughnuts among a local list of pumpkin-oriented dishes and drinks, describing their components as butternut-squash cremeux, pumpkin-spice streusel, and crème-fraîche ice cream. The reference material does not provide a complete menu, pricing information, financial results, or a confirmed corporate website. Church and Union remains an active restaurant brand according to the supplied reference material. Its growth has been location-led, moving from its original Charlotte presence into Charleston, Nashville, and Denver. Because public information supplied for this entry is limited, details such as ownership structure below 5th Street Group, executive leadership, exact launch dates, financial performance, and current store count remain unconfirmed.
History
Church and Union is a U.S. restaurant chain associated with 5th Street Group, a hospitality company based in Charleston, South Carolina. The concept's documented history begins with its first location in Charlotte, North Carolina. The supplied reference does not identify the exact opening year, the founders, or the original corporate structure, so those details remain unspecified. The business expanded to Charleston in 2015, establishing a location in the city where its owning group is based. It later developed a presence in Nashville, Tennessee. The Nashville restaurant became notable for adding brunch in late 2021, broadening its operating hours and meal occasions. Its food program also received local editorial attention: Eater Nashville included the restaurant's seasonal cider doughnuts in a 2021 roundup of pumpkin-oriented dishes and drinks. The cited description identified a combination of cider doughnuts, butternut-squash cremeux, pumpkin-spice streusel, and crème-fraîche ice cream. The restaurant was previously called 5Church. The transition to Church and Union followed a dispute between the restaurant's owners, but the available material does not explain the parties, claims, settlement, or legal outcome. It therefore cannot support a more specific account of the dispute. The former name is nevertheless relevant to the brand's history and remains an alias. In 2024, Church and Union opened in Denver, Colorado. This marked an expansion into a new region and brought the chain's documented footprint to four cities: Charlotte, Charleston, Nashville, and Denver. The brand's operating model appears to combine a common restaurant identity with local menus and programming rather than a narrowly standardized quick-service format. The concept is described as American or New American. Its public positioning is also shaped by its interiors. The Charlotte restaurant has been characterized by The Infatuation as swanky, with black leather seats and cherry-blossom branches hanging from the ceiling. This design emphasis suggests that the dining environment is a significant part of the customer experience, alongside food and beverages. The available sources do not establish a full current store count, revenue, ownership percentages, executive roster, official website, or detailed menu architecture. They do establish an active, privately owned, multi-city restaurant brand whose growth has proceeded through openings in the Southeast and, most recently, Denver.
- 2024
Denver location opens
[1]The brand opened a Denver location, extending its documented network to four cities.
- 2021
Nashville brunch launch
[1]The Nashville location launched a brunch menu in late 2021.
- 2015
Charleston expansion
[1]Church and Union expanded to Charleston, South Carolina.
First location opens in Charlotte
[1]The first Church and Union location opened in Charlotte, North Carolina. The available source does not specify the year.
Products and positioning
A design-led American and New American restaurant concept with upscale-casual dining, destination interiors, city-specific menus, and a multi-market hospitality presence.
Restaurant meals
New American lunch and dinner menu
Church and Union's core offer is New American restaurant dining. The supplied sources do not provide a complete menu, but describe the brand as an American/New American restaurant chain with location-based food and beverage service.
Brunch service · 2021
Brunch
The Nashville location introduced a brunch menu in late 2021. Available material does not indicate whether the same brunch program operates at every location.
Seasonal dessert · 2021
Cider doughnuts
A Nashville seasonal dessert consisting of cider doughnuts served with butternut-squash cremeux, pumpkin-spice streusel, and crème-fraîche ice cream. The dish was highlighted by Eater Nashville in 2021.
Brand decisions
2024
Denver market entryStrategyBackground
After operating in Charlotte, Charleston, and Nashville, the brand pursued geographic expansion into Denver.
Action taken
Church and Union opened a Denver location.
Aftermath
The opening expanded the documented footprint to four U.S. cities. No financial or customer-performance information is provided.
2021
Nashville brunch introductionProduct launchBackground
The Nashville restaurant expanded its offer beyond its existing service pattern by adding brunch in late 2021.
Action taken
Church and Union Nashville launched a brunch menu.
Aftermath
The brunch launch added a new daypart to the Nashville location. The available sources do not report sales or other business results.
Recent events
- 2024
Church and Union expands to Denver[1]
Other
The restaurant brand opened a Denver location, extending its presence beyond the Carolinas and Nashville.
- 2021
Church and Union Nashville launches a brunch menu[1]
Product launch
The Nashville location introduced a brunch menu in late 2021 as an additional daypart offering.
Church and Union was previously known as 5Church[1]
Other
The restaurant operated under the 5Church name before adopting the Church and Union identity. Reference material links the change to a dispute between the owners but does not provide further details.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/church-and-union · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled