Our Story
For media inquiries please email rubyswestend@gmail.com.
“There is nothing we love more than sharing joy with others. Breaking bread together, sharing stories, and serving our friends. That’s what it’s all about.”
— Corrinna Stum
Matt & Corrinna Stum, owners of Renn Restaurant Group, LLC, have made careers in the restaurant industry with over 30 years of experience collectively.
Chef Matt started in kitchens in Indianapolis, IN, working his way through the ranks of cook to Sous Chef to Executive Chef. He has worked at James Beard Nominated restaurant Beholder under Chef Jonathan Brooks, as well as James Beard Nominated restaurant Mita’s under Chef Jose Salazar in Cincinnati, OH.
Corrinna Stum was the Project Manager of Boca Restaurant Group in Cincinnati, OH, opening three restaurants. Landing in Indianapolis, she held an Opening Manager position for Cunningham Restaurant Group for three restaurant openings, as well as Marketing Coordinator for the company. After leaving corporate restaurant experience she went on to do restaurant consulting before moving to Portland in August 2020.
After moving to Portland’s West End, Corrinna and Matt jumped on the opportunity to open their first restaurant. Finding the 64 Pine Street space, Corrinna and Matt have strived to make Ruby’s West End a comforting place for friends and family to gather over quality, delicious food.
On The Table
The stories within Ruby’s
“I love your spot! It feels like going to your friend’s house and they made you breakfast and it’s awesome!”
— Square Review Feb 5, 2022
Notice the mix-matched, hodge-dodge collections of silverware, glassware, linens, and decor? Everything experiential in our space was donated by our neighbors here in the West End! We opened on a bit of a whim in April 2021. In the middle of a pandemic. All our resources went into start up costs and labor, so we humbly asked our community for their help. What resulted was magnificent! Boxes of crystal-ware, silver, plates, bowls, flower vases, and table clothes showed up at our doors. Some with stories about Thanksgiving Dinner, sitting around grandma’s table, back when times felt more, well, together.
We are quite literally decorated with the kindness of our community.
The Grandma Nook
The stories within Ruby’s
“Hospitality should have no other nature than love.”
— Henrietta Mears
Pictured: Grandma Ruby at her first serving job.
That pretty lady in the middle frame is Grandma Ruby. From Caneyville, KY, Grandma Ruby ran her home with Southern grit and hospitality. “She taught me how to cook. She taught me a lot about a lot of things,” - Matt Stum.
To Grandma Ruby’s right is Corrinna’s Nonna and BizNonno (maternal Italian family from Genoa, IT). To her left is Mammaw Kinnard (paternal all-American family from Cincinnati, OH). Extended family elders also framed to complete our “Grandma Nook” or “Wall of Wisdom.”
Renn Restaurant Group, LLC, owners and operators of Ruby’s, strive to be a catalyst for employee care, growth, and development in the restaurant industry. Starting with the bottom line, each RRG entity operates on efficient but inexpensive technologies to ensure resources are spent on quality ingredients and quality of life for our teams.
Restaurant Wage Reform
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic, restaurant employees have cried out for reform in human resources - better pay, better hours, better benefits. All Renn Restaurant Group employees will find comfort in knowing that every employee will start at a fair hourly rate (at least at minimum wage). In lieu of the former “tip” culture, guests will have an automatic 20% “Service Charge'' applied to their checks (before taxes) with a line to make an additional tip.
The Service Charges will go directly to each hourly employee, FOH & BOH, equally shared by hours worked. The tips on top of the service charge will be kept by the server or bartender receiving the tip.
With wages more evenly shared, we are confident that camaraderie and the effort to create memorable guest experiences will far surpass even our own expectations.