Texas mega-billionaire restaurateur (and NBA Houston Rockets owner) Tilman Fertitta, is taking over bankrupt Fireman Hospitality Group’s three Manhattan mainstays — Trattoria dell’ Arte, Fiorello’s, and Bond 45 — as part of a newly announced $22 million purchase in conjunction with Ciao Hospitality Group, which will act as the new operator, per the New York Post, who reports it as a Landry’s acquisition. Some of the restaurants in the Fireman portfolio aren’t joining the new family, including D.C.’s recently opened Cafe Fiorello and Fiorella Italian Kitchen & Pizzeria — both closing this October as part of the deal, as Eater DC first reported.
Fertitta (and his company) scooping up legacy restaurants has been a trend, with his purchase of Keens steakhouse in New York and Union Oyster House in Boston, both of which were founded in the 1800s.
Fertitta’s Titanic-sized restaurant portfolio includes steakhouse chains under the Landry’s umbrella, which include Morton’s, Mastro’s, Del Frisco’s, Strip House; Mexican cafe chain Dos Caminos; and sushi bar Blue Fin. He’s also a part owner of New York’s Catch Group, which includes scene-y spots like Corner Store, the Eighty Six, Or’esh, and Cafe Charmant. He shows no signs of slowing down in the restaurant world — despite juggling his time as President Donald Trump’s appointed ambassador to Italy (and parking his superyacht in D.C.).
Fireman’s group started showing wear and tear after the pandemic, and the death of its cherished founder, Shelly Fireman, last fall at the age of 93 didn’t help, the news site notes, leaving the company with nearly $10 million in secured claims. The group’s RedEye Grill, “home of the famous dancing shrimp,” closed this summer across from Carnegie Hall after three decades.
Dining and Cooking