Keens, 19th-century New York City steakhouse, sold to Texas restaurant group

Keens Steakhouse, 1 of the oldest restaurants successful New York City, has been sold to a Texas-based edifice group.

Tilman Fertitta, the billionaire proprietor of the Houston Rockets and CEO of Landry’s hospitality, reportedly bought the Midtown chophouse and its 16,000-square-foot spot for $30 million, according to Crain’s New York.

Landry’s is the institution down Rainforest Café, Corner Store and Bubba Gump Shrimp, among different fine-dining and fast-casual chains.

Keens Steakhouse was opened by Albert Keen successful 1885 aft helium worked arsenic portion of the Lambs Club, a noted theatre and literate group. The 36th St. steakhouse rapidly became a hangout for writers and actors, immoderate of whom would scramble into the rear doorway for a speedy mutton chop betwixt acts astatine the adjacent Garrick Theatre.

Keens aboriginal became a clubhouse for pipe-smoking successful the aboriginal 20th century, with Teddy Roosevelt, Babe Ruth, General Douglas MacArthur, “Buffalo Bill” Cody and Albert Einstein counted among its members.

George Schwarz, a radiation oncologist turned restaurateur, took implicit the steakhouse successful the 1970s and turned it backmost into a destination eatery with fans including Anthony Bourdain. Schwarz died successful 2016, handing the concern disconnected to wide manager Bonnie Jenkins.

“We looked for a purchaser that agreed to let our squad to proceed to run and negociate Keens successful the aforesaid contented it has been for the past 140 years,” Jenkins told Eater NY. “Tilman appreciates our old-world charm and unsocial museum-like eating experience, and I americium grateful that we volition proceed to service our assemblage and visitors from each implicit the satellite portion preserving our iconic edifice for years to come.”

On apical of its stakes successful restaurants similar Blue Fin and Dos Caminos, Landry’s besides owns hotels and taxable parks.