Landry's, Inc. is a privately held American multi-brand dining, hospitality, entertainment, and gambling corporation headquartered in Houston, Texas. Landry's, Inc. owns and operates more than 600 restaurants, hotels, casinos, and entertainment destinations in 35 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The company also owns and operates numerous international locations. The company is owned by former president & CEO Tilman Fertitta.
The first Landry's Seafood restaurant opened in Texas in 1980. While many patrons assumed it was named for Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry, it was not; Bill and Floyd Landry were the original owners. They had started opening restaurants in the Houston area in the 1970s.
History Brothers Bill and Floyd Landry and other partners from their hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana, began opening authentic Cajun restaurants in the Houston area in the 1970s. These included Willie G’s (named for their father), near The Galleria, and the first Landry's Seafood on the far west side of the city. By 1986, nearly all of the partners wanted to sell their shares. They found a willing buyer in Tilman Fertitta, who paid US$400,000 on December 31, 1986, for a controlling interest in the company. The remaining partner, Denis Wilson, was bought out for $850,000. He received $250,000 upfront, but had to spend $120,000 in legal fees to eventually collect the remaining $600,000 from Fertitta.
Fertitta became CEO and quickly began standardizing the appearance and menus of his restaurants; he removed the Cajun spicing from most dishes and scrubbed away the unique interior of Willie G's. He took the company public in 1993, with a valuation of $30 million.
Under Fertitta, the company expanded. In 2010, already the majority shareholder, Fertitta acquired all outstanding shares of company stock, gaining sole control and ownership. By 2011, the company's value had risen to more than $1.7 billion.
Acquisitions and growth
1990s Throughout the 1990s, Landry's, Inc., expanded, developing and acquiring restaurant, entertainment, hospitality, and gaming businesses. In 1994, Landry's, Inc., acquired Joe's Crab Shack. In 2006, Landry's, Inc., sold Joe's Crab Shack, which had grown to more than 120 locations, to J.H. Whitney & Company. During the decade, the company acquired several other restaurants, including The Crab House and Cadillac Bar.
Landry's, Inc., expanded its hospitality and entertainment divisions in 1996, acquiring the San Luis Resort, a 32-acre beachfront resort on Galveston Island's historic Seawall Boulevard and built on top of the former Fort Crockett. In 2004, Landry's, Inc., partnered with the city of Galveston to open a 140,000 square foot convention center, the Galveston Island Convention Center at the San Luis Resort. In 2003, the company acquired the adjacent Holiday Inn Resort Galveston – On the Beach. In 2004, the adjacent Hilton Galveston Island Resort was acquired. The San Luis Resort includes 700 guest rooms, ten restaurants, and 200,000 square feet of event space.
In 1998, the company developed the 35-acre Kemah Boardwalk, with a hotel, a marina, more than ten restaurants, and dozens of midway games, amusement rides, and attractions. The company's hospitality division also includes The Westin Houston Downtown in Downtown Houston and the Boardwalk Inn on the Kemah Boardwalk.
2000s After 2000, Landry's, Inc., continued to grow. In 2000, the company acquired Rainforest Cafe, a collection of jungle-inspired restaurants and retail villages. In 2002, the company acquired three national seafood restaurants: Saltgrass Steak House, Chart House, and Muer Restaurants.
In 2003, the company opened the Downtown Aquarium, a 20-acre entertainment complex in Houston with an aquarium, a restaurant built around a 150,000-gallon, floor-to-ceiling centerpiece aquarium, a bar, banquet facilities, amusement rides, and midway games. A train carries guests into a tunnel running through a 250,000-gallon shark tank. Other Aquarium restaurants have since opened in Denver, Nashville, and on the Kemah Boardwalk in Texas.Catch of the week: Landry's gets nod to build downtown aquarium - Houston Business Journal
In 2005, the company acquired Golden Nugget Hotel & Casinos, with locations in Las Vegas and Laughlin, Nevada. Landry's, Inc., has since opened three additional locations in Atlantic City, New Jersey,Landry's plans a turn-around for Trump Marina in Atlantic City and points to its success at Las Vegas' Golden Nugget, pressofAtlanticCity.com; accessed May 17, 2017. Biloxi, MississippiFertitta opens Golden Nugget Biloxi's new additions - Houston Business Journal and Lake Charles, Louisiana.Landry's expands Golden Nugget Casino brand in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Houston Business Journal; accessed May 17, 2017.
On October 14, 2008, T-Rex Cafe, a prehistoric dinosaur jungle themed restaurant chain in Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, location was opened to the public, it is themed after The Rite of Spring segment by Igor Stravinsky is performed by Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra in the 1940 Walt Disney's animated film Fantasia (1940).
2010s
In 2010, Landry's, Inc., acquired three new restaurants: Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, a collection of seafood restaurants themed on the movie Forrest Gump,Landry's acquires Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., nrn.com; accessed May 17, 2017.US: Landry's Buys Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Restaurant Chain, flex-news-food.com; accessed May 17, 2017. The company also acquired Claim Jumper, a national chain of family restaurants.Landry's to acquire Claim Jumper, nrn.com; accessed May 17, 2017. The Oceanaire, a national collection of seafood restaurants,Landry's lands Minneapolis-based Oceanaire restaurants in deal, StarTribune.com; accessed May 17, 2017 is known for flying in fresh fish daily.
In 2011, Landry's bought two more restaurants – McCormick & Schmick's Seafood & SteaksMcCormick & Schmick's; Landry's Restaurants; takeover, Los Angeles Times; accessed May 17, 2017. and Morton's The Steakhouse.Landry’s clear to acquire Morton’s, nrn.com; accessed May 17, 2017. In 2012, the company expanded its entertainment division with the opening of the Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier.Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier, Galveston.com; accessed May 17, 2017.
In 2013, Landry's acquired Mastro's restaurants.Landry's Inc. buys Mastro's Restaurants LLC, nrn.com; accessed May 17, 2017. The company has developed and acquired a collection of restaurants called Landry's Signature Group, which include Vic & Anthony's, Grotto, Brenner's Steakhouse, Brenner's on the Bayou, La Griglia, and Willie G's Seafood & Steaks.Landry's Signature Group; accessed May 17, 2017. In 2016, Landry's acquired the BR Guest restaurant brand.
In August 2017, Landry's re-acquired Joe's Crab Shack restaurants from Ignite Restaurant Group, which had filed for bankruptcy protection on June 6, 2017. Landry's had sold Joe's to Ignite's predecessor in 2006. The Ignite group's Brick House Tavern, and Tap restaurants were also included in the deal.
In September 2019, Landry's bought Seattle-based Restaurants Unlimited Inc, adding Skates on the Bay, Portland City Grill, Manzana Grill, Palisade, Cutters Crabhouse, Stanford's, Henry's Tavern, Kincaid's, Palomino Restaurant & Bar, and Portland Seafood Company to its portfolio.
Also in September 2019, Landry's acquired Del Frisco's Grille and Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak Houses for around $650 million.
2020s In November 2024, Landry's acquired Keens Steakhouse for $30 million.
Properties and subsidiaries
Hotels and casinos
Golden Nugget casinos
Golden Nugget Atlantic City Golden Nugget Biloxi Golden Nugget Danville Golden Nugget Cripple Creek, Colorado Golden Nugget Lake Charles Golden Nugget Las Vegas Golden Nugget Laughlin
Hotels Blue Water Inn - St. Clair, Michigan Huntting Inn - East Hampton, New York Boardwalk Inn - Kemah, Texas The Post Oak Hotel and Tower - Houston, Texas Post Oak Las Vegas - Las Vegas, Nevada (future) San Luis Resort - Galveston, Texas The Villas at San Luis Resort
Online casino Landry's, Inc. will assume ownership of a 60% stake in the online casino platform, Golden Nugget Online Casino as part of the deal to go public.
Restaurants
Fine dining Blue Fin Bristol Seafood Grill Chart House Del Frisco's Devon Seafood Grill J. Gilbert's Woodfired Steaks Kincaid's (CA and MN) Mastro's Restaurants Mitchell's Fish Market Morton's The Steakhouse The Oceanaire Seafood Room The Palm Strip House Vic & Anthony's Steakhouse
Casual restaurants Bubba Gump Shrimp Company Claim Jumper Houlihan's Joe's Crab Shack McCormick & Schmick's Rainforest Cafe Saltgrass Steak House
Notable single location restaurants Grand Concourse Jake's Famous Crawfish Skates on the Bay (Berkeley, CA) T-Rex Cafe Yak & Yeti Clinkerdagger
Entertainment properties
Amusement parks and boardwalks Kemah Boardwalk: The company owns a boardwalk in Kemah, Texas. The Kemah Boardwalk, a 60-acre Texas Gulf Coast theme park in Kemah, Texas, approximately 30 miles southeast of Downtown Houston, Texas. The Boardwalk is built entirely along the shores of Galveston Bay and Clear Lake, and is considered among the premier boardwalks in the United States. The complex is owned and operated by Landry's, Inc., and is home to more than ten restaurants; a collection of rides; midway games; attractions; a boutique hotel; a charter yacht; a 400-slip marina; and multiple shops. There is no charge to walk around on the boardwalk. Tickets for rides can be purchased individually, or all-day ride passes are available. Restaurants on the boardwalk include Landry's Seafood; Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.; Saltgrass Steak House; and Cadillac Bar. Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier: a Pleasure pier owned by Landry's in Galveston, Texas, United States. Opened in Summer 2012, it has 1 roller coaster, 15 rides, as well as carnival games and souvenir shops.
Other properties
Since the 1990s, Landry's has expanded to real estate holdings beyond dining and hospitality. The Post Oak: Fertitta broke grounds on a mixed-use skyscraper in Houston that will accommodate the company's headquarters. The building includes hotel rooms, residential rooms, and office buildings. Post Oak Motor Cars: The company owns and operates Post Oak Motor Cars, Ltd., the largest factory-authorized Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and Bentley Motors dealership on the Gulf Coast. Landry's Crawford Boxes: Landry's, Inc., owns the naming rights to the left field bleachers at Daikin Park, the home of Major League Baseball's Houston Astros. The Landry's Crawford Boxes are so named because they parallel Downtown Houston's Crawford Street. Any fan catching a home run receives a gift card to Landry's, Inc. restaurants. Tower of the Americas (originally built for HemisFair '68): Landry's, Inc., operates Tower of the Americas, a 750-foot San Antonio, Texas, landmark. At the top of the tower, guests can dine at Chart House Restaurant. Other attractions include summer concert series; a 4D Texas ride; and an observation level.
Aquariums Landry's, Inc., owns aquariums in Houston, Denver, Nashville, and Kemah, Texas. All aquariums contain restaurants branded in Landry's Aquarium subsidiary. Downtown Aquarium, Houston: a public aquarium and restaurant located in Houston, Texas, United States, that was developed from two Houston landmarks: Fire Station No. 1 and the Central Waterworks Building. The aquarium is located on a site at 410 Bagby St. in downtown Houston. It houses over 200 species of aquatic animals in of aquariums. The complex includes two restaurants, a bar, and banquet facilities. The Downtown Aquarium in Houston is owned and operated by Landry's, Inc., and accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).