Landry's, Inc.

Landry's, Inc.

Type	Private
Industry	Restaurants, Entertainment & Hospitality industry
Founded	Houston, Texas
Headquarters	Houston, Texas
Key people	Tilman J. Fertitta, President & CEO
Products	Casual dining Fine dining Casino Games Entertainment Destinations Resorts
Number of employees
Website	www.landrysinc.com

Landry's Hangar – Hobby Airport, Houston

Landry's, Inc., is an American, privately owned, multi-brand dining, hospitality, entertainment and gaming corporation based in Houston, Texas. Landry's, Inc., owns and operates more than 500 restaurant, hotel, casino and entertainment destinations in 35 states and the District of Columbia. The company also owns and operates numerous international locations.

History

Landry's, Inc., is owned entirely by President & CEO Tilman J. Fertitta, an original partner in the company's first Landry's Seafood, which opened in the Houston suburb of Katy, Texas, in 1980. A year later, Fertitta helped open Willie G's, a seafood restaurant in Houston. In 1986, Fertitta gained controlling interests in both restaurants. He became CEO and took the company public in 1993, with a valuation of $30 million.

Under the leadership of Fertitta, the company expanded. In 2010, already being the majority shareholder, Fertitta acquired all outstanding shares of company stock, gaining sole control and ownership.^[1] By 2011, the company's value had risen to more than $1.7 billion.^[2]

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.^[3] In 2006, Landry's, Inc. sold Joe's Crab Shack, which had grown to more than 120 locations, to J.H. Whitney & Company.^[4] During the decade, the company acquired a number of other restaurants, including The Crab House and Cadillac Bar. Landry's Seafood continued to expand.^[5]

Landry's, Inc., expanded its hospitality and entertainment divisions in 1996, acquiring The San Luis Resort, Spa & Conference Center, a 32-acre beachfront resort on Galveston Island's historic Seawall Boulevard and built on top of the former Fort Crockett.^[6] 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. In total, the San Luis Resort includes 700 guest rooms, 10 restaurants, and 200,000 square feet of event space.^[7]

The company's hospitality division also includes The Westin Houston Downtown in Downtown Houston^[8] and the Boardwalk Inn on the Kemah Boardwalk.^[9] In 1998, the company developed the 35-acre Kemah Boardwalk, with a hotel, marina, more than 10 restaurants and dozens of midway games, amusement rides and attractions.^[2]

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.^[10] In 2002, the company acquired three national restaurants, including Saltgrass Steak House,^[11] Chart House^[12] and Muer Restaurants,^[13] a series of seafood 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.^[14]

In 2005, the company acquired Golden Nugget Hotel & Casinos, with locations in Las Vegas and Laughlin, Nevada.^[15] Landry's, Inc., has since opened two additional locations in Atlantic City, New Jersey,^[16] and Biloxi, Mississippi.^[17] A fifth location opened in Lake Charles, Louisiana, in 2014.^[18]

2010s

In 2010, Landry's, Inc., acquired three new restaurants. Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, a collection of seafood restaurants, is themed on the hit movie Forrest Gump.^[19][20] The company also acquired Claim Jumper, a national chain of family restaurants.^[21] The Oceanaire, a national collection of seafood restaurants, is renowned for flying in fresh fish daily.^[22]

In 2011, Landry's bought two more restaurants – McCormick & Schmick's Seafood & Steaks^[23] and Morton's The Steakhouse.^[24]

In 2012, the company expanded its entertainment division, with the opening of the Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier.^[25]

In 2013, Landry's acquired Mastro's restaurants.^[26]

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.^[27]

Properties and subsidiaries

Properties

The Crawford Boxes

Landry's, Inc. operates the Tower of the Americas in San Antonio.

Since the 1990s, Landry's has expanded to real estate holdings beyond dining and hospitality.

• The Post Oak (under construction): Fertitta broke grounds on a mixed use skyscraper in Houston that will go alongside the company's headquarters. The building will include 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.^[28]
• Landry's Crawford Boxes: Landry's, Inc., owns the naming rights to the left field bleachers at Minute Maid Park, the home of Major League Baseball's Houston Astros. The Landry's Crawford Boxes are so named because they run parallel to Downtown Houston's Crawford Street. Any fan catching a home run receives a gift certificate to Landry's, Inc., restaurants.^[29]
• Tower of the Americas: 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^[30] and an observation level.^[31]

Aquariums

Landry's, Inc. owns aquariums in Houston, Denver, Nashville, and the Houston suburb of Kemah, Texas. All aquariums contain restaurants branded in Landry's Aquarium subsididary.

• 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 6-acre (2.4 ha) site at 410 Bagby St. in downtown Houston. It houses over 200 species of aquatic animals in 500,000 US gallons (1,900,000 l) 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).
• Downtown Aquarium, Denver: a public aquarium and restaurant located in Denver, Colorado at the intersection of I-25 and 23rd Ave. The 107,000 square feet (9,900 m²) main building sits on a 17-acre (6.9 ha) site adjacent to the South Platte River. Its freshwater and marine aquaria total approximately 1,000,000 US gallons (3,785,000 l), and exhibit a variety of fish and other animals. The Downtown Aquarium in Denver is owned and operated by Landry's Restaurants, Inc.,^[32] and is the largest aquarium between Chicago and California.^[33] It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
• Nashville: Landry's operates a 200,000 gallon Aquarium in Nashville that contains a variety of fish, sharks and stingrays. The aquarium operated the Aquarium branded restaurants.
• Kemah, Texas: Inside the Kemah Boardwalk (also owned by Landry's, Inc.), the company operates an aquarium and restaurant.

Pier

• Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier: a Pleasure pier owned by Landry's in the Houston suburb of Galveston, Texas, United States. Opened in Summer 2012, it has 1 roller coaster, 15 rides, carnival games and souvenir shops.^{[34][35][36][37][38]}

Boardwalk

• Kemah Boardwalk: The company owns a boardwalk in the Houston suburb of Kemah, Texas. The Kemah Boardwalk a 60-acre Texas Gulf Coast theme park in Kemah,Texas,^[39] approximately 30 miles southeast of Downtown Houston, Texas. The Boardwalk is built entirely along the shores of Galveston Bay and Clear Lake,^[40] and is considered among the premier boardwalks in the United States.^[41] The complex is owned and operated by Landry's, Inc., and is home to more than 10 restaurants, a collection of rides, midway games, attractions, a boutique hotel, a charter yacht, a 400-slip marina and multiple shops.^[42] 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,Cadillac Bar and many others.^[43]

Casinos

Golden Nugget Lake Charles in Lake Charles.

• Golden Nugget Hotels & Casinos: In 2005, Landry's, Inc. acquired Golden Nugget Hotels & Casinos, at the time having locations in Las Vegas and Laughlin, Nevada. Since then Landry's expanded the brand to Atlantic City, New Jersey, Biloxi, Mississippi, and Lake Charles, Louisiana.
  • Golden Nugget Atlantic City
  • Golden Nugget Lake Charles: a 242-acre waterfront casino resort in Lake Charles, Louisiana, U.S.A.,^[44] owned and operated by Houston-based Landry's, Inc. The resort features 740 guest rooms and suites housed in a 25-story tower, an 18-hole golf course, 30,000-square-feet of meeting space, more than a dozen dining and bar options, a private beach, marina, spa & salon, retail corridor and expansive 24-hour casino floor.^[45]
  • Golden Nugget Las Vegas: a luxury hotel and casino located in Las Vegas, Nevada on the Fremont Street Experience. The property is owned and operated by Landry's, Inc.^[46] It is the largest casino in the downtown area, with a total of 2,419 deluxe guest rooms and suites.^[47]
  • Golden Nugget Laughlin: an American casino-resort located on the banks of the Colorado River in Laughlin, Nevada, owned and operated by Landry's, Inc.^[48][49] The tropical-themed resort offers a number of restaurants, 300 guest rooms and suites, an expansive casino floor and dedicated meeting space. Golden Nugget offers water taxi service from Bullhead City, Arizona, on the opposite side of the river.^[50][51]
  • Golden Nugget Biloxi: A casino property located in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Cruise

• Boardwalk FantaSea: A Houston area cruise line offering public and private cruise lines that travel through the Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.

Hospitality

• Blue Water Inn
• Boardwalk Inn
• Hilton Galveston Island Resort
• Holiday Inn Resort Galveston – On the Beach
• The Westin Houston Downtown
• The Villas at San Luis Resort
• San Luis Resort, Spa & Conference Center

Dining

In addition to all properties, Landry's started out operating restaurant and has acquired many restaurant brands since:

See also

• List of seafood restaurants

References

External links

• Landry's Inc. web site