Tilman Fertitta Eyes Zero Bond Acquisition

Zero Bond, the famed Noho nightclub that counts power players like Mayor Eric Adams among its regulars, may soon have a new owner.

Texas-based billionaire Tilman Fertitta is in negotiations to purchase the members-only club, Eater NY reported. Fertitta is discussing buying out the original investors of the hotspot. A spokesperson for Fertitta acknowledged the negotiations, but told the publication there was “no deal at this time.”

A representative for the restaurateur did not immediately respond to a separate request for comment from The Real Deal. The negotiations were first reported by upstart media outlet Breaker.

Under a potential deal, Scott Sartiano and Will Makris would retain their equity in the club and continue leading its operations.

Sartiano and Fertitta are already working together on a second Zero Bond location at Wynn Resorts in Las Vegas; there were rumors Sartiano was eyeing a Zero Bond in East Hampton, but fears of locals went unrealized when the proprietors of Palm Beach’s Colony Hotel purchased the Hedges Inn.

Fertitta would also be in line to back Sartiano’s eponymous restaurant at the Mercer Hotel in Soho.

While Fertitta is a partner in Catch Hospitality Group, the restaurateur is acting alone in his reported pursuit of Zero Bond. Fertitta also acted independently in the fall when he paid $30 million to acquire the Keens Steakhouse brand and its Midtown Manhattan location.

Catch’s recent moves in New York City include deals for former seafood restaurant Principe, the Corner Store in Soho and a lease for the Frog Club.

Fertitta is the chief executive officer of Landry’s, a Houston-based hospitality brand known for Morton’s The Steakhouse, The Palm, Rainforest Cafe and Dos Caminos. President Donald Trump nominated the Houston Rockets owner to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Italy.

In 2012, Forbes named Feritta the “world’s richest restaurateur.” Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index estimates Fertitta’s net worth at $16 billion. Since late 2023, Fertitta’s been on a buying spree, snapping up assets near his Houston properties.

— Holden Walter-Warner