Bye, bye, Redeye.
Fireman Hospitality Group’s Redeye Grill, a Manhattan dining institution since 1995, will serve its last cowboy ribeye steak and shellfish tower on July 12, Realty Check has learned.
CEO Ben Grossman, who’s run the 11-location eatery empire since founder Shelly Fireman passed away at 93 last October, said, “After 30 unforgettable years, we made the difficult decision to close Redeye. We are very grateful for our time here.”
The American brasserie at 890 Seventh Ave. between West 56th and 57th streets was a favorite of audiences at Carnegie Hall across the street. Grossman said business largely rebounded after the pandemic, but, “Our lease was up and although we and [landlord] Vornado talked in good faith, we couldn’t mutually agree on new terms.”
A source said the 2020 lockdown and slower business that followed impacted Redeye more than the other Fireman places. A Vornado rep declined to comment.
What Fireman branded as the “Home of the Famous Dancing Shrimp” was the scene of his well-attended memorial last year which drew Jerry Seinfeld, NYC Hospitality Alliance executive director Andrew Rigie and Vornado chairman Steven Roth.
Grossman emphasized that his other restaurants — from three-year-old Paris Bar on West 57th Street to nearly 40-year-old Trattoria dell’ Arte next door to Redeye — were all doing fine.
In a week that saw a rare, giant mouthful of Manhattan restaurant news, we also learned that widely praised West 10th Street Italian spot L’Artusi is expanding uptown.
It will open next year at Rockefeller Group’s 1271 Sixth Ave., which is home to one of Midtown’s most impressive group of restaurants — Avra Estiatorio, Cuerno and The Capital Grille. L’Artusi will have 6,000 square feet in the former home of Ted’s Montana Grill, the steakhouse that quietly closed last month. It was founded by media mogul Ted Turner whose name was on the lease 20 years ago.
The Sixth Avenue corridor is on fire with full office towers, crowded sidewalks and a growing restaurant collection. L’Artusi managing partner Kevin Garry called the decision to expand there “a response to years of interest in the concept from the Manhattan community.”
CBRE’s Jordan Kaplan represented L’Artusi while CBRE’s Eric Gelber and Rock Group’s Marisa Gadlin acted for the landlord.
Meanwhile, East Side favorite Seafire Grill will move from its home of 14 years at 158 E. 48th St. to a larger location nearby at 216 E. 49th Street this fall. It will have a whopping 456 seats in 12,000 square feet in a striking new design on three floors. The venue will boast eight private dining rooms and a dining garden.
Popular and plush Seafire offers steak and pasta in addition to its extensive seafood menu. The building that will be its new home happens to be owned by Benjamin Sinanaj and Benjamin Prelvukaj, the “two Benjamins” who are also the owners of Seafire Grill and Benjamin’s steakhouses in Manhattan and Westchester.
