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Yesterday afternoon several readers got in touch to let us know that the Downtown Brooklyn location of Morton’s the Steakhouse had shut down, and the news was confirmed by a woman who answered the phone at the restaurant. As the Brooklyn Paper notes, the chain was recently purchased by the Texas-based company Landry’s Inc.. The firm has abruptly closed a few other Morton’s locations, including restaurants in Boston and Atlanta. Here’s what a Landry’s spokeswoman had to say about the Brooklyn shuttering (emphasis ours): “Over time, demographics shift and so do the areas in which businesses thrive and it’s because of this that we must close the Morton’s location in Brooklyn. We will continue to operate Morton’s The Steakhouse in Manhattan on 5th Ave. and White Plains on Maple Ave and look forward to serving our guests at these locations.” Morton’s opened to a great deal of fanfare on Adams Street in late 2008. Does the closing cast a pall on the retail renaissance in Downtown? Not according to a statement from the disinterested parties at the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership: “While it is a sad day for Downtown Brooklyn, there is a still a strong appetite for dining options in the district. A dozen restaurants opened in the area in 2011, nine more coming this year, and Downtown Brooklyn property owners get calls daily from eateries interested in space.” Exhibit A: The thriving Shake Shake steps away from the Morton’s location.
Over, Done: Morton’s Closes [BK Paper] GMAP
Photo by Yogma