End of a (Short) Era: Morton's Closes in Downtown BK
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…
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
As someone who has resided in Brooklyn her entire life, I loved Morton’s at this location. Sad to see it go. The waitstaff was nice and the food was fine.I hope it doesn’t meet the fate of Gage & Tollner, another great eatery which has now become the location of a gaudy jewelry store. Morton’s will be missed by many.
As someone who has resided in Brooklyn her entire life, I loved Morton’s at this location. Sad to see it go. The waitstaff was nice and the food was fine.I hope it doesn’t meet the fate of Gage & Tollner, another great eatery which has now become the location of a gaudy jewelry store. Morton’s will be missed by many.
DIBS not in my experience, which I am fairly certain is far broader in this area than yours.
DIBS not in my experience, which I am fairly certain is far broader in this area than yours.
This place was sleepy and mediocre, although the bar looked popular with a certain set. The food was so-so, the waiters were ok, but forced into stupid little passion plays about the haughty, one-step-past fast-food menu. They had a fresh- scrubbed, almost Moonie air about them. The decor was mall-airport lounge. Did I mention overpriced?
Not sure whats going to happen here – an ordinary lease would have had Morton’s Inc responsible for the life of the lease (which had to be more than 3 yrs), and presumably the obligation under the lease passed to the new buyers (Landry) so in an ordinary course of events I would expect to see Landry open up another one of its brands in this location.
The only other possibility (raised by the abrupt closing of this restaurant immediately upon change in ownership) could be that Morton’s somehow got a clause in their leases that says in the event of a sale of the parent, the lease can be terminated. It would be an odd provision but supported by the odd facts.
No one from the Heights goes over there. They just don’t. Easier to hop a cab and go to Manhattan.
by a cheesecake factory “killing” here, are you referring to the fat and sugar content of their food?
I’m not a 1 percenter but I am a 10 percenter (I hope) and we often hop on cabs. Of course it is easy to find yellow cabs in the Heights, not so easy in other Brooklyn nabes.