Morton's The Steakhouse is a chain of steak restaurants with locations in the United States and

franchised Franchise may refer to: Business and law * Franchising, a business method that involves licensing of trademarks and methods of doing business to franchisees * Franchise, a privilege to operate a type of business such as a cable television p ...

abroad, founded in Chicago in 1978. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of

Landry's Landry's, Inc., is an American, privately owned, multi-brand dining, hospitality, entertainment and gaming corporation headquartered in Houston, Texas. Landry's, Inc. owns and operates more than 600 restaurants, hotels, casinos and entertainmen ...

History

Morton's was co-founded in 1978 by Arnold J. Morton and Klaus Fritsch. Before they became friends and restaurant entrepreneurs, Morton and Fritsch worked together at the Playboy Club in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. While the club was in the process of changing its menu, Fritsch prepared a hamburger for Morton to sample. Morton said the burger was the best he'd ever tasted. Together, they opened Morton's of Chicago in

Newberry Plaza Newberry Plaza is a full amenity luxury skyscraper located in the affluent Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. It was named after the Newberry Library that once operated at its location. The complex was completed in 1974 and has 57 floo ...

in Downtown Chicago. The original location closed in November 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 1987, Morton's, then with $15 million in sales and nine restaurants throughout the United States, was sold for $12.4 million to the venture capital firm Quantum Restaurant Group, Inc. in partnership with the Baltimore brokerage house Alex. Brown & Sons. Fritsch stayed on as president. In December 2011,

Tilman Fertitta Tilman Joseph Fertitta (born 1957) is an American billionaire businessman and television personality. He is the chairman, CEO, and owner of Landry's, Inc. He also owns the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s Houston Rockets. Fertitta is cha ...

, President, CEO and sole owner of Landry's, Inc., announced his company had acquired all of Morton's stock, assuming complete ownership. In 2012, Landry's completed the acquisition and moved company operations to its own headquarters in Houston.

Special events

Some Morton's locations host ESPN’s "Lunch with a Legend" series, where guests dine and interact with current and former athletes. These have included

Dwyane Wade Dwyane Tyrone Wade Jr. (; born January 17, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. Wade spent the majority of his 16-year career playing for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and won three NBA champi ...

, Bobby Hull,

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, Tony Stewart, Elgin Baylor and others. Morton's also hosts "Celebrity Server" events to raise funds for local foundations and charities. Local celebrities, including Larry Fitzgerald, Jim Furyk,

Jack Nicklaus Jack William Nicklaus (born January 21, 1940), nicknamed The Golden Bear, is a retired American professional golfer and List of golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, golf course designer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest go ...

and Jonathan Vilma act as waiters at these special events.

Support for Brett Kavanaugh

In July 2022, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh attended a dinner at Morton's location in Washington, DC, but left before his dessert course due to the presence of pro-abortion protesters from the activist group "

ShutDownDC ShutdownDC is an activist organization in the Washington metropolitan area. ShutdownDC formed originally in 2019 as a coalition of climate activists concerned with the climate crisis, aiming to snarl traffic in the city to demand action on the ...

" demanding his removal. Kavanaugh reportedly did not see, hear, or encounter the protestors, nor was harassed in any way. Nonetheless, Morton's was "outraged" and sided with Kavanaugh in a press statement, citing what it termed a "right to congregate and eat dinner". Morton's was subsequently targeted by pro-abortion rights activists, receiving a flood of fake reservations. Morton's Chief Operating Officer acknowledged that the company's statement was extremely unpopular, and reportedly told restaurant managers that "Currently we are experiencing a massive wave (trending at #2 on social media now) of negative response to our comments yesterday."

Affiliates

* Bubba Gump Shrimp Company *

Cadillac Bar The Cadillac Motor Car Division () is a division (business), division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM) that designs and builds luxury vehicles. Its major markets are the United States, Canada, and China. Cadillac mode ...

* Landry's, Inc. *

Landry's Seafood Landry's, Inc., is an American, privately owned, multi-brand dining, hospitality, entertainment and gaming corporation headquartered in Houston, Texas. Landry's, Inc. owns and operates more than 600 restaurants, hotels, casinos and entertainmen ...

Rainforest Cafe Rainforest Cafe is a jungle-themed restaurant chain owned by Landry's, Inc., of Houston. It was founded by Steven Schussler. The first location opened in the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, on February 3, 1994. By 1997, the chain co ...

References

External links

Headquarters for Landry's Inc.

{{Authority control Landry's Inc. Restaurant chains in the United States Steakhouses in the United States Food and drink companies based in Houston Restaurants established in 1978 Restaurants in Chicago 1978 establishments in Illinois 2012 mergers and acquisitions Morton family (restaurants)