Fertitta Entertainment, the parent company of Golden Nugget/ Landry’s, and Fast Acquisition Corp. have agreed to merge and become a publicly listed company. Tilman Fertitta, sole owner of Fertitta, will continue to lead the Golden Nugget/Landry’s empire and serve as the chairman/president/CEO of Fertitta Entertainment.
The Houston-based multinational, diversified gaming, restaurant, hospitality and entertainment company includes the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino and several restaurant chains. Brands include Landry’s Seafood House, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Rainforest Cafe, Morton’s The Steakhouse, The Oceanaire Seafood Room, McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood, Chart House, Joe’s Crab Shack and Saltgrass Steak House.
Landry’s had been a public company from 1993 until Fertitta took it private in 2010. The company’s recent restaurant acquisitions include Del Frisco’s and Houlihan’s in 2019, and Cadillac Ranch and The Palm restaurants in 2020.
Fast Acquisition Corp., led by founder Doug Jacob and CEO Sandy Beall, is a hospitality-focused, special purpose acquisition company based in New York. Beall is one of the founders of Ruby Tuesday, the restaurant brand started in Knoxville, TN, in 1972. Ruby Tuesday filed for bankruptcy protection this past October.