KATY, Texas (Covering Katy News) — The Katy restaurant that launched Tilman Fertitta's multibillion-dollar hospitality empire has closed after 45 years of operation.
Landry's Seafood House at 22215 Katy Freeway, the original location that became the foundation for Landry's Inc., closed in late December. The restaurant's iconic marquee, similar to what you'd see at an old-school movie theater, has been removed.
The restaurant was located along the Interstate 10 east feeder road between Highway 99 and South Mason Road, next to Little Woodrow's, a popular casual dining and sports bar.
The Houston Chronicle reported that a Landry's executive said the company plans to relocate to a new site in the area.
Covering Katy News
This message is posted on the front door of Landry's former Katy location.
How the Landry brothers started the restaurant in 1980
Brothers Bill and Floyd Landry opened the first Landry's Seafood Inn and Oyster Bar at the location in 1980. The restaurant, which later changed its name to Landry's Seafood House, featured a casual atmosphere with a horseshoe bar and a diverse menu showcasing Gulf of Mexico seafood, from broiled speckled trout to frog legs.
Fertitta was an early partner in the venture and gained majority control of the Katy restaurant in 1986. He became sole owner two years later after buying out the Landry brothers and other investors.
How Tilman Fertitta built a hospitality empire from Katy
The Katy location proved instrumental in launching what would become a hospitality giant. After taking sole ownership, Fertitta standardized operations and menu offerings to create a repeatable concept positioned for national expansion.
"The Company seeks to set industry standards, not follow them," the Landry's Inc website says.
In 1993, Fertitta incorporated the venture as Landry's Seafood Restaurants Inc. and took the company public, raising capital for aggressive expansion through the 1990s and early 2000s.
"Location, location, location is part of the secret to our success," Fertitta said in an interview with Total Food Service. "In addition, our systems and controls are as good as anyone's in the restaurant business."
The success of the single Katy restaurant became the starting point for a corporation that now owns and operates more than 600 locations across various brands and industries, including hospitality, gaming and entertainment.
The company did not provide a timeline for when a new restaurant might open or where it would be located.