Nightlife veteran Richie Romero opens three new – Business News
Nightlife veteran Richie Romero is opening three new eateries as he continues to put the “dark energy” world of intercourse, drink and medicines that surrounded him during his club-running days behind him, he informed Side Dish.
His newest tasks come as his ex-partner within the Butter Group, Richie Akiva, was lately arrested on assault prices – allegations that shocked the membership scene the duo as soon as dominated with 1OAK and Up & Down in New York City, together with outposts in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
“The drugs, the alcohol, and adultery” that surrounded Romero finally “became too much,” he informed The Post, including that he himself has by no means carried out medication and has had “maybe two” alcoholic drinks previously 20 years.
Nightlife veteran Richie Romero is opening three new eateries. “The drugs, the alcohol, and adultery” that surrounded Romero finally “became too much,” he informed The Post Stephen Yang
“I didn’t want to be in that environment. I don’t want to be around messed up, comatose people,” he added.
He mentioned he step by step stopped going out late after getting married in 2022.
Akiva and an confederate allegedly broke into a man’s home and mercilessly beat him final month, resulting in prices that Akiva denies.
Romero’s partnership with Akiva resulted in 2020, with Romero saying there was by no means any dangerous blood between them and his own nightlife exit was gradual.
Richie Akiva taken into custody final yr. Romero’s partnership with Akiva resulted in 2020, with Romero saying there was by no means any dangerous blood between them and his own nightlife exit was gradual. BrosNYC / BACKGRID
“Every time my phone rang, I’d cringe. There’d always be someone’s need or a drama. Every partnership was like that – the self-interests of so many different people,” Romero recounted. “I couldn’t deal with it anymore.
“I made some people multimillionaires and they wanted to harm me. There was too much jealousy and greed.”
He’s now launching the intimate Wagyu Room, in a Nomad resort suite; The Eighth, an upscale cocktail lounge and restaurant in Chelsea; and a new outpost of Sushi by Bou, within the East Village.
Romero already owns 21 Sushi by Bou outposts. Richard Oliveira
The Wagyu Room opens this Saturday in partnership with Palm Beach Meats, a combo gourmand market-retailer-restaurant from Eric and Meghan San Pedro that acquired a 2025 Michelin Bib Gourmand award.
It’s Romero’s first meat-only omakase expertise – positioned in a suite at Hotel 32 32 in Midtown.
The Wagyu Room takes up simply the one suite and gives a four-seat omakase expertise, plus an out of doors bar and sitting space. A ten-course meal runs $150 per particular person.
You can e-book it with associates or for 2 {couples}. Romero famous that {couples} who go in not figuring out one another typically finish up associates.
The Wagyu Room opens this Saturday in partnership with Palm Beach Meats, a combo gourmand market-retailer-restaurant from Eric and Meghan San Pedro that acquired a 2025 Michelin Bib Gourmand award. Hassan Mokaddam
“I believe there is a niche for meat eaters. There’s meat eaters who don’t eat fish,” Romero mentioned of his tackle omakase.
Another new enterprise from Romero, The Eighth, opens Feb. 20 after a delicate opening for New York Fashion Week with high profile occasions together with a dinner hosted by prime fashion designer Christian Siriano.
The identify relies on a novel concept – “the concept is that this is the eighth night of the week,” Romero mentioned.
Another new enterprise from Romero, The Eighth, opens Feb. 20. Legeard Studio
The restaurant will characteristic three nightly “cocktail and bite ceremonies” at 8 pm (to “awaken”), 10 pm (to “indulge”), and midnight (for the “unknown”) – with the bar designed as an altar. Each ceremony will offer curated cocktail tastings and paired bites.
The spot is the place restaurant Motel Morris as soon as stood at seventeenth Street and Seventh Avenue. It can have 40 restaurant seats plus 20 spots on the bar, headed by mixologist Evelyn Atheris, of Thyme and Zou Zou
Kingston, Jamaica-born Chef Kat Williams will create small plates and bites to enrich the bar expertise. Signature dishes embody jerk wings and a honey and scallop crudo.
The restaurant will characteristic three nightly “cocktail and bite ceremonies.” Legeard Studio
Eighth will open the place restaurant Motel Morris as soon as stood at seventeenth Street and Seventh Avenue. Legeard Studio
The design-heavy restaurant consists of a VIP space and DJ sales space wrapped in fake snakeskin, a disco ball and infinity gentle mirror.
Romero – who beforehand voiced reservations about deepening his business ties to NYC within the wake of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s election – is launching The Eighth in partnership with inside designers Julien Legeard and Valmira Gashi of Legeard Studio. Romero is The Eighth’s advertising and model advisory companion.
Romero already owns 21 Sushi by Bou outposts, and the newest is coming to the East Village quickly.
“It looks as if you are walking into a thrift shop, but it’s just a front in order to enter the eatery,” Romero says, including that the 500-square-foot space options a “secret” karaoke room and a secret “Wayne’s World”-themed room for personal eating.
“Each Sushi by Bou has a different theme, like a [Quentin] Tarantino film,” Romero mentioned, including that themes at different areas embody 90s hip-hop, disco, the Roaring 20s and Tokyo Alley.
Interior designers Julien Legeard and Valmira Gashi of Legeard Studio. Matt Harrington
Romero already owns 21 Sushi by Bou outposts, and the newest is coming to the East Village quickly. Richard Oliveira
“This is the first one that’s themed for rock-and-roll. I only wear rock-and-roll t-shirts,” he mentioned.
About a dozen more Sushi by Bou outposts are opening across the nation this yr, Romero mentioned.
We hear… that Mark Barak — founder of the La Pecora Bianca Group, which has six well-liked La Pecora Bianca areas in Manhattan, together with Mama Mezze — is opening a splashy Italian restaurant. Giuletta is set to open Monday on the MetLife Building on Park Avenue.
It is impressed by the Mediterranean delicacies of the Riviera and the Amalfi Coast, in addition to its New York City architectural environment. The 11,000-square-foot space comes with 275 seats; there’s an extra 6,000 sq. toes of out of doors space with 100 seats.
Giuletta is set to open Monday on the MetLife Building on Park Avenue.
Giulietta says it will likely be open for the whole lot from “morning espresso and fresh pastries to crudi, house-made pastas and Neapolitan-style pizzas,” all led by culinary director Ed Scarpone. In April, the Giardino at Giulietta will open as a standalone, seasonal out of doors aperitivo bar and garden for more than 150 people. Think frozen drinks, pizzas, small bites and cocktails on faucet. It will then turn out to be a heated “chalet-style” spot in winter.
Willet’s Corner at 420 Amsterdam Ave. is now open for lunch. Patrick Dolande
We hear… that Willet’s Corner at 420 Amsterdam Ave. is now open for lunch. The eatery — from Ken and Jill Halberg, of the now-shuttered Harding’s in Flatiron — is helmed by government chef Joel Zaragoza, previously of Harding’s. The Mediterranean-style menu highlights embody fig toast topped with whipped ricotta; roasted Za’atar cauliflower, seared Ahi tuna and French Dip sandwiches, in addition to pastas and salads just like the Umami, with shredded cabbage, toasted cashews and pickled candy peppers in a hoisin French dressing and the Harvest, with farro, sliced inexperienced apple, cheddar, walnuts and an apple cider French dressing.
