Chicago Restaurant Group Maple Hospitality Is Opening an NYC Restaurant | Eater NY

"A yet-to-be-named restaurant from Maple Hospitality Group is slated to open in a 12,000-square-foot space at 1290 Sixth Avenue at West 51st Street (1290 Avenue of the Americas) in Midtown, in an office building developed by Vornado amid redevelopment around Penn Station. The Chicago group behind one of the city’s fanciest steakhouses is behind the expansion; the new outpost may become a branch of that steakhouse, joining locations in Scottsdale and Miami (the Miami site is set to open in March). The initial report came from the New York Post, and Eater has reached out for more information. According to the Post, President Donald Trump has a 30 percent stake in the Manhattan building. The 1290 Avenue of the Americas address already houses tenants such as taqueria chain Dos Toros from Tilman Fertitta’s Landry’s, fast-casual cafe Global Kitchen, chain Just Salad, fast-casual pizzeria mini-chain Simo Pizza, and a Starbucks. Vornado previously oversaw redevelopment of the nearby Penn One complex, which includes restaurants like Brooklyn pizzeria Roberta’s’ first Manhattan location, another branch of Los Tacos No. 1, and Blue Ribbon Sushi & Steak. The original group behind the steakhouse, What If Syndicate, experienced internal legal battles: co-founders David Pisor and Jim Lasky sued each other in 2022 and split the company in 2023; Lasky and co-founder chef Danny Grant formed Maple Hospitality Group to oversee the steakhouse brand and some Dallas restaurants. In 2023 another lawsuit filed by “estranged investors” accused Lasky of using Paycheck Protection Program money to finance a private jet; Lasky called it "a frivolous and vexatious lawsuit" and "an attempt to gain publicity." In the fall of 2024 Maple Hospitality Group told Crain’s that expansion plans include openings in Miami, Boston, Santa Barbara, and New York." - Nadia Chaudhury