Billionaire casino and restaurant tycoon Tilman Fertitta has acquired New York City's historic Keens Steakhouse for $30 million, adding to his impressive portfolio of high-end dining establishments.

Established in 1885 by Albert Keen, the iconic steakhouse occupies a 16,000-square-foot property in Midtown Manhattan near Herald Square. The restaurant is renowned for its 26-ounce mutton chops (now made with lamb) and has hosted notable figures including Theodore Roosevelt and Babe Ruth through its famous Pipe Club.

Fertitta, whose net worth exceeds $10 billion, purchased the restaurant independently rather than through his restaurant company Landry's, which owns Morton's the Steakhouse, Del Frisco's, and Mastro's. The steakhouse was previously owned by the estate of George Schwarz, a radiation oncologist who bought and renovated the establishment in 1978.

Bonnie Jenkins, Keens' General Manager, expressed confidence that Fertitta will preserve the restaurant's historic legacy. Fertitta himself promised that Keens will "continue to be one of the best experiences in New York City."

The restaurateur also owns the Houston Rockets NBA team, the Golden Nugget casino chain, and recently became Wynn Resorts' largest shareholder. He is currently developing a new 43-story, 2,420-room casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip.

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