Shubert Organization Acquires Iconic Broadway Restaurant Sardi's

The Shubert Organization, Broadway's largest theater owner, has purchased Sardi's, the historic restaurant at 234 West 44th Street, from longtime owner Max Klimavicius. The restaurant closed on June 24, 2025, for renovations and will reopen in November under a new operator, though it retains its name, celebrity caricatures, and historic dining room. Klimavicius, who arrived from Colombia in 1974 as a kitchen assistant and later became partner and sole owner, sold to ensure the legacy's continuity. The Shubert Organization has owned the building since Sardi's opened in the 1920s. The more than 1,000 caricatures, appraised at $6.9 million in 2020, will be stored during construction. The restaurant's future employment for its 70-something staff is uncertain; returning workers may need to reapply. The sale was prompted partly by renewed interest from Ethan Hawke's Oscar-nominated 2025 film "Blue Moon," set at Sardi's. The renovated restaurant is expected to reopen alongside the Shubert Theatre's production of "Galileo" starring Raúl Esparza.