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Ahmass Fakahany Brought Wall Street’s Rules to the Restaurant Business

The Altamarea Group founder talks about what Wall Street taught him, his alliance with Major Food Group and why opening in New York is harder than anywhere else he operates.

Ahmass Fakahany, the former Merrill Lynch president and founder of Altamarea Group, now runs 20 restaurants across five countries. This year he opened Piccolo Morini in SoHo, a younger, more casual take on his Morini brand. In 2025, he brought Marea, his Central Park South flagship, to Beverly Hills. He ran a seasonal Marea residency at The Snow Lodge in Aspen from December 2025 through August 2026, and he is the operating partner for Crazy Pizza in New York and East Hampton.

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Through Atelier House Hospitality, his international operator, Fakahany added another Mohalla location and Tezukuri in Dubai, where his 11 Woodfire holds a Michelin star. He also opened SoBo 20, a New Orleans-inspired restaurant in Mumbai, to join Camillo’s and INJA in New Delhi. He is opening Scarpa next in Gurgaon, India, and he licenses Morini in Istanbul and Riyadh. Back home, Marea New York remains the group’s hardest table. Prime 6:30-to-8:30 p.m. reservations often book weeks out, according to the company, and seats are also sold through Dorsia at a $185-per-person minimum.

Fakahany, a 2026 Nightlife & Dining Power List honoree, talked to Observer........

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