Business Finance Media Technology Policy Wealth Insights Interviews

Art Art Fairs Art Market Art Reviews Auctions Galleries Museums Interviews

Lifestyle Nightlife & Dining Style Travel Interviews

Power Lists Nightlife & Dining Art A.I. PR

About About Observer Advertise With Us Reprints

Tilman Fertitta Will Wait for What Matters

Tilman Fertitta, a 2026 Nightlife & Dining Power List honoree, talked to Observer about his first job in Galveston, why struggling restaurants fail and why he never says “never” about a deal.

Tilman Fertitta is about to own Caesars Palace, and he still bends down for litter. “To this day, I am not too proud to pick up a piece of trash off the floor,” he told Observer. He learned that as a teenager in his father’s seafood restaurant in Galveston, Texas, peeling shrimp, clearing tables and talking to customers. “Whether it’s running a restaurant or running an embassy, that’s the whole key,” he said. “Pay attention to the little things.”

Sign Up For Our Daily Newsletter

Thank you for signing up!

By clicking submit, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge we may use your information to send you emails, product samples, and promotions on this website and other properties. You can opt out anytime.

The embassy is real. Fertitta has spent the past year as U.S. ambassador to Italy while the businesses he built kept growing. In May, he agreed to buy Caesars Entertainment for about $17.6 billion, including roughly $11.9 billion in assumed debt. Shareholders approved the deal in September, and it now awaits FTC and gaming approvals. Landry’s, with more than 60 restaurant concepts and more than 600 properties, projects $4 billion in revenue for 2026. He also owns the Houston Rockets, and in........

© Observer