Sardi’s Sold to the Shuberts; Will Undergo Renovations
Sardi’s Sold to the Shuberts; Will Undergo Renovations
#1Sardi’s Sold to the Shuberts; Will Undergo Renovations
Posted: 3/27/26 at 8:24am
Max Klimavicius, who rose from kitchen expediter to become the sole owner after 33 years, is exiting the stage, selling the Sardi’s name (as well as all kitchen fixtures and more than 1,000 caricatures) to the Shubert Organization, the theater company giant that is also his landlord. Mr. Klimavicius declined to disclose the financial details, though he said the restaurant’s art was appraised in 2020 at $6.9 million.
He will continue to run the business until June 24. Sardi’s will then close for several months for renovations, but not a redesign, Mr. Klimavicius emphasized. He was assured that the walls of celebrity caricatures weren’t going anywhere (other than to temporary storage)
Gift link from NYTimes here
BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#2Sardi’s Sold to the Shuberts; Will Undergo Renovations
Posted: 3/27/26 at 10:28am
And chill folks, the restaurant interior and exterior will remain intact. Benches, tables, decor will all remain as it was. Only the famous caricature artwork has been taken down to protect them and will all go back to their original spots. They are simply upgrading the kitchen, the plumbing, the electrical, etc - which haven’t been upgraded in years. The Shubert Organization is respecting Sardi’s legacy and not tampering with its legendary layout, etc.
MasterThespian 2
Stand-by Joined: 3/22/22
#3Sardi’s Sold to the Shuberts; Will Undergo Renovations
Posted: 3/27/26 at 10:30am
Hope they also upgrade the quality of the food.
BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#4Sardi’s Sold to the Shuberts; Will Undergo Renovations
Posted: 3/27/26 at 10:41am
MasterThespian 2 said: "Hope they also upgrade the quality of the food."
You’re not kidding. Thankfully this was addressed and they say the menu will keep the iconic items but to expect changes. I’m thrilled with this as I’ve been going to Sardi’s since I was a kid in the 70s and there really was no effort in freshening things up. They’ve been in robot mode for decades with no changes.
Zeppie2022
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/12/22
#5Sardi’s Sold to the Shuberts; Will Undergo Renovations
Posted: 3/27/26 at 10:57am
"I have not been there in years and to be honest I was disappointed the last time I was there. We went there for lunch and when we arrived there was nobody checking people in. It took almost 15 minutes to be seated which considering the place had just opened is not good. The waiter we had acted like he hated his job and had no personality at all. The worst thing was I ordered salmon and when I started to eat it saw it was raw/not cooked. I mentioned it to the waiter, and he took the plate away and did not even apologize. He came back fairly quickly with another dish, and the salmon was very good. I must admit I was shocked to see people wearing shorts there. Sard's used to be place you had to be dressed up to dine there. I get times have changed, it just caught me off guard for a minute. Like others have mentioned over the years, the new caricatures are not as good as they once were. Thanks for the gift link to the NY Times article.
#6Sardi’s Sold to the Shuberts; Will Undergo Renovations
Posted: 3/27/26 at 11:03am
A new caricature artist is sorely needed. In recent years, they've often barely resembled their subjects.
GottaGetAGimmick420
Broadway Star Joined: 12/9/23
#7Sardi’s Sold to the Shuberts; Will Undergo Renovations
Posted: 3/27/26 at 11:09am
As long as they keep the crackers and cheese at the bar -- I will be okay
ErmengardeStopSniveling
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/18
#8Sardi’s Sold to the Shuberts; Will Undergo Renovations
Posted: 3/27/26 at 11:43am
Kad said: "A new caricature artist is sorely needed. In recent years, they've often barely resembled their subjects."
I agree wholeheartedly.
This is a natural step for the restaurant and for Shubert as their landlord. Shubert has near-unlimited money and Sardi’s is as intrinsic to that company’s culture and history as some of its theatres.
Like Jeffrey Seller & co. taking over the Drama Bookshop, sometimes it’s much better for the longevity of a business to have a theatre-loving corporation as owner.
Given that the Shubert honchos dine and drink there many times a week, that’s a good sign that the existing bartenders and servers will be offered jobs upon reopening.
#9Sardi’s Sold to the Shuberts; Will Undergo Renovations
Posted: 3/27/26 at 11:54am
Last time I went (2023, and it had been a minute before that) was the most disappointing experience. My food was absurdly salty and my dining companion’s lasagna was legitimately still frozen in the center. Just like the earlier commenter, waiter just walked away with it and seemed dead behind the eyes. Was a bummer but hope upcoming changes are for the best!
#10Sardi’s Sold to the Shuberts; Will Undergo Renovations
Posted: 3/27/26 at 12:20pm
ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Kad said: "A new caricature artist is sorely needed. In recent years, they've often barely resembled their subjects."
I agree wholeheartedly.
This is a natural step for the restaurant and for Shubert as their landlord. Shubert has near-unlimited money and Sardi’s is as intrinsic to that company’s culture and history as some of its theatres.
Like Jeffrey Seller & co. taking over the Drama Bookshop, sometimes it’s much better for the longevity of a business to have a theatre-loving corporation as owner.
Given that the Shubert honchos dine and drink there many times a week, that’s a good sign that the existing bartenders and servers will be offered jobs upon reopening."
I certainly have qualms about the Shuberts generally, but I can't question their dedication to Broadway and think they will be good stewards of Sardi's. They're the best possible choice of ownership- certainly infinitely better than some corporate hospitality group or, even worse, a private equity firm.
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