2025 Nightlife & Dining Power Index |
During this moment of A.I. and automation and bots and everything changing all at once, the hospitality business is still about human creativity and having the right people in the right place at the right time. If anything, the people on Observer’s Nightlife & Dining Power List are traveling more than ever as they build empires spanning multiple continents. Consider JP and Ellia Park, who run North America’s highest-ranked restaurant, Atomix. In October, they returned to Seoul (where they lived before moving to New York) as de facto culinary ambassadors for the Hansik Conference. Then they came back to Seoul in November for the opening of their first restaurant in Korea, the eponymous JP at Louis Vuitton.
Mario Carbone had the wildest span of his life this year, as he and his core team embarked on what they called the Rigatoni World Tour, opening restaurants in London, Dubai and Las Vegas in back-to-back-to-back months. Elizabeth Blau, who first made her name in Las Vegas, has her eyes on the Middle East as she continues to work on restaurant development for clients like Wynn. Thanks to the curation of Blau, Wynn Al Marjan Island in the United Arab Emirates will boast a dining and nightlife collection including an Alain Ducasse steakhouse and an outpost of Delilah.
Las Vegas, of course, has long been driven by this kind of curation. The goal is bringing in the strongest global brands, including New York’s Cote (at the Venetian) and London’s Gymkhana (at Aria), to create razzle-dazzle experiences powered by luxury dining with elements of nightlife (like the DJ booth and VIP skyboxes at the Las Vegas Cote).
Las Vegas is also where best-in-class operators that focus on accessible dining can flourish. Scarr’s Pizza, which recently opened at the Venetian’s food hall, is a slice joint. But pizzaiolo Scarr Pimentel used to mill his own flour in his New York basement before he found organic flour up to his standards. Din Tai Fung, a Taiwanese soup-dumpling powerhouse that dates back to 1958, now thrives in California, Las Vegas and New York with its open kitchens where guests can see chefs hand-fold dumplings.
There are clearly trend-setters on this list, but one refreshing thing about the top tier of hospitality is that it’s anti-trend. The future of dining and nightlife isn’t ghost kitchens or superfoods or avatar DJs or Instagram-friendly presentations. What’s moving the industry forward is a desire to create new paths. And hospitality, as always, is about the resilience of human beings.
In Los Angeles, where everything from Hollywood strikes to devastating fires to Ozempic to the rise in minimum wage has hobbled the restaurant industry and led to many closures, adept operators continue to cautiously grow. For prolific restaurateur Jerry Greenberg, this means working to debut two locations of spinoff restaurant Cheesesteaks by Matū in L.A. while also planning the expansion of Uovo to New York. Uovo, not incidentally, has become a sensation by serving pasta that’s hand-crafted in Bologna. The human touch clearly still matters a lot.
Across the industry, leaders are grappling with a persistent labor shortage that is reshaping how restaurants and bars operate. As Cherif Mbodji notes, "The biggest challenge remains labor—finding, developing and retaining great people." This sentiment is echoed by Jihan Lee, who cites "finding team members who understand the pace and discipline the industry demands” as a major hurdle. “Younger workers enter with different expectations around balance and commitment, which creates tension in a field built on consistency and resilience,” Lee says. The path forward, many suggest, lies in deeper investment in training, mentorship and treating hospitality as a long-term career. Roni Mazumdar frames it as a fundamental shift in mindset: "Hospitality should be treated as a skilled, sustainable profession, not a passion project held together by burnout." Part of the problem, according to Gavin Kaysen, is that hospitality is a craft that cannot be taught quickly. “It is something you learn over time and with a great amount of practice. We need to meet the generation coming into this profession with empathy, as they are growing up in different times than we did. It does not make our time or their time worse or better, just different.” To do that, JP Park wants the industry to push frameworks that prioritize education, well-being and collaboration among restaurants, producers and cultural institutions. “Many talented individuals are leaving this industry because the system doesn’t support long-term balance or growth,” Park tells Observer. “The future of hospitality will depend on how sincerely we invest in people.”
Hospitality at the highest level, of course, is about creating multiple successful businesses. So whether you’re Strategic Hospitality (the group that has the only three Nashville restaurants with Michelin stars) or MML Hospitality (a dominant force in Austin that recently hired April Bloomfield, expanded Clark’s Oyster Bar all over California and purchased New York’s Nine Orchard hotel) or the New York team behind critical darlings Claud and Penny as well as a forthcoming wine bar, the goal is to always keep things moving at every moment.
In New Orleans, Emeril’s is the only restaurant with two Michelin stars. E.J. Lagasse, the 22-year-old son of the iconic, 66-year-old Emeril Lagasse, is running the kitchen and has turned this restaurant into a next-generation tasting-menu destination. Beyond becoming the youngest chef to helm a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in November (when the first Michelin stars for the American South were awarded), E.J. has had a spectacular year with a glowing New York Times review in October and a spot on the inaugural North America’s 50 Best Restaurants list in September. Sometimes, having the right person in the right place at the right time is as simple as looking within your own family.
Another significant trend is the shift away from alcohol consumption, which is changing beverage programs and business models across the industry. Lisa Limb notes that this has "opened up a whole new avenue for the beverage world" and brought a surge of creativity around spirit-free drinks. But it's also impacting revenue, as Aaron Bludorn points out: "Seeing our revenues decline for many reasons: lower alcohol sales, people spending less in general and dining out less." For an industry traditionally reliant on alcohol sales, adapting to this new reality is a challenge. “Rents are going up, the price of goods is going up, salaries are going up,” Eugene Remm says. “You have to do more with less.” Yet, challenges are also opportunities to innovate. “We need systems that support fair wages, reasonable hours and accessible pathways to ownership, while also encouraging innovation in sourcing, waste reduction, and energy use,” Fidel Caballero says.
Beyond these operational pressures, a growing number of consumers are seeking deeper meaning and story behind their dining experiences. Sofia Ostos captures this shift: “People want to understand why something is on the plate, not just how it tastes.” JP Park wasn’t the only honoree to echo this sentiment, nearly verbatim, noting that diners "want to understand the 'why' behind what's on the plate." In an era of transparency and values-driven consumption, restaurants are being pushed to communicate more sincerely and design experiences that, in Dominique Crenn's words, "feel personal and emotionally textured." Or, as Vijaya Kumar puts it: “Real stories, real flavors and places that feel human.”
Humanity is still the most vital ingredient in hospitality, and that isn’t changing anytime soon.
Ellia and Junghyun 'JP' Park, the visionary co-founders of NA:EUN Hospitality Group, have been instrumental in introducing Korean fine dining to the United States. Their journey began with the opening of Atoboy in July 2016, a restaurant inspired by the concept of banchan, the small side dishes that accompany every Korean meal. The couple's follow-up venture, Atomix, opened in 2018, and their empire expanded with the opening of Naro in Rockefeller Center in 2022 and Seoul Salon in Koreatown in 2023. This year, Atomix was honored with the James Beard Award for Outstanding Hospitality, named the best restaurant in North America and ranked 12th on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list. In fact, it was the only restaurant in the U.S. to make the World’s 50 Best list. The Parks also just debuted their first restaurant in Seoul, JP at Louis Vuitton. Looking ahead, they are set to make their mark on the European stage with the upcoming launch of Kiji, an elevated Korean barbecue experience at the luxury development 60 Curzon in Mayfair, London, next year.
What JP wants in 2026: “I hope 2026 will be a year where the hospitality industry rediscovers sincerity, a return to genuine purpose and craft. For my team and our restaurants, I want to continue building spaces that represent hospitality with depth and emotion, while providing experiences that bring people together across borders. Ultimately, I want our work to contribute to a more thoughtful and balanced global dining landscape.”
If Ellia could time-travel for an epic night out: “I would love to go back to Japan’s Edo period. Not only because I love Japanese cuisine, but also because it was the time when sushi culture and the foundations of modern kaiseki cuisine were developing. I’d like to witness and learn from the evolution of their food culture during that era.”
Last month, Mario Carbone, Rich Torrisi and Jeff Zalaznick debuted Carbone Riviera at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. October saw the introduction of No. 1 Steak, a glitzy prix-fixe steakhouse concept nestled within Sadelle's in Dallas, and the grand opening of Carbone in Dubai at the luxurious Atlantis The Royal. In September, the trio opened Carbone in London. The most recent venture by Major Food Group, announced this week, is a 15,000-square-foot, three-story penthouse in Villa Miami, a 56-story waterfront residential tower slated to open its doors in late 2027. Villa Miami, a collaborative effort with Terra (David Martin) and One Thousand Group (Kevin Venger, Louis Birdman, Michael Konig) marks Major Food Group’s inaugural foray into branded residential towers. The crown jewel of the tower will be The Copper Club, a three-level private club and the group’s first private club conceptualized exclusively for residents. On the ground floor of Villa Miami, Major Food Group will open a waterfront restaurant.
Carbone’s year in three words: “Over the top.”
What Zalaznick wants in 2026: “Charting new territory in vertically integrated hospitality and shifting the paradigm of what is possible.”
What inspired Torrisi this year: “Marrying my wife.”
Lois Freedman, the unsung hero behind Jean-Georges Vongerichten's restaurant empire, has been a driving force in the group's operations and creative direction for four decades. Throughout their enduring partnership, Freedman has played a pivotal role in bringing to life some of the most ambitious projects in the group's portfolio, such as the market- and food hall-inspired Tin Building at New York's historic Seaport and the much-anticipated ABC Kitchens in Dumbo this October—which marked Vongerichten's first foray into Brooklyn. The duo's collaborative efforts have yielded an impressive 60 restaurants worldwide, 14 of which are located in New York City, including the flagship crown jewel, Jean-Georges, the acclaimed farm-to-table ABC Kitchen, ABC Cocina and ABCV. Freedman's influence extends to the group's private clubs, including the perpetually popular Chez Margeaux, which opened last year in New York. As the restaurant group continues to expand, Vongerichten has announced plans to open ABC Kitchen within the upcoming Miami Tropic Residences, a 48-story luxury residential tower in the Design District, set to open in 2028.
What inspired Freeman this year: “To be able to design a restaurant on my own without compromise and have my vision come to life as I imagined it. I approached ABC Kitchens in Dumbo as if designing my home, filling it with objects, furniture and lighting that I've collected over the years. Investing this much of myself personally has been an unexpectedly rewarding experience.”
If Vongerichten could time-travel for an epic night out: “I would love to travel back to France during the days of Louis XIV and be part of one of the grand feasts. Like the movie Vatel but without the tragedy.”
With José Andrés Group (JAG) CEO Sam Bakhshandehpour, José Andrés expanded his empire this year, with the fall opening of Bazaar Meat at The Venetian and Zaytinya in the Bay Area. JAG is set to launch multiple new dining experiences at the W Hotel in Nashville in early 2026, including Zaytinya, Bar Mar and Butterfly—adding to the company’s 40 existing bars and restaurants.
Chef Andrés on his biggest kitchen disaster: “When I was a much, much younger cook, I worked in a restaurant in the small seaside town of Roses on the Costa Brava of Spain. One day, we had a big order from a well-known family in town for a large tray of canelones, a filled pasta that’s often eaten for holidays. I put a huge amount of work into those canelones, making the béchamel and the filling, boiling the pasta, and broiling it all perfectly with cheese. When the family was ready to pick it up, I insisted on presenting the large, heavy tray alone, instead of taking help from a server who had offered. As I walked out the kitchen door, it swung right back … and hit me and the hot, heavy tray out of my hands—and into the restaurant’s fish tank, right in front of the hungry customers, sizzling all the way down! I went straight back into the kitchen and did it again—noodles, bechamel, filling, cheese, and back out in 25 minutes…but learned that I should always, always accept help when it’s offered.”
What Bakhshandehour wants for JAG in 2026: “I aim to prove that the future of hospitality belongs to hotels built around exceptional F&B experiences. We’re eager to showcase a unified food and beverage platform that delivers margin, culture and brand heat better than fragmented partners. It drives both guest emotion and asset value.”
Chef Andrés’ 2025 in three words: “Hello (to new friends and new restaurants) / Goodbye (to my friend Jane Goodall) / Empathy (to build longer tables, not higher walls).”
This year, Simon Kim opened Cote at The Venetian. In 2026, Gracious Hospitality will open its newest project, at 550 Madison, a three-restaurant endeavor which Kim calls “a masterpiece” he’s been developing for four years, “the longest and most meticulous development process we’ve ever undertaken…We’re collaborating with the very best craftsmen—the Olayan Group, David Rockwell, chef Masahiro Yoshitake—and I couldn’t be more excited to finally share what we’ve been building.”
If Kim could time-travel to any era or city in history for one epic night out: “I’d go back to the earliest days of humankind, to understand the most primal ways of eating and drinking. Think: The Jurassic ages, dinosaurs and primates. I’ve always been curious about humankind and how we began celebrating. I’d want to experience sitting around a fire—the original version of dining that civilization didn’t alter.”
If he could switch places with any other leader in dining for 24 hours, it would be: “Thomas Keller—the hallmark of excellence in this industry, truly the barometer and the north star for what exceptional hospitality looks like…The first thing I’d do is visit The French Laundry as him, not just as a guest, but as the owner, and enjoy a dinner while seeing the restaurant through his eyes.”
In June, Chintan Pandya, Roni Mazumdar and Vijaya Kumar’s Semma was crowned the #1 eatery in New York by The Times, and co-owner and executive chef Kumar was honored with the Best Chef: New York State title at the 2025 James Beard Awards. Semma has consistently held a Michelin Star since 2022, a testament to its exceptional cuisine. Unapologetic Foods, led by Pandya and Mazumdar, saw continued success with the relocation of Adda to the East Village in May, following the closure of its Long Island City location. They also announced plans to open another Adda outpost in Philadelphia later this year. Adda, which first opened in 2018, has been instrumental in the rise of Unapologetic Foods' burgeoning empire, which now also encompasses Semma and the critically acclaimed Dhamaka, Naks and Masalawala & Sons.
What Pandya wants in 2026: “For Indian food to keep pushing forward and make it mainstream—more ambition, more respect and no dilution of identity.”
Mazumdar on the biggest shift in consumer preferences: “People want to understand why a dish exists, not just how it tastes. That shift rewards businesses that operate with clarity of purpose, and it’s pushing the industry toward more thoughtful, identity-driven cooking. I want 2026 to be the year the industry fully embraces cultural honesty in food. Not trend-chasing, not watered-down narratives — but real, rooted, personal expressions from chefs and restaurateurs.”
What inspired Kumar this year: “The farmers and producers who keep showing up, no matter how chaotic the world gets.”
As expected, Eric Ripert and Maguy Le Coze’s Le Bernardin maintained its status atop the prestigious La Liste survey in 2026, sharing its impressive 99.5 score with only one other American establishment, SingleThread in Healdsburg, California. This recognition followed the restaurant's retention of its coveted three-star rating from the Michelin Guide. Le Bernardin also secured the 9th spot on the 2025 North America’s 50 Best Restaurants list. As the establishment approaches its 40th anniversary in 2026, Ripert and Le Coze reflect on the enduring legacy of their culinary vision, which began with the original Paris-based Le Bernardin, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022. Ripert's influence reaches far beyond the streets of Manhattan, as evidenced by the 20th anniversary of his Caribbean outpost, Blue, at The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman in 2025—an occasion marked by the unveiling of a stunning redesign by the acclaimed Champalimaud Design firm.
Ripert on the biggest shift in consumer preferences: “What we see this year is a shift, especially in Gen Z. We have never seen this many customers ordering the tasting menu and wine pairing, especially our younger guests. This generation really wants an overall experience. They are very engaging with our team, asking questions that our staff have never even heard before.”
If Ripert could switch places with another hospitality leader, it would be: “Nobu Matsuhisa. He’s extremely talented. I admire what he has created and that he has been able to mix Japanese sushi culture with Peruvian culture. He has made sushi restaurants sexy. If I were in his shoes, I would take more vacations.”
Yesterday, Eugene Remm and Tilman Fertitta revealed their plans to bring The Corner Store to a luxury casino-resort on the Las Vegas Strip in 2026. Since opening in 2024, The Corner Store has remained one of New York’s most popular restaurants. In February, Remm and Fertitta unveiled plans for a 75-seat Mediterranean dining establishment in Soho, slated to welcome patrons in early 2026 under the direction of executive chef Nadav Greenberg, previously associated with the Michelin-starred Israeli restaurant Shmoné. September witnessed the grand opening of The Eighty Six, a cozy 35-seat steakhouse nestled in the West Village, alongside the inauguration of Rockwell Group-designed Catch Scottsdale, the seventh outpost from the esteemed hospitality brand.
Remm on the greatest shift in consumer preferences: “The most significant shift, in my opinion, has been that there is no middle. If you are not creating extreme experiences or extreme conveniences—either fast casual on the convenience side or the kind of elevated experience like what we are creating—people are no longer accepting just a nice, normal meal at a normal restaurant.”
What inspired Fertitta this year: “As the U.S. Ambassador to Italy, I have certainly been influenced by the country’s culture and hospitality. Experiencing their restaurants first-hand and seeing their passion for food at every meal has inspired me the most.”
To date, inKind and its co-founders Johann Moonesinghe and Andrew Harris have provided over $500 million in funding to more than 5,000 restaurants, including destinations from operators like José Andrés Group and Mina Group, as well as 20 Michelin-starred destinations and 50 James Beard Award nominees. The company's innovative financing model gives restaurants funding in exchange for food and beverage credits, rather than equity or debt, enabling restaurants to cover operational costs and maintain profit margins. In 2025, inKind closed an impressive $450 million in capital to accelerate its platform growth, with plans to expand to an additional 10,000 U.S. restaurants over the next year. The fundraiser was led by Magnetar and included prominent backers such as