On the Rialto
Theatrical Eatery Sardi's Sold to The Shubert Organization
The Broadway institution will take a hiatus this summer to undergo renovations.
March 27, 2026 By Logan Culwell-Block
Theatre district mainstay Sardi's is changing hand, with 33-year owner Max Klimavicius selling the beloved eatery to The Shubert Organization. According to The New York Times, Klimavicius will continue to operate the institution through June 24, at which point the restaurant will temporarily close to undergo renovations.
Klimavicius tells the Times that the space is not getting a redesign, and that he's been assured that the restaurant's world-famous walls of celebrity caricatures will remain intact and on display.
The restaurant is housed in a building that already serves as much of the offices for the Shubert Organization, which owns and operates 17 of Broadway's 41 theatres along with Off-Broadway's multi-stage New World Stages and Stage 42, and a handful of theatres outside of NYC. Located in the heart of the theatre district on West 44th Street and just across the street from the Shubert's flagship Shubert Theatre, Sardi's has long served as one of Broadway's favorite hangouts for both industry members and fans alike.
Originally opened in 1927 by Vincent Sardi, Sr., the multi-floor restaurant and bar became particularly known for the caricatures of Broadway celebrities that decorate its walls. Receiving a Sardi's caricature has become a major honor for Broadway notables. The eatery was honored by the Tony Awards at the first ceremony in 1947. The restaurant also served as the setting of the recent Lorenz Hart biopic Blue Moon, which recreated a 1943 version of the interior on a sound stage for the shoot.
Klimavicius originally came to the restaurant as a kitchen assistant in 1974, working his way up the chain and ultimately becoming partners with Vincent Sardi, Jr. in 1991. Sardi, Jr. died in 2007, leaving Klimavicius solely running the landmark.
It's unclear when the restaurant will reopen and how the change in ownership might affect staffing.
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