Eugene Remm, Tilman Fertitta and Catch Hospitality Group will open their second location The Corner Store of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas this fall. And the goal here, as clear as a clean martini glass, is not to stray at all from the food, vibe, essence and energy that make SoHo’s The Corner Store tick.
As the Observer previously reported, The Las Vegas restaurant will have double the seating capacity of the 75-seat restaurant in New York. But caviar-topped lobster rolls, five-topping pizzas, wagyu French dip, steak frites, ice-cold martinis and Rockwell Group design are all about evoking what makes The Corner Store special in New York.
“It’s the exact same thing, and that was the intention from the beginning,” Remm tells the Observer. “I want to bring the New York experience to Vegas. Yes, it’s double the seating, but the kitchen is three times the size. I have three bars instead of one small bar. Yes, it will create more volume, but I don’t have to fight guests to get down these little stairs in SoHo for the sink to work. So I have no doubt that, at 150 seats, we will be able to maintain the integrity of the quality of the food, the quality of the martini and everything we do.”
The Corner Store, Remm says, unapologetically focuses on “accessible classic American cooking.” It’s normal. It doesn’t make sense. It’s funny. It’s not fusion at all. There are staples and freezer-passes, but everything is made from scratch at The Corner Store.
“I think Cosmo is the pinnacle of that type of food,” Remm said. “I feel like that’s exactly where the Corner Store belongs.”
The Corner Store will replace the Cosmopolitan currently occupied by Blue Ribbon American Grill & Oyster Bar, which will close on February 16. The Corner Store is an extension of the partnership between Remm and MGM Resorts, which has had Catch at Aria since 2018.
“It’s about trusting each other and having people as partners who will be able to implement the vision you create,” said Remm. “MGM has done a great job shepherding the Catch brand. They want to be the best. They have a competitive personality that I love. They want to win.”
MGM Resorts recently expands its restaurant portfolio and Carbone Riviera at Bellagio and Gymkhana at Aria, in a city where Cote at the Venetian and the upcoming opening of Zero Bond and Sartiano’s at the Wynn also usher in a new era of Vegas glamour.
“I think everyone agrees that lifestyle dining and creating experiences are the most important things on the culinary side of any casino,” Remm said. “You have to create spaces that make people happy and also create spaces, in my opinion, that come from somewhere else and are hard to get into. Everyone wants to touch what they see on social media. I think Las Vegas is built for that.”
