Long-time hit Moore Street’s Roberta’s Pizza is in the process of organizing for a sale to an heir to the fortune of New York’s moneyed Tisch family, Eater reported.
The major organizational shakeups are going on at the restaurant in anticipation of the sale, despite the company’s stated commitment to maintaining its brand. But the shift towards a more structured business has long been in the works at the spot, which attracts diners from among some of America’s major political and cultural dynasties.
Roberta’s, which treats its recipes as intellectual property and has been distributing frozen pies to Whole Foods for years, might still be housed in a bare, one-story cinder-block building and still sport a homespun interior buildout. However, sources familiar with the workplace tell Bushwick Daily that the staff has been divided between long time staffers who have adapted to a more formal workplace and very recent hires for nearly a year, by some estimates.
Pressure on the eatery to evolve may be the result of the legal battle its founders have been locked in which was first reported last winter, as experts have parsed the practices of the businesses, legal fees have added up and the possibility of a hefty settlement has been considered.
Then again, Roberta’s opened a midtown location last fall and has a Michelin-starred sister restaurant—so perhaps the latest developments are just proportional growing pains.
Can the wait for a table possibly get any longer as a result of these changes? What will the concept for the potential associated steakhouse venture look like? Stay tuned for more.