Landry's, Inc., is an American, privately owned, multi-brand dining, hospitality, entertainment and gaming corporation headquartered in Houston, Texas. Landry's, Inc. owns and operates more than 600 restaurants, hotels, casinos and entertainment destinations in 35 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The company also owns and operates numerous international locations. The company is owned entirely by President & CEO Tilman Fertitta. The first Landry's Seafood restaurant opened in Texas in 1980. While many patrons assumed it was named for Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry, it was not; Bill and Floyd Landry were the original owners. They had started opening restaurants in the Houston area in the 1970s. History Brothers Bill and Floyd Landry, along with other partners from their hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana, began opening authentic Cajun restaurants in the Houston area in the 1970s. These included Willie G’s (named for their father), near The Galleria, and the first Landry's Seafood on the far west side of the city. By 1986, nearly all of the partners wanted to sell their shares, and they found a willing buyer in Tilman Fertitta, who paid $400,000 on December 31, 1986, for a controlling interest in the company. The one remaining partner, Denis Wilson, was bought out later for $850,000. He received $250,000 up front, but had to spend $120,000 in legal fees to eventually collect the remaining $600,000 from Fertitta. Fertitta became CEO and quickly began standardizing the appearance and menus of his restaurants; he removed the Cajun spicing from most dishes and scrubbed away the unique interior of Willie G's. He took the company public in 1993, with a valuation of $30 million. Under Fertitta, the company expanded. In 2010, already the majority shareholder, Fertitta acquired all outstanding shares of company stock, gaining sole control and ownership. By 2011, the company's value had risen to more than $1.7 billion. Acquisitions and growth 1990s Throughout the 1990s, Landry's, Inc., expanded, developing and acquiring restaurant, entertainment, hospitality, and gaming businesses. In 1994, Landry's, Inc., acquired Joe's Crab Shack. In 2006, Landry's, Inc. sold Joe's Crab Shack, which had grown to more than 120 locations, to J.H. Whitney & Company. During the decade, the company acquired a number of other restaurants, including The Crab House and Cadillac Bar. Landry's, Inc., expanded its hospitality and entertainment divisions in 1996, acquiring the San Luis Resort, a 32-acre beachfront resort on Galveston Island's historic Seawall Boulevard and built