A corner booth in the hottest room

The Corner Store on Houston and West Broadway has become New York's most exclusive restaurant, where Taylor Swift, Vanessa Bryant, Adrien Brody, and Elon Musk's inner circle dine in candy-striped booths.

From Dos Caminos to destination

Two years ago, the space was a fluorescently lit Dos Caminos owned by Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta. Restaurateur Eugene Remm transformed it into The Corner Store in under six months.

No strategy, instant success

Remm claims he didn't know what influencers were and had no social media plan, yet TikTok food accounts like Sisters Snacking and The VIP List posted glowing early reviews of his made-for-social-media menu.

“I did not know what an influencer was. Sincerely.”

A menu built for Instagram

Caesar salad with everything-bagel croutons, fried cream-cheese croquettes, caviar-topped lobster rolls, sour cream and onion martinis served with potato chips, and Samoa Girl Scout Cookie ice cream sundaes.

Rivaling the snobbiest spots

The Corner Store quickly competed with Via Carota, The Polo Bar, and members' clubs like San Vicente Bungalows and Zero Bond as one of the city's most reliable places to see and be seen.

“beautiful people, cool vibe, and, most importantly, great food”

The hardest reservation in town

Unless you can reach Remm or Fertitta directly, you cannot get a table. The only walk-in option is waiting in line starting at 3:30 p.m. for one of four bar seats.

Remm's perfectionist vision

At 48, Remm dresses in collarless gray Oxford shirts and dad sneakers, gliding through restaurants like Jay Gatsby, greeting each guest for exactly the right amount of time to make them feel seen without smothering them.

“He understands how to make people feel comfortable”

The formula: exclusivity meets Instagram

Remm perfected giving New Yorkers the feeling they're in the right room, exclusive enough that entry means something, shrouded in secrecy, yet Instagrammable enough that everyone knows you got in.

Replicating the formula across West Village

Remm and Fertitta opened The Eighty Six steakhouse, Or'esh Mediterranean restaurant, and Cafe Charmant French brasserie, creating a West Village empire rivaling Jody Williams and Rita Sodi's downtown kingdom.

Expansion beyond Manhattan

They plan to bring The Corner Store and The Eighty Six to Las Vegas, and Catch to Mexico City, shifting from New York's exclusivity-based model to a simpler cash game.

Fertitta's political baggage

Fertitta is Donald Trump's ambassador to Italy and a major Trump supporter. When asked if New Yorkers care about this, he dismisses the concern, saying people simply go and eat at his many restaurants.

“That's all bullshit.”

How Remm and Fertitta partnered

Remm met Fertitta at Catch in 2017 and introduced himself. Fertitta bought half the business, then the rest in 2021. When Remm said he missed being an entrepreneur, Fertitta immediately offered to partner on a new restaurant.

“I'm surprised it took you this long to come to me”

The Eighty Six: luxury taken to extremes

Located at the former Chumley's speakeasy, The Eighty Six features a mirrored ceiling, ornate fireplace, a Warhol portrait of Gianni Versace, and a hulking doorman who decides who enters.

Or'esh: the standout restaurant

Remm's Levantine restaurant helmed by chef Nadav Greenberg offers a delightfully light contrast to his heavier offerings, earning praise as the clear standout of his empire.

From Rockaway to Hofstra to nightlife

Remm is the only child of Russian Jewish immigrants. At Hofstra, he convinced the owner of Bogart's bar to let him open a second bar in the back, which he ran himself.

Learning precision from Las Vegas

A 48-hour trip to work at Light nightclub in Las Vegas taught Remm the importance of meticulous planning: who sits where, fresh manicures for cocktail waitresses, and thank-you notes to guests each morning.

Rapid expansion, then collapse

By 2014, Remm had expanded to 11 to 13 restaurants and clubs. By 2016, he was forced to close 11 of them, leaving only Catch and Lexington Brass after overexpanding too quickly.

“The same fearless behavior that allowed me to scale was the same fearless behavior that had me fall.”

Pivoting from cool guy to restaurateur

After his collapse, Remm decided to stop chasing the promoters and big-bottle buyers. He refocused on the diners he'd ignored and recommitted to improving the dining experience at Catch.

“I'm done being the cool guy.”

Family life and the next temptation

Remm is married to Israeli model-turned-designer Valerie Goldin-Remm, 15 years his junior, with two young children. He and Fertitta are considering a members' club at 9 West 57th Street, which keeps Remm up at night.

Love over money, always

Remm worries that opening another members' club would be trend-chasing. His philosophy: every time he thinks he's doing something for money, he fails; every time he does something for love, he wins both.

“Every time I think I'm doing something for money, I fail. Every time I do something for love, I win for the love and for the money.”