Here's What Happened To Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill Restaurants
Beyond being the beloved celebrity chef that we see on TV, Bobby Flay is also a world-renowned restaurateur. Flay has many restaurant locations to his name. However, fans of Flay's first restaurant, Mesa Grill, are likely well aware of the fact that all three Mesa Grill locations have been closed for quite some time. While the oldest location in New York City closed down in 2013 due to leasing issues, and the Bahamas location closed in 2015 to make way for a new restaurant, the true death of Mesa Grill came at the hands of Flay himself when he made the decision to close down the third and final location in Caesars Palace during 2020.
Despite its 16-year run in Las Vegas and a 29-year run altogether, Flay made the hard decision to shift his focus away from Mesa Grill and its beloved Southwestern menu. Instead, Flay launched a brand new restaurant in its place; an Italian restaurant called Amalfi by Bobby Flay was opened in Caesars Palace during 2021.
Why did Bobby Flay replace Mesa Grill?
The titular phenom from "Beat Bobby Flay" ultimately decided to end Mesa Grill's run for two primary reasons: To avoid stagnation and to embrace Italian cuisine. Upon its 2020 closure, Flay explained his feelings about Mesa Grill and why it was getting replaced in a press release regarding Amalfi's creation. As reported by Eater, Flay said, "Mesa Grill has meant so much to me over these last 16 years, but it's important to evolve and stay ahead of the curve, especially in Las Vegas." While there were rumors that Flay would relaunch Mesa Grill at a new location, the restaurant chain has remained dormant ever since 2020.
Happily, Mesa Grill was not shuttered in vain; Amalfi — Flay's first attempt at an Italian restaurant – quickly became a hit in Las Vegas thanks to some brilliant fish dishes and Flay's refusal to perform one sacrilegious pasta practice. Apart from keeping Flay's name off the list of celebrity chefs whose new restaurants completely flopped, the success of Amalfi vindicates what must have been a very difficult decision for the celebrity chef to make.