Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta, who also owns the Landry’s restaurant group and Golden Nugget casino chain, is strongly endorsing the newly announced plan by Texas Governor Greg Abbott to reopen the state on a gradual basis amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Fertitta is one of 39 business leaders on the governor’s special advisory council, known as the “Strike Force To Open Texas.”
“I definitely had input with the governor,” Fertitta said in an interview with KPRC, Houston’s NBC affiliate. He continued:
I have to say, if I was the governor, I would have done exactly what he did on this day in this occupancy. Let’s get our arms around this thing and make sure it doesn’t explode on us like it has in other states. I’m just extremely happy with how it’s gone today.
The plan allows the existing stay-at-home order in Texas to expire on Thursday, April 30 as previously scheduled, and without being extended. From there, May 1 will represent “Phase 1” of the reopening, in which businesses such as restaurants can reopen at 25% capacity.
Breaking: @govabbott said he will let the state’s stay-at-home order expire at the end of the month, and allow businesses to begin opening in phases in May. https://t.co/q2jT2v7Cjp
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) April 27, 2020
The plan calls for physical distancing measures to be maintained and recommends additional precautions, such as the use of masks.
“What I’m most happy about is putting employees back to work. That’s the greatest thing in the world,” said Fertitta, who previously said he had furloughed about 40,000 workers once the pandemic forced the closure of many of his businesses. He elaborated:
People were really starting to lose their mind, and of course the financial burden on everybody. Just to be able to start hiring people back, even at 25%, it’s just really exciting.
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If the first phase goes as planned, Abbott’s plan calls for Texas to move to the second phase — which would allow more segments of the economy to reopen, and businesses such as restaurants to expand from 25% of their normal capacity to 50% — on Monday, May 18.
Fertitta said he agrees with reopening decisions being made on a state-by-state basis. For example, he clarified that he would not support a similar reopening timetable in New York, where COVID-19 has led to significantly more cases and deaths than in Texas.
“I think the governor is making the right decision today to let Texas open up this Friday,” he said. “But at the same time, if the governor of New York was telling me to open in New York, I would not open, and I’m the largest restaurant operator in Manhattan. I wouldn’t want to open there.”
Fertitta said he plans to begin reopening his Texas restaurants on Friday, and he’s optimistic about the long-term financial outlook for his business empire. “We feel really good about it,” he told KPRC. “Landry’s is going to come out of this as a company totally whole, as long as nothing else crazy happens with this virus in the fall.”
'Wise decision’: Billionaire Tilman Fertitta says reopening Texas will put employees back to work https://t.co/BiQPxvvxu9 pic.twitter.com/TMelzPEWYz
— KPRC 2 Houston (@KPRC2) April 28, 2020
The Rockets are currently projected to have the NBA’s No. 6 payroll for the 2020-21 season at over $130 million in total salary. While Fertitta had not warned of any financial consequences for the basketball franchise due to the pandemic, the successful reopening of his other businesses would likely relieve some of his financial pressure.
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Though all NBA owners have felt at least some financial effects due to the pandemic, Fertitta appeared to be disproportionately impacted given the nature of his businesses (entertainment, restaurants, and hospitality).
The timetable of resuming the 2019-20 NBA season remains uncertain, but Monday’s announcement of a reopening plan for some team facilities as soon as May 8 seems to be a step in that direction.
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