Latest news with #SaulKatz
Eater
22-07-2025
- Business
- Eater
Fro-Yo Is Finally Back in New York — And Better Than Ever
is an editor and reporter for the Northeast region at Eater, focusing primarily on New York City, where she was born and raised. She covers restaurants, bars, pop-ups, and the people powering them. Real ones will remember the days when Pinkberry and Red Mango, two fro-yo chains of the early aughts, ruled Manhattan. As of this summer, a 'big yogurt boom' is afoot again, New York Magazine declared, pointing to Madison Fare and the resurgence of the longtime staple, Butterfield Market, both drawing lines on the Upper East Side. Now, savvily-marketed Mimi's, opening later in August, is poised to be the next big name in New York fro-yo, located on a prime Downtown strip at 231 Lafayette Street, at Spring Street, where Soho meets Nolita. When Amber Linz moved to New York, she noticed there was a cup-sized hole in the frozen yogurt market, so she ditched the tech world in favor of her passion for righting the wrong: 'All of the big chains make frozen yogurt with literally powder and water; it's not real milk and yogurt — full of nasties!' She and her partner, Saul Katz (who worked on Chargrill Charlie's, an Australian chain), want to make clear they aren't looking to recreate those earlier chains. Instead of targeting the children's market with candy toppings, they want to go all in on a more mature, health-forward brand with a considered space — down to the store's DJ-curated playlists and plantlife. So while the self-serve set-up may be 16 Handles in style, the fro-yo uses milk sourced from upstate, in flavors like the original tart, raspberry, chocolate, and specials like açai, salted-caramel, cheesecake, and more. A rotating toppings bar features locally-sourced, seasonal produce from Natoora — crème de la crème produce used by your favorite New York restaurants — alongside sauces like matcha. 'It's frozen yogurt, not as you might expect it; it's not sticky and slimy, but a high-end, beautiful experience,' says Katz. A fro-yo comeback seems ripe for the moment. So much so, they've already signed a second lease in another neighborhood — still under wraps. A wine bar owner is opening an Italian sandwich spot Keith Pulitano, behind one of San Juan's coolest wine bars, El Vino Crudo, later expanded with Malavita, an Italian specialty shop, with products hard to find in Puerto Rico. Now the native New Yorker is bringing Malavita to Brooklyn, opening at 614 Manhattan Avenue, near Nassau Avenue, in the old Baoburg space, in Greenpoint, later this year. 'We're doing quality sandwiches, deep cut Italian dishes, bangers only wine list and…there's a yard!' Pulitano, who's also a part of the Two Bridges wine shop, Magazzino, announced on Instagram. They'll do a preview pop-up with their friends at Lucia Alimentari, from noon to 4 p.m. on August 2, 301 West Broadway, in Soho. A longtime Tribeca bar relocates Anotheroom, a 25-year-old bar staple of Tribeca, will relocate to 141 West Broadway. The original location was owned by the same family that owns the property where the Odeon is located. But, as Tribeca Citizen reports, after the wife died, her son has since sold the building, which means Anotheroom had to find a new home.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Infinite Reality Quietly Raises $3 Billion From Mysterious Backers Tied To Former Mets Owners, Pushing Valuation To $16 Billion
Infinite Reality, a Florida-based immersive tech company, stunned the industry earlier this year with news of a $3 billion raise from a single anonymous investor. According to Forbes, just one hour after the outlet published an in-depth investigation into the company, Infinite Reality revealed the name behind the deal: Sterling Select. Don't Miss: 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. Hasbro, MGM, and Skechers trust this AI marketing firm — . Sterling Select is a venture firm tied to the powerful Katz family and affiliated with Sterling Equities, the real estate empire co-founded by former New York Mets owners Saul Katz and Fred Wilpon. Sterling Select has a complex relationship with Infinite Reality that dates back years, originating with its early backing of ReKTGlobal, a company Infinite Reality acquired in 2022. Sterling Select managing partner Christopher Steele said in a statement that the company has 'maintained a longstanding relationship with the senior leadership team at Infinite Reality' adding, 'Today, we are more bullish than ever about Infinite Reality's bright future." Despite Steele's mention in a LinkedIn post that Sterling Equities is not directly involved in the $3 billion investment, the close ties between these entities have led to speculation. The name "Sterling" is involved in this story just enough to raise eyebrows but not quite enough to offer full clarity. Infinite Reality's valuation has reportedly soared to $16 billion, despite its reported revenue being just $75 million, Forbes writes. The company credits the investment for helping to fuel its rapid expansion, which includes plans for a massive 60-acre headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The new campus is set to include 100,000 square feet of office space and bring nearly 1,000 new jobs to the area, according to the company. Trending: Donald Trump just announced a $500 billion AI infrastructure deal — . According to Forbes, Infinite Reality has also been busy on the acquisition front, recently announcing plans to acquire agentic AI firm Touchcast in a deal worth $500 million. This comes after a string of previous buyouts that allowed Infinite Reality to claim indirect investment links to other big names, including Stephen Ross, the Agnelli family, and both the Wilpon and Katz families. CEO John Acunto told Forbes, "The investor had an appetite for as large of a percentage of the companies we were willing to offer at the time, and we felt that we should move forward with that." He also noted that the desire for anonymity from the investor made it "quite difficult to bring other people in." This veil of secrecy is one reason why the company remained under scrutiny, especially after Forbes raised questions about the legitimacy of the raise and the true nature of the investor. The revelation of Sterling Select's involvement answered one question but raised several Select has described itself as a venture development accelerator that allows backers to maintain a low profile while still accessing high-growth opportunities. In its own words, the firm exists to "enhance the economic returns for our partners targeting venture investment" without the reputational risk of traditional venture capital models. Whether Infinite Reality will live up to its multibillion-dollar valuation remains to be seen. With powerful names connected through acquisitions, strategic partnerships, and a $3 billion injection of fresh capital, the company has placed itself at the center of tech's most intriguing power plays. Industry observers are watching closely as Infinite Reality moves to consolidate its position across the immersive technology, AI, and metaverse sectors. Read Next:Inspired by Uber and Airbnb – Deloitte's fastest-growing software company is transforming 7 billion smartphones into income-generating assets – Image: Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Infinite Reality Quietly Raises $3 Billion From Mysterious Backers Tied To Former Mets Owners, Pushing Valuation To $16 Billion originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
