How Major Food Group Goes Private in NYC and Creates a Carbon NFT – Robb Report

Major Food Group is launching invitation-only founding membership sales for its first private club in New York City this week. As Robb report previously reported, the upcoming ZZ’s Club at Hudson Yards, set to debut this winter, will be home to the world’s first private Carbone. And that’s just the beginning of the sumptuous dining and drinking options that Major Food Group’s Mario Carbone, Rich Torrisi and Jeff Zalaznick are creating at the members-only club.

“A lot of private clubs are opening in New York, but what really sets us apart is the food and drink,” says Zalaznick. “This Carbone at ZZ’s Club will not only be special because it is private, but also because of all the grand gestures and special dishes that you will only be able to get in this unique place. It will have unique design details, silverware, plates, each single detail designed for this private club. And there are many dishes we would love to do at the original Carbone, but you just can’t do them in a busy restaurant.”

This Carbone’s signature dishes may include langoustine pasta, whole veal osso buco and fettuccine from Piedmont that “will be a study in white truffles.” Zalaznick also mentions options such as whole porchetta and “super over-the-top” seafood risottos made to order. Why not take advantage of the fact that Major Food Group’s kitchen space at Hudson Yards is larger than the entire Greenwich Village area inhabited by the original Carbone?

“Like in a private club, we’re able to spread our wings and really unleash the full battery of culinary tricks and tactics we’ve always wanted under the Carbone umbrella,” says Zalaznick.

ZZ’s Club, designed by Ken Fulk and spanning three floors and close to 25,000 square feet, will also feature a ZZ’s Japanese restaurant and sushi bar, cocktail bars, a lounge, a boutique nightclub and a variety of private dining experiences that include a dining room reserved for founding members.

“What’s special about it, aside from the fact that you’ll be surrounded by your other core members, is that you’ll be able to eat from either the ZZ or Carbone menu,” says Zalaznick. “Plus, you’ll be able to have a team of chefs there who can cook whatever you want.”

It’s like having your own private chefs, but trained by Major Food Group.

“You want us to make you a giant croquembouche, we’ll make it for you,” Zalaznick says. “If you want Hainanese chicken rice tomorrow, you’ll get it. If you come to me and want a Kobe ribeye or a whole Dungeness crab cooked six different ways, we’ll do it. The theme is obviously indulgence. That’s what we’re all about. But it’s also great for someone who says they don’t eat dairy this month or someone who wants vegan food. We will adapt to your every whim.”

Major Food Group declined to share pricing details for ZZ’s Club, but sources say Robb report that basic membership is $50,000. (By contrast, New York’s new Aman Club has raised its initiation fee from $100,000 to $200,000.) A basic membership comes with access to ZZs Club for your immediate family and even future generations. Benefits also include a dedicated concierge as well as wine and cigar storage. In addition, future members must be recommended by founding members.

ZZ’s Club sells a limited number of founding memberships, and Zalaznick says Major Food Group has already received thousands of inquiries. But again, you have to be invited by the club. You can’t just apply.

And although Major Food Group lost its Michelin stars to Carbone and ZZ’s Clam Bar in New York this month, the hospitality company is full steam ahead with its whirlwind expansion. Together with ZZ’s Club, Major Food Group is simultaneously working on a number of new restaurants and an NFT linked to Carbone’s 10th anniversary in 2023.

“It’s going to be both a unique piece of digital artwork as well as a very utility-focused NFT that gives you special access to the Major Food Group ecosystem,” says Zalaznick.

This week alone, two Major Food Group restaurants are opening in South Florida. A two-story, 10,000-square-foot Contessa, a Northern Italian restaurant that was born in Boston, will debut in the Miami Design District, where Major Food Group already has a ZZ’s Club and is working on a new outpost of Sadelle’s to open early next year . Also launching this week is the Japanese Bocce Club at the Boca Raton resort, where Major Food Group already has restaurants that include Flamingo Grill, Principessa Ristorante and a Sadelle’s. Following the opening of Contessa and the Japanese Bocce Club, Zalaznick will head to the Middle East, where a Doha outpost of Carbone will open in time for FIFA World Cup Qatar in November. Major Food Group is also opening a Carbone in Riyadh, which is already home to a Sadelle.

And of course, the long-awaited sequel to the restaurant that started it all, Torrisi, is slated to open in New York City’s Nolita neighborhood in November. The new Torrisi has already hosted private parties for Karlie Kloss and Maison Valentino.

Major Food Group is moving at serious speed, but it’s been a long journey. The original Torrisi opened in 2009. Zalaznick sees Major Food Group’s diversification into private clubs and the metaverse as a logical extension of the high-flying hospitality group.

“We’ve been working on NFT for almost a year at this point,” Zalaznick says. “It’s going to push us into a whole new frontier.”