Kevin Naderi Acquires Building That Houses El Gran Malo

In a story that reads like an April Fool's Day joke but is 100% true, Eater Houston has learned that Roost chef/owner Kevin Naderi has an agreement in place to purchase the building that houses gastrocantina El Gran Malo. Reached for comment, Naderi, who owns a number of properties including the one that houses Roost, described the purchase as an "investment" and emphasized that he has no plans to evict the popular restaurant, which won the So Hot Right Now award in 2011 and maintains a perennial spot on the Cocktail Heatmap thanks to its selection of infused tequilas and creative drinks.

Steve Sharma, one of El Gran Malo's owners, echoes Naderi's comments that the transaction is not newsworthy. He said EGM had one of its best nights ever on Friday and predicted the change would be entirely "transparent" to patrons. He declined to comment any further. For now, the development is a real estate story. If that changes, we'll be on it.

· All El Gran Malo Coverage on Eater Houston [-EHOU-]