Episode 23: Jason Strauss on building Tao Group, expanding internationally, and partnering with the Madison Square Garden Company
Jason Strauss is a co-founder and co-owner of the Tao Group, the world-renowned luxury hospitality company best known for its restaurant/nightclub brands: Tao, Lavo, Marquee and Avenue. Strauss talks to Rich (they've been friends since high school) about launching a nightlife business with long-time business partner, Noah Tepperberg. In 2003, the duo launched Marquee, the Manhattan restaurant/nightclub famous for its endless stream of celebrities and world-class hospitality. The club's success became the subject of a 2009 Harvard Business School case study, and led the duo to expand to Las Vegas where they opened Tao at the Venetian hotel, one of the country's highest-grossing restaurants and nightclubs. In 2017, the Madison Square Garden Company acquired a majority stake in Tao Group. Strauss talks about staying relevant in a youth-driven industry, his bullish expectations for post-covid nightlife, and the MSG Sphere, his group's upcoming music and entertainment arena in Vegas, one he believes will set a new bar for the nightlife experience.