Restaurateur Stephen Starr and the brand new Bankroll sports activities bar, opening Friday close to Rittenhouse Square, have cut up up.

Exactly when shouldn’t be clear. Like many {couples} retaining their particulars non-public, neither aspect is speaking about it.

From Bankroll’s 2021 announcement, Starr was listed as an investor and the restaurant’s operator. Starr — a James Beard Award winner who owns greater than 40 eating places in Philadelphia and alongside the East Coast, together with Parc — introduced credibility to the high-profile venture that can gentle up a landmark constructing that had been darkish since 2002. His identify was cited on the venture’s listening to final October earlier than the Liquor Control Board.

Observers following the $25 million venture had observed that in April 2021, Starr was listed as a director in Bankroll LLC’s filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission surrounding a $10 million inventory providing. Starr additionally was a part of Bankroll’s April 2022 announcement of the project’s groundbreaking. In an SEC filing in July 2022, nonetheless, Starr’s identify was not included. But on Oct. 13, 2022, Starr was recognized because the restaurant operator within the LCB listening to earlier than a state examiner.

» READ MORE: Bankroll, a $25 million sports bar, opens Friday

The breakup was disclosed publicly Tuesday by Bankroll chief government Padma Rao throughout an Inquirer interview. Asked about Starr’s involvement, Rao stated Starr and his crew “helped us design the menu and got us on our feet.” She didn’t elaborate.

On Thursday, following studies that also included Starr within the administration combine, Bankroll and Starr Restaurants issued a joint assertion, acknowledging the cut up. “Starr Restaurants played a valuable role in the creative ideation and development of the initial food and beverage menus and set the foundation for successful kitchen operations at Bankroll; however, due to a difference in philosophy, STARR Restaurants will no longer be involved with Bankroll’s management and operations, or the creative oversight of its food and beverage program,” it stated.

Representatives of Starr and Bankroll stated there could be no additional remark.

Bankroll’s government chef, Scott Swiderski, was a longtime Starr worker, having run the kitchen at Buddakan beginning within the late Nineties. Michael Jones, the director of operations, is a former basic supervisor for Michael Schulson’s eating places. He has labored with Bankroll since August 2022, in line with his LinkedIn bio.

Bankroll, based by Paul Martino, a Silicon Valley tech start-up specialist, has been open intermittently for the final a number of weeks. Starting Friday, will probably be open each day at 5 p.m. and can ramp up operations. It can seat at the least 350 folks in quite a lot of areas. Its raison d’etre, Rao stated, is to serve at the moment’s sports activities fan, who needs to socialize but grow to be immersed in occasions. Bankroll intends to companion with a sport-gaming operator, although shouldn’t be a gaming venue.

Bankroll describes the menu as “modern fine dining,” with uncooked bar choices, steaks (that includes a number of Wagyu cuts), poultry and seafood, with nightly specials, and variations of game-day dishes, such because the Bankroll burger with colossal onion rings. Among the bar choices will likely be cocktails, together with martinis blended tableside.