LANDRY'S DEVELOPS $30 MILLION DOWNTOWN AQUATIC ENTERTAINMENT AND DINING COMPLEX: Company Transforming Fire Station Number 1 and Central Water Works Plant Into World-Class Aquatic, Entertainment, Dining and Meeting Complex

Houston, Texas - OCTOBER 28, 2002

HOUSTON - Early next year, Landry's Restaurants Inc. will showcase the redevelopment of two city-owned downtown structures into a magnificent six-acre public aquarium, entertainment and dining destination, according to Tilman J. Fertitta, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Landry's.

Landry's has redeveloped the 400 Block of Bagby, which includes adjoining areas of Buffalo Bayou and the Theater District, into a world-class aquatic entertainment, dining and meeting complex. More than $30 million is being spent by the company to build the complex, which will feature as its centerpiece a public aquarium boasting approximately 500,000 gallons of underwater tanks with 200 species of domestic and international marine life. The complex also offers a 400-seat seafood restaurant, a 6,000-square-foot ballroom that seats 600, a 120-seat casual themed café, a lounge, a plaza with dancing fountains, and amusements for the entire family, including an aquatic-designed Ferris wheel, an underwater-themed Carousel, an observation tower, and a gas-powered train.

"While other major cities boast aquariums, this complex in Houston is unique because it also features a first-rate dining and entertainment complex that offers the best of both," Fertitta said. "We were excited we received the official nod from the City of Houston to develop this venue that will attract families and visitors from all over the world to downtown Houston."

Mayor Lee P. Brown also has expressed his pleasure with the development. "This is another chapter in the success story of downtown redevelopment," he said. "I believe this new establishment creates a western cornerstone in the Theater District and provides one more great reason to visit downtown Houston.

"Landry's has repeatedly shown it has a recipe for developing successful ventures, and I am delighted that Landry's recognizes the value of doing business in downtown Houston.

"We have worked very hard to revitalize downtown with restaurants, apartment homes, hotel renovations, a new baseball stadium and the performance center. Now we have a fabulous opportunity to do something for children and families," he added.

The building was completely vacated by the City of Houston and construction began soon thereafter, in time for the opening in February, 2003.

The project master plan includes the following:

Themed Aquariums
The aquarium on the first floor houses approximately 500,000 gallons of tanks in fully-themed exhibits, and features more than 200 species of fish. Guests will be taken on a journey while meandering through the first floor of the aquarium's main building, traveling through a Louisiana Swamp, descending to a South Seas Ship Wreck, exploring the Amazon Rainforest, a Caribbean Reef and Sunken Temple, and finally taking a peak at an offshore oil derrick.

Visitors feel as if they are submerged underwater as they tour the aquarium, which opens early for schools and other educational groups to tour.

""When people come to Downtown Aquarium, they will be entertained like never before," said Animal Husbandry Manager Jim Prappas. "Our visitors will see things they have never seen, and will learn about all types of animals from all over the world. They are in for a very exciting experience."

Marina Matinee Café
Also located on the first floor, the 120-seat Marina Matinee Café provides a culinary adventure for lunch as well as for late-night visitors to downtown and patrons of the nearby Theater District. Guests are seated not at traditional tables, but in actual reproductions of seagoing vessels and are immersed in the excitement of dining on the water. To add to the entertainment, which rivals the delicious meals served in the Café, the seaside village-themed restaurant is surrounded by enormous cinematic screens showing the best of vintage sea-based movie clips and television programs.

Aquarium Restaurant
Aquarium Restaurant will offer more than 400 seats for seafood dining in an extraordinary setting. For those seeking an exciting, unique and upscale dining experience, Aquarium will provide a venue that offers dining among fish and coral with the illusion of being at the bottom of the sea. With lagoons ensconced in the ceiling and cascading waterwalls throughout, Aquarium provides a spectacular underwater dining adventure. The restaurant is located on the second floor, giving guests the opportunity to ascend a grand staircase spiraling around a 50-foot-high acrylic cylindrical aquarium to reach the dining room. Diners are seated around the 100,000-gallon centerpiece aquarium and are treated to floor-to-ceiling viewing through acrylic observation panels, enabling them to watch Aquarium's marine biologists feed the collection of fish. Guests also can dine on the second floor patio with spectacular views of the Wortham Theater Center and the beautiful downtown skyline.

The Dive Lounge
Also located on the first floor and overlooking the beautifully-landscaped plaza and dancing fountains, The Dive is an upscale bar offering an option for before and after-dinner beverages for downtown visitors and late-night theater patrons.

The Ballroom
the ba The third floor of the complex features a stunning 6,000-square-foot ballroom that can be transformed to hold many sizes of groups and receptions. It can be divided into two rooms to accommodate up to 300 guests each, or one large facility for 600. Guests will enjoy reaching the ballroom as they wind around a 50-foot cylindrical aquarium that extends from the ground floor before reaching its doors. An outdoor terrace offers a place for additional seating and lounging.

The ballroom, which is a unique venue for any occasion, is equipped with state-of-the-art audio and visual equipment and offers unparalleled views of Buffalo Bayou, Wortham Theater Center and the entire Houston skyline.

The Aquarium Support Facilities
Located on the fourth floor, the support facilities include a preparation area to store and prepare food for daily show feedings. A hatchery will be onsite, as will be several quarantine tanks used to hold and treat new arrivals. To handle the massive amount of saltwater, huge filtration systems circulate and recycle the saltwater.

Shark Voyage
The Central Waterworks Building has been redeveloped into the 200,000-gallon Shark Voyage, whose tank is accessed by train through an acrylic tunnel. Guests will hop on the train and begin a ride that takes them right to the center of the enormous shark tank. An audio presentation will be made as the train travels through the middle of the tank for up-close examination of these amazing animals.

Amusements
The Dancing Fountains offer computerized pumps and nozzles to create a melodic rhythm of dancing water, which spouts amazingly high above the ground. Children and adults of all ages enjoy frolicking in the cool filtered water.

The C.P. Huntington Train delights visitors with a 10-minute train ride throughout the complex, before travelling along the lush landscape to the Shark Voyage. The Diving Bell Ferris Wheel offers sweeping views of downtown Houston from under-the-sea-themed carriages.

The Carousel also has an aquatic theme, and passengers have the chance to ride on a shark, seal, dolphin, alligator, seahorse or in a custom chariot.

The Periscope, an observation tower, offers a panoramic view of Houston. The Arcade offers six midway-style games for the entire family.

Visitors also will enjoy the Treasure Chest Gift Shop, which features sea-related merchandise and "gifts from under the sea," including souvenirs, apparel, toys and stuffed animals.

Parking
Parking options will include spaces on-site and valet, as well as the 3,500 underground spaces across the street in the Theater District garage, providing convenient access for downtown visitors.

Landry's Restaurants Inc., is the nation's second largest and fastest growing casual-dining, full-service seafood restaurant chain. Publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange, Landry's owns and operates approximately 279 restaurants, including Landry's Seafood House, Joe's Crab Shack, The Crab House, Rainforest Café, Charley's Crab, Willie G's Seafood & Steak House, The Chart House, and Saltgrass Steak House, as well as Kemah Boardwalk, a magnificent 40-acre, family-oriented themed entertainment destination. The company employs 28,000 workers in 36 states.

Downtown Aquarium is located at Bagby and Memorial Drive. For more information, call 713/223-FISH or visit the web site at downtownaquarium.com.

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