Heart Attack Grill announces closure of its Las Vegas Bypass Burger restaurant
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Heart Attack Grill, the swanky Las Vegas restaurant known for its calorie-laden “Bypass Burgers” and hospital-themed servers, announced this week that it will close its Sin City doors.
The restaurant was founded by Jon Basso in Chandler, Arizona, in 2005. He moved to downtown Las Vegas in 2011.
It’s best known for its unapologetically indulgent menu, including jumbo burgers, fries cooked in pure lard, and even unfiltered cigarettes.
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Some of Heart Attack Grill’s most provocative gimmicks included public spankings for customers who couldn’t finish their meals, as well as free meals for customers who weighed over 350 pounds.
Heart Attack Grill said in a statement on its website that it “will not be renewing its long-term lease.”
Heart Attack Grill announced it will be closing its Las Vegas location after more than a decade in the downtown area. (Educational Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The restaurant blamed major casinos and “corporate greed” for pricing the “quintessential American affordable indulgence experience” in Las Vegas to average Americans.
“Our core value of ‘Eat big and laugh loud’ no longer fits in a city that sells $40 ‘artisanal avocado toast,'” the restaurant said.
“The honest, heavy calories that built our reputation are now considered rude by a city that has excluded the middle class and lost its cool in the process.”
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The business also said it was “proud of our 21-year impact on America’s waistline.”
“The obesity rate has increased from 30% in 2005 to almost 45% today, and we pat ourselves on the back by taking on this responsibility!” The statement said:
“We are looking for new opportunities to continue our high-calorie mission.”
Speaking to Southern Methodist University’s newspaper, The Daily Campus, in 2011, Basso said the restaurant was designed as a comment on the obesity epidemic in America.
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“[T]The basic idea is to make money,” Basso said. “But I’m also doing my part to create a diner theater environment that forces philosophical introspection.”
“I provide a valid service; this is shocking value.” he added.
Heart Attack Grill became known nationally by marketing its calorie-heavy menu items with provocative humor. (Educational Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The new announcement indicated that Heart Attack Grill does not intend to close permanently.
“We are looking for new opportunities to continue our high-calorie mission,” the statement said.
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“We look forward to finding new communities that still appreciate Bypass Burger and the freedom to feast without apology.”
“In a world full of fake healthy marketing, at least they never lied about what the burger does for you.”
The announcement quickly sparked mixed reactions online.
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“I’m sorry, I wanted to go to Heart Attack Grill so bad,” one reviewer said. “I should have [gone] While I have the chance.”
“In a world full of fake healthy marketing, at least they never lied about what the burger does to you,” another X user said.
Despite closing its Las Vegas location, Heart Attack Grill said it plans to explore new opportunities. (Educational Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Another person wrote: “We found it very sleazy even for Vegas, haha.”
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Fox News Digital has reached out to Heart Attack Grill for comment.
