What is Gary Barnett’s secret plan for the Friars Club?

Historic Midtown hangout the Friars Club found a surprising buyer: Gary Barnett’s Extell Development. The six-story club on 57 East 55th Street went into contract with Extell for $19 million, The Commercial Observer reported and sources told The Real Deal. Kairos Investment Management sold the club, which once counted A-listers like Johnny Carson, Jimmy Fallon and Joan Rivers as members. Barnett’s bid beat out a hospitality operator, foreign consulates and a group of crypto investors seeking to turn the Friar’s Club into a private club, dubbed the Crypto Castle. Bob Knakal and Tom Brady of BKREA brokered the deal on […] This article originally appeared on The Real Deal. Click here to read the full story.