It's not hard to believe that Stephen Starr was a major player in the live music scene before becoming the expansionist restaurateur he is now. Back in the day, first as a club owner and then as a promoter, he brought acts like Springsteen, Seinfeld and The Eurythmics to Philadelphia, and now, he spends his time bringing a certain theatricality to city dining across the eastern United States.

He's made his most significant mark in Philadelphia, where he's opened up a varied group of restaurants – everything from big box Asian concepts to self-effacing tequila dens – by expertly applying his retro, often clubby aesthetic to each new project and emphasizing consistency across the board. He's mostly known for developing large restaurants fit for nights out and looking cool, but places like Jones, Frankford Hall, and his famous Continental suggest that he also understands the value of everyday accessibility.

In the near future, he will be opening several projects in Philly, but he has plans to build on the empire he's established outside of that city. Here's what's to come:

Next month he will open Caffe Storico at the New York Historical Society, where chef Jim Burke will cook Venetian-inspired small plates. Also of note, though there haven't been any developments on the matter since last year, Starr received the green light for a "meat-centric" 200-seater in the Greenwich Village.

For Philadelphia, he plans to debut Route 6, a 150-seat fish and oyster spot, on North Broad Street.

And finally, at least for now, he plans to open outposts of Parc and Buddakan in Washington, DC.

· All Stephen Starr Coverage on Eater [-E-]
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