Nearly 20 years after opening the restaurant, he sold it to his sous-chef and moved to New York to open Masa, and later Bar Masa in both New York and Las Vegas. He opened a second restaurant in Las Vegas in 2009.
After nearly two decades of operating the restaurant, he handed over ownership to his sous-chef and moved to New York to establish Masa and Bar Masa in both cities. In 2009, he also opened another restaurant in Las Vegas.