No More Nobu for Robert De Niro?  7/25/06

Oscar-winner Robert De Niro may be looking to cash out his stake in celebrity sushi chain Nobu according to press reports in the US.

The actor teamed up with famed sushi chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa to open sixteen locations of the posh eatery in cities such as South Beach, Florida, Malibu, California, Tokyo, Japan and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Owners of the celebrity hot spot have been meeting with executives from chain companies such as Starwood Hotels and PF Chang's to help finance even further expansion.

A source tells New York magazine part of the thinking between the partners is, "They've had a great run, and it wouldn't be such a bad idea to cash out."

The company is estimated to be worth $250 million and De Niro is said to own approximately 30 per cent.

Drew Nieporent, one of Nobu's original partners, claims he is unaware of any definite plans to sell saying, "I'm sure there have been discussions about some stuff, but there's a lot of generic stuff out there. It's possible."