Bryant Park Grill
Restaurant · Midtown West
25 W 40th St, New York, NY 10018
Highlights
American eatery with park views, known for steak frites
American eatery with park views, known for steak frites
"With its long-term lease officially up and a signed deal in place for a high-profile replacement from Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s group, the 1,000-seat glass-enclosed restaurant with two outdoor cafes and a huge seasonal rooftop is nevertheless remaining open while litigation proceeds. An employee told Eater: “We are here for the indefinite future. There’s no end date right now. It’s tied up in courts but we’re here for now, operating as normal.” Resy still shows availability for bookings and a Mother’s Day menu for Sunday, May 11 appears on its site. The restaurant sent out a press release that pulls no punches: “Initial court proceedings have revealed the rigged selection process orchestrated by BPC’s Dan Biederman that if approved would: Close restaurant for a year or longer — putting 250 New Yorkers out of a job; use public money to give Seaport a year of free rent while space sits empty; accept $1 million less in annual rent than plaintiff’s bid; and all while overlooking Seaport’swell-documented financial instabilityand plan to raise prices on New Yorkers,” it reads. The release also asserts that nonprofit landlord Bryant Park Corp. has allegedly offered $2 million to Seaport for capital improvements and over a year of free rent — giveaways not offered to the incumbent or the other finalists. The nearly 30-year-old, Parisian-styled standby next to the New York Public Library opened in 1995 and is operated by Ark Restaurants, a publicly traded hospitality group behind oyster bars in Alabama, burger places in Las Vegas, and seafood spots in Florida; Ark says the spot employs about 250 people and is allegedly one of the nation’s highest-grossing restaurants with $25 million in annual revenue. Owner Michael Weinstein sued the park, Seaport Entertainment Group (Vongerichten’s management company), and other affiliated entities in state Supreme Court, claiming the selection process was “flawed.” A separate request by the operator for an injunction to block an eviction was denied last week, giving the landlord runway; as Dan Biederman put it in an email, “Bryant Park Corporation intends to abide by the court decision issued last week and will exercise its rights at the conclusion of the current operator’s lease.” Biederman had previously told a community board that the restaurant had “gotten a little tired” and that “this is a business decision.” Park leadership projects a new, chef-led replacement could generate up to $40 million in sales, a figure presented as increased revenue for the park." - Tierney Plumb
"Bryant Park Grill is a large, 1,000-seat restaurant in New York City, recently leased by Jean-Georges Vongerichten. It is known for its prime location and expansive dining space." - Melissa McCart
"Jean-Georges Vongerichten is set to sign an 18-year lease on the space that has operated as a Bryant Park restaurant for nearly 30 years. The lease development followed a public breakup at a community board meeting between landlord Dan Biederman of Bryant Park Corporation, who said the restaurant "had gotten a little tired," and owner Michael Weinstein of Ark Restaurants, who said, "We just don’t understand." Crain's reported that the restaurant makes $28 million in annual sales and pays $3 million in annual rent (a reported $250,000 a month). The restaurant will remain open until the lease expires in May; Crain's reports the new operation will be co-owned by Jean-Georges and Seaport Entertainment Group, the latter of which has been in the news recently regarding employees not being rehired at the Tin Building." - Melissa McCart
"A 1,000-seat grill that’s been in place for nearly 30 years is being pushed out by its nonprofit landlord after an evaluation that some people feel the restaurant has “gotten a little tired,” according to Dan Biederman, head of the landlord corporation. In anticipation of the move, the operator launched a “Help Save” campaign on its website in the fall. “Everything you’re asking for is already in place,” restaurateur Michael Weinstein said at a Manhattan Community Board 5 meeting. “We just don’t understand.” Both Crain’s and the New York Times reported that Jean-Georges Vongerichten is likely to take over the space; Eater has reached out to Vongerichten for more information." - Melissa McCart
"While more Midtown spots than ever are offering outdoor seating, greenery is still quite hard to come by. Bryant Park has plenty of it, and right in the middle of it, Bryant Park Grill has a bunch of tables available on a first come, first served basis." - matt tervooren
