Endangered

City Now Accepting Proposals for the Future ‘Tavern on the Green’

Photo: Courtesy of Tavern on the Green

First the Ciprianis are ejected from the Rainbow Room, and now the operators of Tavern on the Green may have to give up their $36 million Central Park operation. As noted earlier, the lease is up, and per a press release, the city is currently accepting proposals from potential tenants. The Parks Department is looking, specifically, for “imaginative and thoughtful proposals that will respect the architectural intent of the original building and its location within the park landscape. Parks will evaluate proposals based on several specific criteria listed in the RFP [apply here], which includes the fee offered to the city, plans for capital improvements, the proposer’s operating experience, planned operations for the restaurant, and proposer’s financial capability.” Current operator Jennifer Oz LeRoy hopes to be able to renew the lease (she owns the name Tavern on the Green, in any case), but if she is to beat out Danny Meyer and other presumed candidates, she’ll have to step up her game — she currently pays about $1.2 million, or about 3.5 percent of revenues, to the city, whereas other city-owned restaurants pay 10 to 20 percent of their revenues.

Tavern on the Green: Now Up for Grabs! [NYO]

City Now Accepting Proposals for the Future ‘Tavern on the Green’