The Bryant Park Grill’s lease expires Wednesday night, but its owner vows to keep the lights on and stay put in the space while he fights his landlord in court.
“We’re keeping the restaurant open until the litigation is resolved,” restaurateur Michael Weinstein told Crain’s. “We have possession.”
That might not be the case much longer after Weinstein suffered a setback on the legal battlefield this week. A New York state judge denied his request to prevent Bryant Park officials from moving to shut down his place after 30 years in business when its lease expires April 30. The judge found that Bryant Park Corp. had been fair and transparent in the way it sought out a new operator.
“Mere dissatisfaction with a competitive outcome does not constitute bad faith,” Judge Anar Rathod Patel said at an April 23 hearing.
Park officials selected Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s enterprise to take the restaurant space next to the New York Public Library. Officials have called the Bryant Park Grill “tired” and believe a new operator will generate more revenue to be shared with the park, which doesn’t receive city money. Their decision is a bitter pill for Weinstein, who built the grill into one of the nation’s highest grossing restaurants with $25 million in annual revenue.
Weinstein said he would continue with his lawsuit that accuses the park of conducting a sham bidding process and accepting an inferior bid. He said his restaurant, which employs 250 people, won’t close until presented with a court order.
Park management indicated it will seek one. A spokesman said the park “intends to adhere to the court’s ruling and exercise its rights.”
