TWO LEGENDARY NEW YORK RESTAURANTS FILE CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCY

A GRIM DARK DAY FOR NEW YORK RESTAURANTS, AND THOSE WHO ENJOY FINE DINING. 9.SEPTEMBER WILL BE REMEMBERED AS A DAY OF SADNESS FOR LOSS OF TWO LEGENDARY LANDMARK RESTAURANTS. INDEED, THAT DAY 'TAVERN ON THE GREEN' AND 'CAFE DES ARTISTES' BOTH FILLED FOR BANKRUPTCY IN US BANKRUPTCY COURT, SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK.

THE CHAPTER 11 FILING IS JUST ANOTHER TRAGIC NAIL IN THE COFFIN FOR TAVERN ON THE GREEN. THE RESTAURANT WAS ALREADY SCHEDULED TO CLOSE ON 31.DECEMBER, BECAUSE A NEW 20-YEAR LICENSE WAS SOLD TO THE OPERATOR CENTRAL PARK BOATHOUSE, WHICH HAD OTHER DESIGNS FOR THE PROPERTY. THE RESTAURANT WILL CONTINUE TO OPERATE AND ACCEPT RESERVATIONS THROUGH 31.DECEMBER. TAVERN ON THE GREEN HAS LONG BEEN NOTHING SHORT OF A STUNNING NEW YORK LANDMARK. CELEBRITIES AND TOURISTS ALIKE HAVE CELEBRATED COUNTLESS SPECIAL OCCASIONS AND EVENTS WITHIN THE FANTASY-LIKE DESIGNED DINING ROOMS AND PATIO. THE RESTAURANT HAS APPEARED IN NUMEROUS FILMS AND TELEVISION SHOWS OVER THE YEARS, INCLUDING 'ARTHUR', 'WALL STREET', 'STELLA' AND 'NEW YORK STORIES'. TAKEN OVER BY WARNER LEROY MORE THAN 25 YEARS AGO, IT WAS ONCE ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS AND SUCCESSFUL RESTAURANTS IN THE COUNTRY WITH A $40 MILLION DOLLAR OPERATION, A STAFF OF 525 AND NEARLY 500,000 PATRONS ANNUALLY.

ONLY ONE BLOCK AWAY FROM THE TAVERN ON THE GREEN, IS THE HISTORIC CAFE DES ARTISTES.
CAFE DES ARTISTES, ONE OF NEW YORK'S FABLED RESTAURANTS, LOCATED AT 1 WEST 67th STREET, JUST OFF CENTRAL PARK WEST, WAS ONCE REGARDED AS ONE OF THE MOST SOUGHT-AFTER AND HIGHLY RATED EXCLUSIVE RESTAURANTS IN MANHATTAN. OWNER GEORGE LANG CLOSED THE RESTAURANT IN AUGUST FOR RENOVATIONS WITH A PLANNED GRAND GALA RE-OPENING IN MID-SEPTEMBER. SADLY, IT APPEARS THIS IS NEVER TO HAPPEN AND THE RESTAURANT'S DOORS HAVE BEEN SHUTTERED FOR GOOD. THE BANKRUPTCY PETITION LISTS ASSETS OF $84,500 AND LIABILITIES OF NEARLY $500,000 OWED TO CREDITORS.