Whether you loved it or hated it, New York's landmark "Tavern on the Green" appears to be on the way back to opening its doors as a restaurant. It will never be what it was, but, nonetheless, there is forward movement in getting the establishment reopened.
According to an August 4, 2013, column in the New York Post, Boston based equity firm Summit Partners is the new principal owner of the iconic restaurant. It also raises a lot of questions with the most oblivious being what does a financial firm know about running a successful restaurant. The answer, as it turns out, is they are partnering with Philadelphia based Emerald Green Group who won the licensing agreement from the city last year.
The Emerald Green Group visions for the new Tavern on the Green include a smaller venue serving 500 customers (with indoor and outdoor seating) opposed to the old restaurant which could accommodate up to 800 people. Emerald Green also to feature Chef Katy Sparks as the driving force in the kitchen. (Sparks is a well respected chef who is known for her passion for using local, sustainable and artisan foods.) However, will Sparks be enough to ignite the landmark restaurant back to its former glory? Only time will tell.
Rumors and scuttlebutt say the restaurant will reopen by the end of 2013. Let's hope so -- nothing was sadder than seeing the once glamorous restaurant being used as a pit stop for tourists as a visitor's center.
