Bryant Park Grill closing this spring, set to be replaced by a Jean-Georges restaurant

The Bryant Park Grill, which has overlooked the park from its perch behind the New York Public Library for 30 years, will close at the end of April and be replaced by a Jean-Georges restaurant next year.

Dan Biederman, president of the nonprofit Bryant Park Corporation, announced the plan during a contentious committee meeting of Manhattan Community Board 5 on Monday, saying that Jean-Georges had “the best combination of operating record, financial strength and creative talent in food and design,” and that an 18-year lease would be signed in the next few days.

Biederman narrowed his choice from among 11 "serious applications" submitted in response to a parks department-required request for proposals for the new lease. The Bryant Park Grill, which is part of the Ark Restaurants Corp. and has been fighting to continue operating, was among them. The grill and its outdoor porch generated $31 million in sales in the latest fiscal year, but Biederman has previously said a new operator could generate perhaps $40 million.

The parks department would ultimately have to sign off on Biederman's selection, weighing feedback from the community board, an advisory body. The department didn't return a message Tuesday seeking comment.

The new restaurant would be licensed from Jean-Georges Restaurants and operated by Seaport Entertainment Group, or SEG, a public company that owns 25% of the celebrity chef’s restaurant empire and operates the Tin Building by Jean-Georges, its food hall at the South Street Seaport.

SEG plans to conduct a $12 million renovation, reopen the porch seating this October, and open a new full-service restaurant by May 2026, Chief Financial Officer Matt Partridge said at the meeting.

The new restaurant would be custom-designed for the space but would have elements similar to Jean-Georges’ first restaurant JoJo, which opened in an Upper East Side townhouse in 1991, Partridge said.

Partridge faced extensive questions from the board about the new restaurant’s affordability, as well as SEG’s staffing practices and financial struggles, following a Gothamist report of mass terminations after the company performed a surprise employment authorization check at the Tin Building last month.

However, multiple community board members on Monday expressed concerns about Jean-Georges’ reputation as high-end fine-dining restaurateur, and questioned whether the new restaurant would heed their core priority of providing an affordable dining experience to Bryant Park visitors.

Others pointed out that the current Bryant Park Grill menu, which includes a $39 filet mignon burger, is not exactly cheap, but said there are ways to have an affordable experience by ordering carefully.

Partridge said SEG was committed to providing an “excellent atmosphere that’s accessible to all walks of life.”

Community board member David Shapiro pointed out that SEG was losing $32 million a quarter and asked if there were contingencies in place in case the restaurant failed. Biederman said the lease would have a rent guarantee, meaning that rent must be paid regardless of the restaurant’s operations.

The switch to Jean-Georges was long-rumored, with Michael Weinstein, CEO of Bryant Park Grill owner Ark Restaurants, telling the New York Times in October that the celebrity chef was likely the top candidate.

Tensions between Weinstein and Biederman exploded at a community board meeting last month and resurfaced Monday, with Weinstein urging the board not to recommend the change, citing Bryant Park Grill’s long-standing community ties, success in the location, and 250 staff members who would lose their livelihoods.

“We’re going to give every employee of Bryant Park [Grill] the opportunity to interview to keep their jobs,” Partridge said.

“The 250 employees aren’t going to wait around 10 months to be interviewed,” Weinstein responded.