Tavern on the Green Name May Change

by Sara Bonisteel, Posted Aug 31st 2009 @ 1:30PM

New York's Tavern on the Green. Photo: Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images

New York's historic Tavern on the Green may get a name change now that a new restaurateur will be running the space.

Dean Poll, who on Friday won a 20-year lease for the historic Central Park restaurant, says he may change the name of the iconic restaurant rather than lease the name from the previous restaurateur, Jennifer Oz LeRoy. Poll has said that while the name "has history," a new one would be "fresh," according to the Associated Press.

Shelley Clark, a spokeswoman for the LeRoy family, told Slashfood on Monday that "anything in this world is possible" in regards to the leasing of the name and that "the family is committed to the brand and determined it will have a future."

On Friday, the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation gave Poll the lease, saying his proposal for the space "will ensure that both residents and visitors to New York will enjoy fine dining in one of the city's most historic and bucolic settings for years to come."

Earlier this year, the department said there would be no guarantee the Tavern on the Green name would stay with the park. "Parks make no representations or warranties that the successful proposer may operate the Premises under the name 'Tavern on the Green' absent a license from the former operator, Tavern on the Green Ltd. (formerly, LeRoy Adventures, Inc.), which claims trademark rights associated with the name 'Tavern on the Green,'" the agency said during its call for proposals.

Poll's plans to rehab the restaurant include $25 million in capital improvements, including the addition of green technologies, as well as preserving both the original Victorian structure as well as the 1950s renovation. He'll take over the lease on Jan. 1, 2010.

The move ends the LeRoy family's 35-year reign over the Tavern. They had created a Web site, Support Tavern on the Green, to influence the city's decision.

"We are saddened and disappointed by the decision," the family said in a statement. "We congratulate Mr. Poll. It's been an honor to operate Tavern on the Green for 35 years. Our deepest gratitude goes to our diners, friends and wonderful staff for their support."

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Tavern on the Green

Carriages and taxi cabs take diners to the fabled Tavern on the Green in New York City. The city's Parks Department has called for proposals for a new leaseholder for the historic eatery, hoping for a major renovation of the landmark to better integrate the Tavern into Central Park. In Aug. 2009, they awarded the bid to Dean Poll, who runs the Loeb Boathouse in the park.

manicmaurice, Flickr

Getty Images North America

Tavern on the Green

manicmaurice, Flickr

The entrance to New York's Tavern on the Green in New York City. Operated by the LeRoy family since the 1970s, the restaurant could change hands as the New York City Parks Department calls for proposals for a major renovation and new 20-year lease of the historic site. The family hopes to win the lease from the city.

thomwatson, Flickr

Lanterns hang from the white-lit trees at the Tavern on the Green restaurant in Central Park. The Tavern was originally a Victorian Gothic barn called the Sheepfold, which housed the herd that grazed on Sheep Meadow in the 19th century. The restaurant is reportedly the most successful in New York and may soon change hands as New York calls for proposals for the historic space for a new 20-year lease.

Jose Azel, AURORA Getty Images

Lanterns decorate the trees at night in the courtyard of Tavern on the Green in New York City.

Kate Allen, Flickr

Tavern on the Green guests dine under the lanterns in the courtyard of the famed restaurant.

Kate Allen, Flickr

The courtyard of Tavern on the Green in Central Park, New York City.

Paul Hawthorne, Getty Images

New York's Tavern on the Green as seen from a street within Central Park.

thomwatson, Flickr

Tavern on the Green in New York's Central Park as seen from a drive within the park.

Majorie Lipan, Flickr

What do you think of the city's decision? Tell us in the comments below!