It's a sad day for the traveling gourmet and New York-philes. We heard from the New York Times that The Plaza Hotel's Oak Room, the iconic symbol of New York City grandeur, is scheduled to close following a bitter fight between the restaurant operator and the hotel's owners.
According to the New York Times, lease negotiations with the hotel fell apart in March after "the hotel's owners pushed him [Eli Gindi, an owner of the Oak Room] to either cancel one of his few lucrative events or pay more than double his current rent."
The event in question is the Oak Room's "Day and Night" Saturday afternoon parties, which pulls in scores of nouveau riche looking to down bottles Cristal and Dom. Apparently these parties were a great source of annoyance to The Plaza's year-round tenants.
According to The Plaza's owners, the Elad Group, who are suing the Oak Room for $33.3 million, the restaurant has been in violation of the lease, has involved itself in "unacceptable activities and significant financial arrears."
The scheduled date of closing will be July 31.
Read the full article here.
Photo courtesy of the New York Times.