Did Tavern on the Green really file for bankruptcy?
Nearly four months before Tavern on the Green was to yield its operating license to another operator, the landmark restaurant in Central Park has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In a statement, the current license holder, Jennifer Oz LeRoy, chief executive of Tavern, said that the filing was “our only alternative given the current situation,” adding that the decision was the result of “two factors – the extreme financial distress brought on by the current financial crisis and the City of New York’s decision not to renew our license.” On Aug. 28 the Department of Parks announced that the new 20-year license would be taken over by Dean J. Poll, who runs the Central Park Boathouse restaurant. The current license expires on Dec. 31. Ms. LeRoy’s father, the restaurateur Warner LeRoy, who died in 2001, took over the restaurant in 1976. “We are proud of the service we have provided to thousands of patrons over the years,” Ms. LeRoy said. She added that “we plan to honor all of our
