LINCOLN SQUARE — Servers wearing pearls and toting trays of classy cocktails will replace loud late-night DJ parties at the Empire Hotel's revamped rooftop bar, the new owners said.
The Empire Rooftop, the bar atop the hotel on West 63rd Street and Broadway, closed on Jan. 1 but is reopening under new management as soon as its liquor license is approved.
Reps for new owner Hospitality Holdings, which manages a group of swanky Manhattan bars including The Campbell Apartment and The Carnegie Club, told Community Board 7 they'd renovated the bar's furnishings and decor to make it a more upscale destination.
"We are not a DJ-driven operation. We’re an upscale cocktail lounge," said partner Kenneth McClure.
Rather than a "4 a.m. place," the rooftop bar will close at 1 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday and at 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, he said.
"Our servers are in pearls and everything is on trays," he told community board members Wednesday night as he and partner Mark Grossich went before the Business and Consumer Issues committee seeking a liquor license.
The Empire Rooftop will also frequently rent the space for private parties, including bar mitzvahs and Lincoln Center events, McClure said.
The bar has been the subject of a battle between neighbors and previous owner China Grill Management over noise from its late-night parties.
The new owners assured concerned residents that they were different and would respect neighbors' need for quiet.
"We really would like the community to become our customers. We’re willing to work with the community," McClure said.
The committee gave its approval for the new liquor license with the caveat that the partners return in six months for a review of any noise issues.
"[The Upper West Side is] not Times Square," said committee co-chairman George Zeppenfeldt-Cestero. "People go to bed early. Their kids go to bed early."
The Empire Rooftop's owners still need the approval of the full board and the State Liquor Authority.
