By Ben Fractenberg
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
UPPER WEST SIDE — It looks like the white table cloths at Tavern on the Green will be replaced with a snack bar.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg released a statement Thursday saying talks between restaurateur Dean Poll, who runs the Central Park Boat House, and the union representing restaurant workers broke down.
“It’s disappointing that an agreement could not be reached between the two parties. The City tried to play the role of honest broker, but the two sides remain far apart,” Bloomberg said in the statement. “We can’t – and won’t – wait any longer for a resolution with no guarantee that one will come.”
The city will solicit new proposals for anyone seeking to reopen the historic restaurant, but in the meantime, the tavern will operate as a visitor center with a snack bar and small retail store offering Central Park-themed goods, sources said. The Central Park Conservancy may run the concession area, but a final decision has not yet been made.
The announcement comes after months of heated negations between Poll and the Hotel and Motel Trades Council, which represents the restaurant's workers.
“Tavern on the Green is a New York City landmark known the world over, and we’re committed to maintaining an active use there in one form or another for the 35 million visitors to Central Park every year and all New Yorkers,” said Bloomberg.
Prior to it's closure, the restaurant ranked second in the list of highest-grossing restaurants in the U.S.
