Even the restaurant’s name is up for grabs. At stake is whether another restaurateur taking over the 27,000 square feet of space, owned by the city, can reopen as Tavern on the Green.
For 75 years, since it first opened amid the Great Depression, the Tavern has attracted clients from around the world.
“This reminds me so much of Poland!’’ exclaimed Vermont resident Meg Kearton as she entered for her first time in late December. “It reminds me of a restaurant in Warsaw - the grandeur and the colors.’’
She came for lunch a few days after Christmas, when green and white dominated the Tavern’s year-round wonderland of lights, flowers, and ornamental mirrors.
Hanging over the main Crystal Room, an all-glass dining area, was a century-old chandelier made of green glass, said to have been owned by an Indian maharajah. Two elk decked with red and green ornaments stood at the entrance, and outside was a huge King Kong topiary.
Former Tavern mogul Warner LeRoy, befitting his heritage as son of a producer of “The Wizard of Oz,’’ searched the globe for the whimsical goods after he took over the Tavern’s lease in 1973. He died in 2001, leaving the business to his wife, Kay LeRoy, and daughter Jennifer.
As the end of the family’s operating license approached, the city sought competing bids.
The LeRoys lost to Dean Poll, who operates the stylish Loeb Boathouse restaurant overlooking the Central Park lake and offered to invest $25 million on Tavern renovations. The city awarded him a 20-year license in August, citing his significant capital investment and vision; the new Tavern will incorporate green building technology while a conservatory-style dining space will complement the original Victorian architecture.
Poll also plans an outdoor cafe, bicycle racks, and new public restrooms.
The LeRoys, employing more than 400 unionized workers with full benefits, couldn’t match that. As the recession hit, they accrued more than 450 creditors.
