A New York hospitality mogul is bringing in Waverly Inn celebrity chef John DeLucy to help restore the shine to the 150-year-old tavern near the South Street Seaport, says Side Dish reported.
Eitan Sugarman, whose restaurant empire includes White Horse Tavern, Hunt and Fish Club and the Made in New York Pizza chain, continues to focus on New York City’s recovery from the pandemic. He secretly bought the Paris Café and reopened it.
The Paris Café opened in 1873, and the likes of Teddy Roosevelt, Thomas Edison and Annie Oakley once sat belly-up at the hand-carved wooden bar.
In later years, Bob Dylan and Lauren Bacall became loyal patrons.
The 3,900-square-foot, 75-seat pub still has its original bar and mirrors, and the dining room features a banquet room decorated in wood and leather.
“It’s like a diamond in the ground,” Sugarman told Side Dish.
“Yes, it’s not very pretty. But we’re going to polish it up and introduce a new food and beverage program while preserving the neighborhood’s culture.”
Mr. Sugarman intends to maintain the historic integrity of the establishment, located at 119 South Street near the old Fulton Fish Market, but the pub will also include Chef DeLucy, who once served $55 macaroni and cheese. He said he plans to add a “French-inspired” menu created by . His Waverley Inn has become popular with celebrities, and now he runs the village gem Ambraitalia Trattoria.
“You know I love old New York stuff, and this is a real gem,” DeLucy told Side Dish.
The tavern withstood flooding during Hurricane Sandy but eventually closed due to the pandemic. T
That’s when the landlord first approached Sugarman about the space.
It reopened last November, and Sugarman brought on DeLucy to revamp the menu after recently purchasing a majority stake in Umbra.
DeLucy is also known for revamping another classic restaurant, West Chelsea’s Empire Diner, which has been around since 1976.
He said he was excited to be in another “emerging” region.
Paris Cafe joins Sugarman’s new Hudson Street hospitality company. The company includes nightlife veteran Matt Schendel as his COO, Richie Romero as chief branding officer and Sean Rose as chief marketing officer.
The group also owns the White Horse Tavern, located at 567 Hudson Street in the West Village.
Opened in 1880, this landmark pub was a famous hangout for Dylan Thomas, Bob Dylan, James Baldwin, Norman Mailer, and Hunter S. Thompson.
Sugarman calls both 19th-century spots “legacy brands.”
“There are only a handful left. Progress has its victims. I want to be known as the guy who defends them,” said Sugarman, whose Instagram handle is “boyfromnewyorkcity.” Ta.
The White Horse is located next door to Umbra, which DeLucy opened last September with restaurateur Andrea Jena, and soon attracted the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, Justin Timberlake and Chris Meloni. It attracted celebrity customers such as
Sugarman hopes to lure the same star power to the Seaport, which is in the midst of a transformation with the addition of Casa Cipriani and the Jean-Georges Vongerichten tin building in recent years.
“I believe this area will thrive over the next five years,” Sugarman said. “It’s going to be an area like Hell’s Kitchen or the Meatpacking District.”
Sugarman, who got his start as a nightclub owner, says he’s here for the long term, even though New York is still in the post-pandemic recovery phase.
“New York is still New York. At the end of the day, I think we have the best and most diverse nightlife and hospitality in the world. This is definitely not New York City’s finest moment, but New York City is… It’s still the greatest city in the world and it will get back to where it was. I will continue to invest here,” Sugarman said. “I completely believe in New York.”
In addition to his traditional landmark spot, Sugarman also plans to open The Hudson Club, an upscale restaurant and cocktail bar on West 55th Street, another Midtown eatery he owns. The store will have a similar feel to the Hunt and Fish Club.
Hudson Club is located in a 2,800-square-foot space formerly occupied by Black Tap Burger, across from the upscale Estiatorio Milos Midtown on West 55th Street.
It is scheduled to open by the end of June.
“We’re creating an upscale cocktail lounge and fine dining restaurant that has the feel of a members’ club, but is open to everyone,” Sugarman said.
