The iconic Loeb Boathouse is coming back after shutting down in October due to skyrocketing prices. Adam Kuperstein reports.
After closing just last fall, a landmark restaurant inside Central Park is returning.
The target date for the Loeb Boathouse, home to countless dates and weddings, is for summer 2023. The location, New York City's only lakefront venue, has been immortalized in several big Hollywood films, including "When Harry Met Sally" and the 1962 political thriller "The Manchurian Candidate."
Even New York City Mayor Eric Adams has a history with the boathouse.
"In my rookie years, I didn’t have a lot of money, and nothing was more romantic than being able to rent a boat," he said at a press conference Thursday. "It has been a landmark for generations in New York City."
Crushed by skyrocketing costs for labor and goods, the Loeb Boathouse closed down in Oct. 2022, with all 163 employees at the restaurant laid off. That's when the city's Park's Department started looking for a new operator.
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"We knew that the work that needed to be done, had to be done quickly, so this great attraction wouldn’t be closed for long," said Parks Deputy Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa.
They found a familiar and homegrown company to take over operating the boathouse: Legends Hospitality, which does the concessions at Yankee Stadium, One World Observatory and other venues throughout the country. They have committed more than $3 million to overhaul the property.
"Our approach is to restore it to its natural grandeur," said Richard Porteus of Legends Hospitality.
One planned change: Legends says they will start offering advanced ticketing for boat rentals, and debit and credit will be accepted.
"We'll work on the boat rental program and provide a complete refresh of all menus and all concepts throughout the property," said Porteus. "As a lifelong New Yorker, I've been here many times and can't wait to restore this iconic property."
According to the license agreement between the city and Legends, the new restaurant would offer brunch, lunch and dinner options at the dining room, as well as market options that are more geared toward grab-and-go items. The brunch would include standard staples (spinach and cheese omelet, brioche French toast, quiche, cinnamon bun, etc.) while the lunch menu featured sandwiches, burgers and salads, as well as few entrees.
The dinner menu featured a variety of different options, including lamb loin, duck ragout, USDA prime filet, grilled salmon, a pork chop, chicken, New York strip and a Chilean sea bass. There were also dessert items listed: honey buttermilk panna cotta, Dulcey blonde chocolate tart and black velvet cake.
The market would offer breakfast sandwiches in the morning, as well as pizzas and bowls in the afternoon, along with a kids menu.
The mayor the return of the restaurant would bring back 200 union jobs. The city still has to rubber stamp the agreement on a 10-year-lease.
