Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to be a part of the team opening the new Ian Schrager Public Hotel at 215 Chrystie Street on the Lower East Side. Designed by Herzog & deMeuron, the hotel has 367 rooms and occupies most of the 28 story structure. Jean-Georges Vongerichten will be running two restaurants in the hotel. There will be three bars including outdoor space on the 16th and 17th floors, and a Public Arts multi-purpose space in two lower levels that has been dubbed Manhattan’s answer to BAM.
New York’s first outpost of the international culinary hot spot Cecconi’s opened last week in DUMBO. Opened by Soho House founder Nick Jones, Cecconi’s is located on the ground floor of the Empire Stores warehouse at 55 Water Street near Brooklyn Bridge Park. The brand has restaurants in London since 1979, and subsequent locations in West Hollywood, Miami, Berlin and Barcelona. The 250 seat restaurant also has outdoor seating. Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to be part of the Cecconi’s team.
Martha Redo attended the groundbreaking ceremony of what will be the new TWA Hotel at JFK being developed by Bernstein Redo, P.C. client, MCR Development. Former TWA employees, elected officials, and Governor Cuomo attended the ceremony. The iconic 1962 landmarked terminal originally developed by Eero Saarinen will be restored to its Jet Age splendor, and will include 505 guest rooms, 50,000 square feet of conference, event and meeting space, and eight or more food and beverage outlets. Plans also include a 10,000 square foot observation deck, and an innovative museum showcasing New York as the birth of the Jet Age. Construction is well under way on this project.
Eater NY just named recently opened Marlow Bistro as one of three “Hottest Restaurants in Manhattan” this month. Marlow Bistro, located at 1018 Amsterdam Avenue is owned by Marjanne Motamedi and Dragan Ristovski, who also own Cibo e Vino at 2418 Broadway, an Upper West Side gem. Marlow combines its Mediterranean roots with a European sensibility. Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to be a part of the Marlow and Cibo team.
Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to be working with Cornell University in licensing its newly developing academic campus on Roosevelt Island. Once fully built, Bloomberg Center at Cornell Tech will sit on twelve acres with 2 million square feet of LEED designed space and be one of the most environmentally friendly and energy efficient campuses in the world. Starr Catering, which operates food venues at Carnegie Hall, the Botanical Gardens, The Rubin Museum, and the New York Historical Society, will run the food and beverage operations at the Bloomberg Center.
Last night Donald M. Bernstein participated as a panelist and speaker at Restaurant Law University held in White Plains, New York. Sponsored by The Westchester County Bar Association’s Hospitality Law Subcommittee of the Business & Commercial Law Committee and the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation’s Food & Beverage Alliance, the program started with a round table discussion of various issues and questions relating to franchising, the purchase and sale of a restaurant. The presentations included a section on retail liquor licensing, intellectual property rights relating to restaurants, leasing, and employment issues. The program was attended by lawyers, restaurant owners, and other professionals.
Mr. Bernstein is also a frequent lecturer at the National Law Institute in New York on the purchase and sale of a restaurant, and retail liquor licensing issues. Watch the NLI website (www.nationallawinstitute.com) for upcoming continuing legal education classes on these and other topics.
The owners of Chef’s Club, the famed Mulberry Street restaurant with an original outpost in Aspen, Colorado, have opened a new concept on the corner of Spring and Lafayette Street. Formerly Spring Natural, the space, which is named Chefs Club Counter, will be fast-casual, highlighting local and international chefs. Dishes in the 56 seat café include the famous “Eggslut” which is not to be missed, and is only available in New York at Chef’s Club Counter. Featured chefs will craft creative grab-and-go or grab-and-stay dishes, ready in short order. Each dish will be available for a short period of time only. Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to be a part of the Chef’s Club Counter team.
New bills currently under committee review in both houses of the New York State legislature would permit the in-theater consumption of alcoholic beverages in New York State cinemas.
Although theaters can currently serve alcohol in licensed lobby areas, and under recent legislation in the theatre itself provided full meals are offered and the theatre fits within the definition of a “restaurant,” the proposed legislation would take it a step further.
The proposed bills (Assembly Bill A07188 and Senate Bill S05784) would amend the New York Alcoholic Beverage Control Law to allow theaters to serve alcohol if the following requirements are met: each patron would need to provide evidence that he or she is 21 or older, and is a ticketholder for a motion picture rated PG-13, R or NC-17. Additional restrictions in the drafted text intend to limit the hours of operation – permitting theaters to begin serving alcohol one hour prior to the start of the first motion picture and cease all sales after the final picture of the day – and to limit patron service to just a single beverage per transaction.
If passed as proposed, the legislation should not disturb the on-premises liquor licenses held by table-service theaters, or prevent theaters from continuing to obtain on-premises licenses for lobby areas where movies are not shown.
Stephen Starr, the well-known Philadelphia and New York restauranteur and Bernstein Redo client, was awarded the prestigious James Beard Restauranteur of the Year Award. Among his thirty-two restaurants in four states, Starr owns Buddakan, Morimoto, Upland, El Vez, and the newly opened Le Coucou in New York, run by chef Daniel Rose, which won the James Beard Best New Restaurant in the country. Congratulations! Bernstein Redo is proud to be a part of the Starr team.
A new bill introduced in the New York City Council (Int. No. 1648) aims to establish an Office of Nightlife complete with a “Nightlife Task Force” and, as the bill’s sponsor has termed it, a “Night Mayor.” If passed, the proposed Local Law would amend the New York City Administrative Code to mandate the creation of a task force to study New York City Laws, rules, and regulations and issue recommendations to address “common issues and trends in the nightlife industry.” As written, the proposed task force would be a temporary group consisting of nine members with a singular purpose of drafting a report on how to improve policies and laws that impact nightlife in New York City. The task force will be required to submit its report and recommendations to the Mayor and Speaker of the Council within one year of the Council’s enactment of the Local Law.
According to reports from a recent hearing at City Hall, Council Member Rafael Espinal, Jr., one of the sponsors of the new Office of Nightlife bill, has indicated his intention to introduce additional legislation to repeal or rework the Cabaret Law. The Cabaret Law, a section of the New York City Administrative Code enacted in the 1920s, currently prohibits operating any “room, place or space… in which any musical entertainment, singing, dancing or other form of amusement is permitted” without a cabaret license issued by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs.
Bernstein Redo, P.C. will continue to follow the proposed bill and, if passed by the New York City Council, will be ready to advise our hospitality clients.
