Empire Diner Seeks to Take Back the Empire

The Empire Diner, located on the western edge of Chelsea, has been open since the 1940’s.  Just like the city itself, the venerable diner has gone through a significant amount of change in that time.  Now, chef John DeLucie is taking on the project with restaurateur Stacy Pisone, and plan to reopen this Monday.

The 92-seat space was previously helmed by Food Network start Amanda Freitag, but her command didn’t last.  That iteration closed in 2015.  But, the far west side is seeing more and more development, as the massive Hudson Yards project works like a magnet on the surrounding area.  So the new team is battling current competition just south near Chelsea Market, and betting on the new residents just north to keep the seats full.

Additionally, DeLucie and Pisone completed an extensive 8-month renovation that brought the vintage diner into the modern age with new electric, ventilation, and interior design.

 

To read more, click here.

New York City Parks Releases Bid Request

The New York City Parks Department has just released two Requests for Bids for mobile food concessions throughout the city.  One is for various parks throughout all five boroughs, and the other is for locations specifically within Central Park.

Both were issued yesterday, and both have a Tuesday, May 23rd deadline.  If you’re interested in applying, be sure to read thoroughly through the rules and regulations of the application and the operation.  Historically, NYC has enforced stringent bylaws for these types of operations, including menu items and pricing, operating hours, and initial capital cost requirements.

 

To read more, click here.  Requires log in to download the RFB documentation.