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Few people know that Sardi’s, the Theater District restaurant known for its walls plastered with over 1,000 celebrity caricatures, was actually where the Tony Awards were first conceived. In the decades that ensued, the eatery has become a Broadway institution—serving as a gathering place for actors, producers, theater insiders and pre-show dining—by many considered to be the industry's unofficial clubhouse of sorts.
After 99 years in business, though, Sardi’s is getting ready for its next chapter. As first reported by the New York Times, the restaurant will close for renovations on June 24, just as current owner Max Klimavicius—who once worked there as a kitchen expediter—steps down after 33 years at the helm. Klimavicius recently sold the business to the Shubert Organization, the theater company that is also his landlord.
First things first: although Sardi’s will undergo a revamp, Klimavicius has been assured that the space will not be redesigned and, most importantly, those famous caricatures and burgundy banquettes will stay put. The restaurant's name will also remain the same.
No official timeline has yet been revealed, but the New York Times notes that a "freshened-up Sardi's should be ready to reopen" by the time the new musical Galileo will start previews at the Shubert Theatre across the street on November 10.