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When Hudson Yards’ much-anticipated opening on March 15, 2019, commenced, nobody could have anticipated that almost exactly one year later that the entire complex would be shut down due to the current crisis.
Now Thomas Keller’s TAK Room, the decorated chef’s first restaurant in New York in 15 years, has permanently closed in the multi-billion dollar development. His elegant fine dining restaurant anchored Hudson Yards culinary offerings with a throwback menu of American classics like strip steaks and classic Caesar salads prepared tableside.
“These decisions were not made lightly. They came after painful deliberations amid a pandemic that has devastated the global economy and caused irreparable damage to our business and profession,” Keller said in an emailed statement. “Given the challenges of the last five months; we could not find an economically viable path to continue operating without expected seasonal, New York tourism and traffic.”
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Keller, one of the most-lauded American chefs with multiple Michelin-rated restaurants, helped curate the dining program at Hudson Yards. Other restaurants include David Chang’s Kawi, the seafood-focused Estiatorio Milos and José Andrés’s Little Spain.
Besides TAK Room, Keller also closed Bouchon Bakery at Hudson Yards. His Bouchon Bakery at Rockefeller Center also quietly shuttered recently. Per Se, his other notable restaurant located within a mall, remains closed.
“Our profession continues to face long-term, daunting challenges and much work lies ahead,” Keller said in the same statement. “But we are resolute. While this news is devastating, we remain hopeful for the future, and committed to advocating for independent restaurants whose survival is so crucial to the wellbeing of communities everywhere. We will look forward to a time when we can rebuild.”
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