Refusing to call his many restaurants a vast empire, Danny Meyer in conversation with Florence Fabricant last Sunday at Guild Hall, referred to his Union Square Café, Gramercy Tavern, Untitled at the Whitney, The Modern, Blue Smoke and Jazz Standard, Marta, Maialino, and the popular Shake Shacks, to name a few, as his collection. This talk was part of a series called “Stirring the Pot,” featuring famous chefs, in a program curated by The New York Times food writer Florence Fabricant for Guild Hall.
Meyer did not pick up his business acumen at school. On the way to taking the bar exam, Meyer caught the attention of his wise uncle who asked why the young man, looking sad about law, so passionate about restaurants and food, would want to spend his time working at something he did not like. His first restaurant investors were family members, who, said Meyer proudly, were all repaid.
This summer he is moving his Union Square Café. Florence Fabricant noted that she had not heard of anyone doing that, with the exception of Wolfgang Puck, who successfully relocated Spago. Puck will be the “Stirring the Pot” guest, seated beside Fabricant at the Ciuffo designed kitchen set on August 28. And Danny Meyer went off to Boston, for the opening of the 100th Shake Shack.
Comments