Tavern on the Green Reopens as Visitors Center

The new Tavern on the Green Visitors Center aims to lure tourists in with a retail shop and food truck vendors.

The iconic Central Park restaurant Tavern on the Green reopened Friday with a new look, and a different function. 

The landmark, now called, "Central Park Visitor Center at Tavern on the Green," is the new home to four food truck vendors, a visitor center, and a retail shop.  

The city's Parks Commissioner, Adrian Benepe, said the center marks the beginning of a new chapter:

"Today we're celebrating the tavern's new uses with improved public access and highlighting [the] historic building's relationship with the larger and greatly improved Central Park."

The Tavern on the Green restaurant closed last New Year's Day after filing for bankruptcy.  Under the new licensing agreement, the city will make about $2 million less than its deal with the old Tavern operators, the LeRoy family.

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