21 Club
21 Club | |
---|---|
Marshall S. Cogan and Stephen Swid (1985–1995) Jack Kreindler and Charlie Berns and families (1922–1985) | |
Head chef | Sylvain Delpique |
Dress code | Jacket required, jeans not permitted |
Street address | 21 West 52nd Street |
City | New York City |
State | New York |
Postal/ZIP Code | 10019 |
Country | United States |
Coordinates | 40°45′37.8″N 73°58′38.6″W / 40.760500°N 73.977389°W |
Reservations | Recommended |
Website | www.21club.com/ |
The 21 Club, often simply 21, was a traditional American cuisine restaurant and former
After being shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic, the establishment announced in December 2020 that it would not reopen "in its current form for the foreseeable future" and was considering how to keep the restaurant a viable operation in the long term.
History
First version and Prohibition
The first version of the club opened in Greenwich Village in 1922, run by cousins Jack Kriendler and Charlie Berns. It was originally a small speakeasy known as the Red Head. In 1925 the location was moved to a basement on Washington Place and its name was changed to Frontón. The following year it moved uptown to 42 West 49th Street, changed its name to the Puncheon Club, and became much more exclusive.[3]
In late 1929, to make way for the
According to the New York Times, in 1950, when most burgers were the cost of a dime at coffee shops, 21 Club charged $2.75.
New owners and dress code
In 1985, the Kriendler and Berns families sold their interests in the restaurant to General Felt Industries, a
On January 24, 2009, it ended its long-standing policy of requiring men to wear neckties at dinner. Wearing a jacket, however, was still required,[11] and loaner jackets by Michael Kors and Ralph Lauren were available for men to borrow if they had neglected to bring one.[12] In summer of 2015, all 37 jockeys were removed for a three-month artist restoration and returned on October 21, 2015, for a ribbon-cutting.[13]
Pandemic and closure
In March 2020, indoor dining at all New York City restaurants, including 21 Club, ceased due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[14] In November 2020, the club's managers stated that it had made the decision to keep the club permanently closed.[15][16] The signature jockey statues were removed in December 2020.[5] Though New York restaurants were able to reopen briefly later in the year, a second shutdown caused the restaurant to announce on December 11 that it had ceased operations indefinitely and that employees would be terminated in March 2021, citing economic uncertainty.[17] 21 Club was one of many restaurants in New York City that were permanently closed during the pandemic.[18]
On March 9, 2021, the club's 148 mostly unionized employees were officially laid off with a notice filed with the
Ambiance and dress code
The Bar Room included a restaurant, a lounge and, as the name implied, a bar. The walls and ceiling of the Bar Room were covered with antique toys and sports memorabilia donated by famous patrons.
The first of the signature statues of jockeys outside the restaurant had been added in the 1930s after a donation, with more donated by New York families such as the
Reception
Between 2003 and 2015, the restaurant was a recipient of the Wine Spectator Grand Award.[23] In 2017, Zagat gave it a food rating of 4.3 out of 5.[1]
Ian Fleming described the club as "The best speak-easy in New York" in his 1956 Bond book, Diamonds Are Forever.[24]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Zagat". www.zagat.com.
- ^ a b c Adams, Erika (December 14, 2020). "Midtown Legend 21 Club Shutters After 90-Year Run". Eater.
- ^ Fitzpatrick, Kevin C. "Social Scene at "21"". Archived from the original on August 14, 2006. Retrieved August 23, 2006.
- ^ "Charles A. Berns, '21' Brands Head; Original Partner in Jack and Charlie's '21' Dies". The New York Times. February 21, 1971. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ "21 Club History". Archived from the original on 7 August 2006. Retrieved 23 August 2006.
- ^ Prestige, Elegant. "The top one percent". Elegant Prestige. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
- ^ Grimes, William (December 22, 2001). "H. Peter Kriendler, 96, Operator of '21' Club". The New York Times.
- ^ "Adding up the New '21'". New York. June 1, 1987. p. 41.
- ^ "NYC's '21' Club sold to Orient-Express". Nation's Restaurant News, September 25, 1995
- ^ 21club.com FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- ^ Stapinski, Helene (August 19, 2013). "Dressing Up the Loaner Jacket". The New York Times.
- ^ Kilgannon, Corey (October 21, 2015). "Jockeys Return to '21' Club in Manhattan After a Summer Break". The New York Times.
- ^ Ryan, Sutton (March 16, 2020). "Cuomo Announces Tri-State Restaurant and Bar Shutdown Starting Monday Night". ny.eater.com. Eater.
- ^ a b c Adams, Erika (November 19, 2021). "Will 21 Club Return? Its Murky Future Is Splitting Apart the Icon's Union". Eater.
- Wall Street Journal– via www.wsj.com.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ^ Izzo, Christina; Ing, Bao; Sutherland-Namako, Amber (October 29, 2021). "75 notable NYC restaurants and bars that permanently closed since 2020". TimeOut.
- ^ a b Morgan, Kaya. "The 21 Club – Manhattan's Most Prestigious Landmark". Archived from the original on August 27, 2006. Retrieved August 23, 2006.
- ^ "About the Jockeys". Archived from the original on October 21, 2006. Retrieved August 23, 2006.
- New York Magazine, February 20, 2019
- ^ McCleary, Kelly; Akbarzai, Sahar (December 12, 2020), "New York City's iconic 21 Club is closing down", CNN
- ^ "'21 Club'". Wine Spectator. January 1, 2015. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
- ISBN 9780230716612.
Further reading
- Marilyn Kaytor, "21": The Life and Times of New York's Favorite Club (Viking Press, 1975).