Well, it’s now obvious why Tavern on the Green is fighting so fiercely to hold on to its purchase in Central Park. A new list released by Restaurants & Institutions magazine shows it’s the highest-grossing independent restaurant in New York (and the second-highest in the nation), beating out Smith & Wollensky by $5.6 million. Some observations: Big Asians like Tao, Spice Market, Morimoto, Megu, Ruby Foo’s, and Buddakan are still going strong. (Tao’s Vegas location was the top earner nationwide.) Fine-dining contenders include Daniel and Del Posto — no Per Se, Masa, or Le Bernardin. Tourists are obviously bringing a lot of bank to places like Red Eye Grill and Rock Center Café. Quality Meats is making more money than Kobe Club across the way (Kobe doesn’t make the list, though Chodorow’s Asia de Cuba and China Grill do), and, along with Sparks, is out-grossing Peter Luger, which also surprisingly doesn’t rank. Also of note: Though his Union Square neighbors Coffee Shop and Blue Water Grill represent, there are no Danny Meyer restaurants on the list, which follows. Where are those Danny dollars!?
Numbers at left are the restaurant’s nationwide rank, followed by gross sales in 2008 and (in parentheses) average diner check.
2 Tavern on the Green, - $34,221,691 ($66)
4 Smith & Wollesnky, - $28,595,000 ($88)
5 Tao Asian Bistro - $24,433,601 ($74)
7 Buddakan - $21,602,008 ($78)
14 Sparks - $19,400,000** ($83.00**)
20 ’21’ Club - $17,324,066 ($144)
21 Blue Fin - $17,300,000** ($62.00**)
22 The Four Seasons - $17,250,000 ($144)
23 Blue Water Grill - $17,000,000*** ($63.00**)
26 Rock Center Cafe - $15,701,400 ($40)
34 Balthazar - $15,000,000** ($60.00**)
35 Junior’s - $14,800,000** ($23.00**)
38 Spice Market - $14,513,093 ($63)
41 Coffee Shop - $14,391,360 ($25)
45 Del Posto - $14,000,000 ($125) 1
50 Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant - $13,100,000** ($48.00**)
53 Morimoto - $12,926,891 ($95)
55 Cafe Fiorello - $12,899,710 ($38)
58 Junior’s (Times Square) - $12,600,000** ($15.50**)
59 Daniel - $12,600,000** ($118.00**)
65 Tattoria Dell’Arte - $12,236,383 ($52)
68 Carmine’s - $12,100,000** ($37.00**)
73 Ruby Foo’s (Times Square) - $11,900,000** ($51.00**)
75 Asia de Cuba - $11,800,000** ($66.00**)
76 Gotham Bar & Grill - $11,800,000** ($ 95.00**)
78 Bryant Park Grill - $11,800,000** ($48.00**)
79 Redeye Grill - $11,743,366 ($53)
81 Quality Meats - $11,537,000 ($93)
88 China Grill - $11,300,000** ($67.00**)
89 Megu - $11,300,000** ($94.00**)
99 Maloney and Porcelli - $11,080,000 ($86)
