SAGA Hospitality Group, whose major restaurants at 70 Pine Street helped drive the Wall Street area’s dining surge, are branching out uptown.
The group led by managing partner and head chef James Kent signed a lease for a 7,000 square-foot eatery at BXP’s 360 Park Avenue South at East twenty sixth Street.
It’s an enormous step for SAGA and for BXP, previously referred to as Boston Properties. Kent, who runs ground-floor Crown Shy at 70 Pine and tower-top SAGA and Overstory, desired to expand SAGA’s reach.
Meanwhile, BXP wanted a signature restaurant to lend a cool factor to the vacant, 450,000 square-foot, 1913-vintage office tower in Midtown South.
BXP is spending $100 million to redevelop the handsome property where it bought the leasehold interest for $300 million in December 2021. The joint-venture includes Canadian pension fund CPPIB and Singapore private wealth fund GIC.
The highest-to-bottom modernization includes recent elevators and lobbies and tenant amenities corresponding to a roof deck, indoor lounges, bike room and meeting spaces.
James Kent runs ground-floor Crown Shy at 70 Pine and tower-top SAGA and Overstory.Kelt T
SAGA has “built a fame for world-class dining experiences within the Financial District and we’re excited to expand their reach to the growing Midtown South neighborhood,” said Hilary Spann, BXP’s Latest York region executive vice chairman.
Kent said the recent eatery “is along with all we’re doing down here.”
The as-yet-unnamed venue to open in early 2024, can be “seafood-driven and inspired by the Grand Central Terminal Oyster Bar. We’d like to mess around with their famous oyster pan roast,” Kent said.
The brand new eatery can be on the bottom floor on the constructing’s north corner.BXP
The famed Grand Central eatery is kind of dear to Kent’s heart, he explained, since it’s where his grandmother and jazz great Charles Mingus went on their first date before they were married.
“It’s been a vital restaurant for our family,” he said.
Kent’s place can be on the bottom floor on the constructing’s north corner.
“Our intention is an enormous, bustling restaurant with about 140 seats,” he said.
Saga pastry chef Renata Ameni will head up a daytime patisserie that may turn into the restaurant bar by night.
