Two years after shutting its doors, the legendary Four Seasons restaurant is set to reopen in a new location in New York City.
But while the space is brand new, co-owner Alex Von Bidder believes bold-faced names who frequented the restaurant through the years will still feel at home.
“The feeling is the same. The feeling is even more intimate than before,” he told CNBC’s Robert Frank in an interview Tuesday on “Power Lunch.”
For nearly 60 years the Four Seasons catered to the elite and power-brokers like Henry Kissinger, Martha Stewart, Wilbur Ross and George Clooney. But in 2016, the iconic haunt closed its doors after a battle with the landlord.
On Wednesday, the restaurant is expected to open at its new setting on East 49th Street, just a few blocks away from the old location in the Seagram Building. However, the path to this point wasn’t an easy one; it was plagued with delays, controversy and an escalating budget.
In the end, the new space cost more than $30 million. “Finally,” said Von Bidder of the reopening. “It’s been a long, arduous time and we miss the customers and we miss the employees.”
Regular patrons also got into the game, paying between $250,000 and $1 million to invest in the restaurant.
Co-owner Julian Niccolini said he’s not worried about recovering the costs, saying the most important thing is that the customer is well cared for.
In fact, he said that is the secret to the restaurant’s success.
“We never say no,” he said. “We know their likes and dislikes and I think that’s one of the most important parts of the game.”
The new location has everything from a gold-covered bar and leather-lined catwalk to a secret, invitation-only champagne bar.
There are only 33 tables, fewer than in the original restaurant – making it even tougher to get a reservation at an eatery already famously difficult to get into.
— CNBC’s Karen Stern contributed to this report.
