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September 28, 2015- by Steven E. Greer
I spotted something odd the other night at Harry’s Italian. A new bartender was someone who also bartends at Blue Smoke. He was “filling in for a shift”, and it made me suspicious that things were changing again at Blue Smoke.
The have. The Blue Smoke in Battery Park has changed general managers, yet again. I have lost track of how many changes at the top this makes for them since they opened in 2012.
They have not yet chosen a new GM. The interim GM is Dillon Shipey.
The problem with Blue Smoke is not fixable by switching the managers. The fundamental business model is all wrong. They are selling $30 entrees in a “casual dining” restaurant. In order to justify those prices, the chef has gone overboard on the pretentiousness of the menu.
However, the real fatal flaw with Blue Smoke, in my opinion, is that the co-owner Mark Maynard-Parisi is unqualified to run a restaurant, and Danny Meyer cashed out. No one seems to be manning the shop.
This is all sad too, because there is a huge demand in Battery Park for a quality family-friendly restaurant. However, entrees have to be under $20 and the food has to be healthy (not greasy BBQ meat).
Egregious betrayal of the community by Blue Smoke and El Vez
The NY Times reviews Blue Smoke and North End Grill
Why is Blue Smoke in such decline? The owners have been doing this.