New York Power Lunch Makes a Comeback

The power lunch has made a comeback in New York as more workers return to their offices, the New York Post reports.

Go-to hot spots — like Michael’s, Fresco by Scotto, One Vanderbilt’s Le Pavillon, Loews Hotels’ Regency, Wall Street’s Le Gratin, The Grill, The Pool, Fasano, Café Boulud, and David Burke’s Park Avenue Kitchen — have all been packed with the city’s movers and shakers five days a week.

“At first, the return of the power lunch was just Tuesday to Thursday,” said top chef Daniel Boulud. “Now we really see it five days a week.

“Lunch is definitely back and will continue to increase as people return to the office,” said Jonathan Tisch, CEO of Lowes.

Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Four Twenty Five at 425 Park Avenue, where Ken Griffin’s Citadel offices are located, has just expanded its lunch service for the entire workweek.

“When I got the email that they were opening for lunch, I immediately made multiple reservations,” said a lawyer dining at the restaurant with a client. “This is what the neighborhood really needs.

“Six months ago, I was nervous,” Vongerichten admitted. “In September and October, when we first took over the space, no one was walking around the streets. But since January, people have started coming back to the office. I feel like it’s a whole new renaissance of Park Avenue and Midtown.”

New York is bouncing back from the work from home syndrome still plaguing other major U.S. cities. Overall foot traffic was down just 17.2% in March from a year earlier, compared to the national average decline of 32.7%, according to Pacer.ai Office Index.

“People are coming back, and we are ready for them,” said Rosanna Scotto, whose family runs Fresco by Scotto and who hosts “Good Day New York.”

Fridays “are the lunch of all power lunches,” Boulud said. “It’s the day they don’t go back to the office after lunch. People are more relaxed on Fridays. It’s definitely not the two-martini lunch, but there are a lot of celebrations.”