How did we all miss this? It’s about museum food, which in patrons’ eyes is often as important as the parking lot.
On Monday, according to Tuesday’s Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Museum of Art booted out Restaurant Associates as operator of its restaurants and chose instead to hire Stephen Starr, a hometown restaurateur. What’s interesting is that Starr said his food would reflect the museum’s exhibitions. He has not chosen an overall theme for the restaurants, one in the main museum and one in the Perelman building across the street.
The existing restaurants, which RA has operated for 16 years, will close on Aug. 1 for renovations.
The themed food will begin with the Late Renoir exhibit, which runs only through Sept. 6.
During the closure, Starr will be working on “the development of an exciting new concept for dining. Plans for the Museum Restaurant will be unveiled in the months ahead,” the press release says.
Starr has a dozen restaurants, with varying appearances and menus; he’s won several awards. But he has a challenge ahead. On the exhibition docket in Philly are shows on Renaissance Italian wedding chests, English embroidery (above), Yokahama prints (right), and North African jewelry.
RA runs many institutional restaurants, including those of the Metropolitan Museum, the Morgan and the Museum of Fine Arts-Boston.
Unquestionably museums are putting more stress on their restaurants lately, with the Guggenheim opening The Wright, the Whitney abandoning Sarabeth’s for Danny Meyer’s group, etc. — even if they don’t make money on them, and I’m told they don’t.
So, as Philadelphia has decided, let’s use restaurants instead to reinforce the attraction of art. If it can be done… We await the menus from Starr.
Photo Credits: Courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art