Yanks whiff on ritzy Midtown steak house
The Yankees may be winning on the field — but they have taken a big K in the kitchen.
After less than five years, the Bronx Bombers’ extravagant steak house in Midtown Manhattan is closing on Aug. 26, The Post has learned.
The 51st Street chophouse is a whopping 16,000 square feet — more than three times the average size of a Big Apple restaurant — spread over three floors.
It took more than two years to construct the space, which once housed a bank.
Its unwieldy size, including two open kitchens on separate floors, is the likely reason for its demise, say industry experts.
Co-owned by the Yankees and Hard Rock International, which managed the eatery, the restaurant said in a statement that the partners will “continue their 10- plus year strategic partnership, which includes both a Hard Rock Cafe and NYY steak house located at Yankee Stadium, while focusing on additional growth opportunities and strategic ventures.”
Approximately 75 employees will lose their jobs.
There is a third New York Yankees steak house at the Seminole Casino in Coconut Creek, Fla., which will remain open, according to a spokesperson for the property.
The Big Apple eatery is chock-full of memorabilia highlighting the team’s history, including an autograph wall with the names of retired stars.
“The Yankees can be a polarizing team,” said Steve Zagor, a dean at the Institute of Culinary Education. “There is a group of diners who wouldn’t go there because of the Yankee brand, especially tourists from other cities with competing teams.”