Payard Patisserie and Bistro, An Upper East Side Institution, CLOSED
Prominent pastry chef François Payard closed his flagship café and bakery on the Upper East Side. Payard opened to much fanfare 12 years ago on Lexington Avenue between East 73rd and East 74th Street in New York’s tony Upper East Side neighborhood. He intended to close Payard Pâtisserie & Bistro in August and lay off all 74 employees due to a 62% rent increase. “The maximum increase I can bear in this economy is 20%,” says Mr. Payard. Additionally, although the economy has slowed, Payard claims they were doing OK. “Right now, I’m looking for other locations,” says Mr. Payard, who also operates a chocolate factory and confectionery shop in Dumbo, Brooklyn, and bistros in Las Vegas, Brazil and Japan.   Let’s hope he finds one, and soon!
 To read an interview with Francois Payard, please click here.
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August 11th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
I used to go to payard in the city.. now where is there an open location?
August 12th, 2009 at 5:43 am
Unfortunately, Payard does not currently have another open location in NYC — although we hear he is looking for one. He does have a lovely restaurant/pastry shop at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas (in the back near Rao’s)…Sorry we couldn’t find you anything closer — we loved Payard also and can’t wait for a new one!