Owners of 11 Madison Park in New York, Swiss chef Daniel Humm and restaurateur Will Guidara, are to go their separate ways after eight years in business, marking one of the biggest breaks-ups in the New York restaurant industry.
As reported by The New York Times, Humm is buying out Guidara’s share of the business with the help of an investor in order to take full control of the company, with Guidara keen to launch his own restaurant group. The pair’s team of over 1,000 staff were told the news in an email yesterday.
Humm and Guidara bought 11 Madison Park from restaurant guru Danny Mayer in 2011 with the aim of making the Manhattan venue the best restaurant in the world – an accolade it achieved in 2017 when it topped the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
The tasting menu at the 3 Michelin star restaurant, defined by Humm’s precise and ambitious cooking style, costs US$335 per person excluding drinks and tax.
“It’s been an incredible run and I think we both learned a lot from each other, but we also have evolved in different ways,” Humm told The New York Times.
“We’re extremely proud. We just came to the conclusion in the end that what would be best for the company is if I continue to run it,” he added.
Humm joined 11 Madison Park in 2006, having been brought in by Meyer. At the same time, Guidara was promoted to the role of restaurant manager.
In addition to their flagship, the pair’s Make it Nice restaurant group includes the NoMad restaurant and bar at the NoMad hotel in Manhattan, casual dining venue Made Nice, and NoMad restaurants at spin-off hotels in LA and Las Vegas.
This September Humm is due to open Davies and Brook at Claridge’s in the same dining room that used to occupy Simon Rogan’s foraging focused Fera.
The interiors are being looked after by Brad Cloepfil of Allied Works, which masterminded the recent makeover of 11 Madison Park.
The day-to-day running of the kitchen will be looked after by Dmitri Magi, the former chef de cuisine of 11 Madison Park.
The venue is being billed as a “fine dining restaurant with a contemporary sensibility that embraces the heritage of its London location”.
“I worked at Claridge’s when I was 15 and it left an indelible mark on me.Claridge’s has always been a place I’ve felt connected to, so being able to come full circle is really emotional and exciting – it feels likes coming home,” Humm said of the highly anticipated opening.
