Sardi’s to Lay Off Dozens During Renovations
Posted: 5/2/26 at 10:40am
Let’s hope they start with the caricature artist.
Posted: 5/2/26 at 10:49am
...Was there any question that they wouldn't? Of course they're not going to keep them on the payroll when there are no customers.
Given Shubert's involvement and a wish for preserving continuity, I suspect some of the best current public-facing employees will be re-hired. But who knows. There'll probably be a new chef and restaurant-management firm too who will put their own stamp on the establishment.
Posted: 5/2/26 at 10:52am
TotallyEffed said: "Let’s hope they start with the caricature artist."
Squigs Robertson, please! Or Robin Schwartzman. Or Ken Fallin (though he's pushing 80). Or one of those people who draws them on the streets of Times Square.
Posted: 5/2/26 at 11:02am
Fallin used to be great as a Hirschfeld-like but the quality of his work really diminished in the last decade or so, particularly when he started digitally adding color fills to his illustrations.
Would love to see a rotating roster of illustrators brought in for the caricatures.
Posted: 5/2/26 at 11:40am
The entire staff of Sardi’s was privy to all this months ago so none of this is news to them. The renovations are basically to upgrade kitchen and bathrooms and other things that haven’t been upgraded in decades. The entire dining room and restaurant layout will remain intact as the entire look and atmosphere of Sardi’s is its own landmark. It’s been mentioned that signature items on the menu will be kept, but the menu will be going thru revisions. That menu, including service, has been stagnant and bland for decades so I’m beyond excited for this reboost. Sardi’s deserves it and I hope it generates new life to it. I stopped going there over a decade ago (it was horrible). I’m looking forward to making a return visit and hopefully it’ll keep me returning. Gallagher’s is the only NYC restaurant I’ve stayed faithful to since I started going with my parents in the early 1970s as a kid. It has managed to stay consistent throughout the decades.
Posted: 5/2/26 at 12:22pm
I am also optimistic about this reboot. It sounds like all of the things that I cherish about Sardi's (the history, the general atmosphere, the location, even the wonky caricatures) will be preserved, while things that are problematic (kitchen infrastructure, bathrooms) will be fixed, and the food, which is consistently disappointing, will hopefully be improved. I'm sorry for those who will lose their jobs or temporarily lose their income, but I'm excited about the future of this beloved institution.
Posted: 5/2/26 at 9:06pm
I feel it is in very good hands with the Shubert Organization. They love that place.
Posted: 5/3/26 at 9:29am
I thought when the news came out, it was noted that the staff would have to re-apply for their jobs, which implies they'd be let go while closed.
"Hey little girls, look at all the men in shiny shirts and no wives!" - Jackie Hoffman, Xanadu, 19 Feb 2008
Posted: 5/3/26 at 10:25am
everythingtaboo said: "I thought when the news came out, it was noted that the staff would have to re-apply for their jobs, which implies they'd be let go while closed."
That info was included in all the first reports of Sardi’s temporary closure. Nothing was implied but clearly stated. I just saw the link to what was posted on here originally - it’s some mom & pop news outlet. 😝
Posted: 5/3/26 at 10:44am
I don't really know if the gig is prestigious or pays well, but Mirka Andolfo would be a very fun caricaturist: her style has this distinct affectionate grotesqueness to it that represents but still distorts the characters. It's a little nineties animation, a little manga, and a little European comics.
Posted: 5/3/26 at 11:46am
darquegk said: "I don't really know if the gig is prestigious or pays well, but Mirka Andolfo would be a very fun caricaturist: her style has this distinct affectionate grotesqueness to it that represents but still distorts the characters. It's a little nineties animation, a little manga, and a little European comics."
I’d settle for “looks like the subject of the portrait” at this point. I don’t need or want them to look like cartoons; I want to be able to tell Lea Michele and Idina Menzel apart.
Posted: 5/3/26 at 11:55am
Mirka Andolfo’s style does not have the street caricaturist DNA that’s been the trademark style since Sardi’s started the tradition in 1927. Like someone else mentioned, any unknown street artist can do a better job capturing these performers than the person doing them now. Suggesting Mirka is hilarious. 
Posted: 5/4/26 at 1:00am
It's the Al Hirschfeld style that should have been all over those walls. Not a more iconic Broadway cartoonist.
Updated On: 5/9/26 at 01:00 AM
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