Cipriani S.A.

"Cipriani" redirects here. For other uses, see Cipriani (disambiguation).

Cipriani S.A. is a privately owned international corporation based in Luxembourg that owns and operates luxury restaurants and clubs around the world including Harry's Bar in Venice and formerly the Rainbow Room in New York City. It specialises in simple, traditional Italian food.^[1]

It traces its history to family patriarch Giuseppe Cipriani (1900–1980) ^[2] who founded Harry's Bar in Venice in 1931. Harry's Bar was founded after Cipriani was working at the Hotel Europa in Venice and loaned a customer Harry Pickering some money in 1929 at the beginning of the Crash of 1929. Pickering paid back half of what he received and Cipriani used the money to start the bar. Harry's Bar became a popular spot for celebrities like Ernest Hemingway and Humphrey Bogart. The Bellini cocktail and the food dish Carpaccio were reputed to have originated there.

Giuseppe's son Arrigo Cipriani (born 1932) is the majority owner. Arrigo is Italian for Harry. ^[2] His son Giuseppe Cipriani (born 1965) is the main business manager.

History

In 1958 the elder Cipriani built the Hotel Cipriani in Venice. In 1967 Cipriani Sr. sold rights to the Cipriani name trademark.^[3]

However the family went international in 1985 under the Cipriani name when it opened a Harry's Bar branch in New York City in the Sherry-Netherland Hotel.^[4] Within two years they were evicted from the hotel and opened the Cipriani Bellini bar nearby.^[2] Eventually they would return to the hotel.

110 East 42nd Street

In 1997 the Ciprianis bought 55 Wall Street, noted for its huge ornate former First National Bank lobby. They sold it in 1999 and bought the Bowery Savings Bank building across from Grand Central – again noted for its huge ornate lobby.^[5] 55 Wall Street Cipriani's, Grand Central Cipriani's, and Cipriani Tribeca, were designed by Anthony Morali of Morali Architects.^[6]

In 1999 they bought the Rainbow Room and extensively remodeled it and fired the members of Local 6 of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union which picketed it.

In 2003 the company won a right from Hudson River Park board to develop Pier 57 into Leonardo's a luxury complex that included catering hall, shops, restaurants, a rooftop pool and a public park. Their principal competition was the Chelsea Piers which was just north of Pier 57. After winning the bid Michael DiLeonardo, an associate of Peter Gotti, turned state's evidence against the accused mobster. In his testimony DiLeonardo said the Ciprianis had paid $120,000 to the Gambino crime family to make union problems at the Rainbow Room disappear. The charges were never confirmed. However the Ciprianis were successful in firing the union workers. In the wake of the battle the Ciprianis relinquished its rights to develop the pier.^[4]

In April 2004, Cipriani opened in London. The site on Davies Street in Mayfair was co-founded and established by Fabrizio Cerina of Swiss banking group Credit des Alpes, who also acted as strategic advisor to Cipriani in the sale and leaseback of the Saxony Hotel, Miami in 2009 – one of the biggest property deals in Miami to date.^[7]

In 2006 in partnership with attorney Steve Witkoff, Cipriani bought 55 Wall Street again.^[5]

Arrigio and Giuseppe pled guilty in 2007 to misdemeanor tax evasion for defrauding $3.5 million in state and city taxes for six years beginning in 1998. They were placed on probation through 2011 and an independent auditor was assigned to monitor future payments.^[4]

In 2007 and 2008 it had a bitter dispute with the landlord L&L Holdings Company headed by David W. Levinson of the International Toy Center over its ballroom in the lobby of the landmark building in the Flatiron District at 200 Fifth Avenue and 23rd. The Ciprianis ultimately agreed to pay $12 million and vacate the building by the end of January 2009.^[8]

In December 2008 the High Court of England and Wales ruled that Orient-Express Hotels (which owns the Hotel Cipriani) owns the Cipriani trademark and that the use of "Cipriani" in the name of the London restaurant infringed its trademark rights.^[3]^[9] The decision was upheld on appeal by the Court of Appeal on 24 February 2010, which ordered that the restaurant's name would have to be changed by 24 April 2010.^[10] The new name of the restaurant is "C".^[11]

In January 2009 the Ciprianis announced plans to close the Rainbow Room in a dispute with 30 Rock owner Tishman Speyer Properties. Tishman in turn responded that it was evicting Ciprianis from the Rainbow Room.^[12]

Properties

Venice

Harry's Bar (Venice)^[13]
Harry's Dolci (on Giudecca)^[14]

New York City

Harry Cipriani Bar, 781 Fifth Avenue^[15]
55 Wall Street (the family owns the building which now consists of a club,^[16] residence^[17] and restaurant^[18]).
Cipriani 42nd Street (in the former Bowery Savings Bank at 110 East 42nd Street)^[19]
Cipriano Dolci in Grand Central Terminal^[20]
Rainbow Grill atop 30 Rockefeller Center (closed June 2009)
Cipriani 23rd Street (in the International Toy Center) (closed January 2009)
Cipriani 25 Broadway, the former Cunard grand hall ^[21] which opened in October 2014

London