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The Troubling Economics of One of the World’s Great Restaurants

A bankruptcy filing sheds light on why Le Cirque is closing its doors.
2016 Le Cirque Luncheon Hosted by Jean Shafiroff for The New York Women\'s Foundation
Photographer: Owen Hoffmann/Patrick McMullan

On Jan. 5, Le Cirque will close its doors at 151 East 58th Street in New York.

After declaring bankruptcy in March, the restaurant’s inability to turn its finances around has come as something of a shock to many in the food world. As recently as September, it was the setting for a fundraiser hosted by President Donald Trump at which guests paid up to $250,000 per couple.