A planned spring debut for the new Thomas Keller-backed Ta-boo in Palm Beach appears to be in doubt.
A lack of construction activity at the restaurant’s 221 Worth Ave. location has raised questions about whether the famed eatery will open as planned.
Palm Beach allows construction on Worth Avenue only from May 1 through Oct. 31, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Any construction outside of those dates and times requires town council approval.
Wayne Bergman, the town’s director of planning, building and zoning, said he wasn’t aware that Ta-boo requested approval to continue site work during the season. He also said he was uncertain if construction on the project had actually gotten underway.
More: New Thomas Keller restaurant will continue Ta-boo’s legacy in Palm Beach
A building permit for the Ta-boo site was issued in July 2024, which would have given construction crews just a few months to perform work before pausing for the season. The permit expires in November of this year.
A representative of the Worth Avenue Association, which works to promote, preserve and enhance the Worth Avenue business district, told The Palm Beach Daily News he was unsure about the restaurant’s progress and whether it would open as planned.
“I don’t know what’s currently going on in the space,” said association vice president Daren Rubenfeld said.
Representatives for Ta-boo owner Keller did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.
Ta-boo is quiet on Tuesday. The restaurant, at 221 Worth Ave., may not open as a Thomas Keller-backed entity as planned in the spring.
Ta-boo closed its doors in May 2023 after 82 years of operation. The restaurant shut down after receiving an eviction summons from the building’s new owners in March of that year.
Keller, a globally renowned chef-restaurateur whose fleet of award-winning restaurants includes Napa Valley’s The French Laundry and New York’s Per Se, took over Ta-boo’s lease shortly after it closed.
He submitted renovation plans to the town that included an expansion of the restaurant’s first floor from 5,130 square feet to 6,253 square feet by incorporating part of the first floor from the neighboring 219 Worth Ave. property. Plans also called for changes to the second floor of 219 Worth Ave., and the accompanying storage building in the lot just north of Ta-boo at 220 Peruvian Ave.
The installation of a grand piano, a staple in Ta-boo’s history, also was included in the plans.
The Town Council approved the restaurant’s site plan and two special exception uses tied to the restaurant’s operation and indoor expansion last March.
During that meeting, Thomas Keller Restaurant Group’s Director of East Coast Operations Jennifer Ottmann also revealed the concept for the menu of the restaurant.
“The concept is a classic approach to a la carte continental cuisine, which is really a nod to the bygone era Ta-boo represents,” Ottmann told council members. “We’re not really looking to change the legacy that the iconic Ta-boo restaurant represents, we’re just looking to bring it back to life.”
Menu items for the restaurant include New York strip steak, Avocado Louie and lobster thermidor, Ottmann said. For dessert, Ottmann said diners can expect a chocolate-layered cake made with chocolate from the K+M collections, a collaborative project between Keller and premium olive oil maker Armando Manni.
At its development review meeting last May, the council approved — with conditions — a declaration-of-use agreement between the restaurant and the town that addresses drinks and entertainment. It also bans any activity on the restaurant’s roof; grants the town greater enforcement capabilities over the restaurant’s valet parking; and details a clear enforcement strategy should the restaurant violate the town’s noise ordinance.
Keller purchased the Ta-boo name and other assets from previous owner Franklyn de Marco last year.
Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Is famed Palm Beach restaurant Ta-Boo spring re-opening in peril?