he Odeon stopped being just a restaurant within weeks of opening. 36 years ago, Lynn Wagenknecht opened the restaurant with Keith McNally – who Wagenknecht later married – and his brother, Brian. The trio bought the TriBeCa space, that once served as a cafeteria, with plans to open an espresso bar or sandwich shop. That never happened. Instead, they unintentionally birthed a cultural institution in what was (at that time) a fairly desolate neighborhood, now known as TriBeCa. From Belushi to Sartre, Basquiat, de Beauvoir, and Warhol, The Odeon was – and continues to be – a legendary haven for some of New York’s most iconic cultural figures. Splacer is lucky enough to have The Odeon be part of our marketplace and community. We spoke with Odeon owner, Lynn Wagenknecht, who shared memories, stories and plans for both herself, and the restaurant that has become a prominent character in the landscape of New York City
SPLACER: What were you doing before you opened the restaurant? Are you a native New Yorker?
LYNN: I came to NYC in 1978 after receiving an MFA in Painting & Drawing at The University of Iowa,
imagining I’d eventually teach fine arts at a college somewhere— However, having never been to NYC, it seemed like a good time to see what it was all about. I grew up in the midwest- primarily Streator, Illinois but also time in Wisconsin & Michigan. After graduation from Stanford University in California, I gradually made my way to the East coast, stopping in Colorado for a year of skiing and acquiring an MA & MFA in Iowa City, then on to New York.
SPLACER: What sparked the idea of opening a restaurant? Is there a backstory that led to you starting The Odeon?
LYNN: Upon arriving in New York, I took a job at “One Fifth Ave”, a chic restaurant (a first for downtown) located at the same address. Keith (my eventual business partner- and husband) hired me for what was my first waitress job. Keith had arrived in New York a few years earlier and picked up restaurant experience upon arrival, too. Keith and I initially talked about doing a small sandwich/espresso bar which we could run during the day- the idea being we’d have plenty of time to pursue other interests— that idea and searching for a location led us to Towers Cafeteria. After some renovations Towers Cafeteria became The Odeon. We, with the addition of Keith’s brother, Brian, threw ourselves into the project without thinking about the long term scenario—we did have a general idea about the type of place we wished existed that did not—ultimately we just wanted to build a place we would enjoy — that idea became The Odeon. The fact we had jumped into a more ambitious business than the original sandwich shop wasn’t important – we were not focused on either idea as a career choice.
SPLACER: The Odeon is in Tribeca, but it hasn’t always been the Tribeca we know today. What drew you to the neighborhood or how did you end up there?
LYNN: Historically, the area now called Tribeca was small manufacturing, The NYC fruit and vegetable market city government. During the lean years of the seventies, many landlords allowed the vacated manufacturing floors to be rented by artists. The enormous spaces provided ideal studio space— but it was a sparsely inhabited area, virtually empty at night, save for a few local bars. Towers Cafeteria (aka The Odeon) was a wonderful open storefront wider than deep. The large beautiful space and the $1500/mont rent sealed the deal!
SPLACER: The architectural style of the building that houses The Odeon dates back much farther than the restaurant. What was the building used for originally and can you tell us a bit about the architecture?
LYNN: The Odeon is housed in two buildings- the building on the southeast corner of Thomas St and West Broadway was by the architect John O’Neil. The building has a cast iron facade meant to imitate stone. The building was built in 1869. The building is very similar to two buildings at 91 & 93 Grand St. in Soho. These were built in the same year by the architect John B. Snook who ordered those storefronts from the J.L Jackson & Brother foundry catalogue. It is possible John O’Neil did the same for the building at 147 West Broadway. The building to the south on West Broadway is a red brick building, built in 1866. We don’t know the architect . At some point, presumably 1933- the year Towers Cafeteria was built, the buildings were joined.
SPLACER: The aesthetic of the restaurant is iconic. What was the thinking and intent behind the style and design?
LYNN: A lot of the design is from the original cafeteria built in 1933: the globes, the terrazzo floors and the wood paneling. Other design elements (which continue to change to this day) are chosen for improvement to comfort, function, lighting, etc. Design decisions do not necessarily stay pure to a 1930’s aesthetic— the design goal is simply to maintain a balance in the overall style.
SPLACER: What would your ultimate Odeon event look like?
LYNN: The ultimate Odeon event is an ordinary night filled with people who are there because they want to be and feel like it is the only place they would ever want to be on that particular evening.
SPLACER: How were things in the restaurant in your first few months of being open? Was there a pivotal moment that made you notice that something really incredible was starting to happen with The Odeon?
LYNN: There was an immediate and positive response – much excitement…we had an opening party on October 14th, 1980 and from that moment, we were off and running. Pretty amazing! We didn’t really stop to think about it too much as we were completely pre occupied with the day to day running of the place – just keeping up. Having said that, my favorite response (then and now) to the many people who say “you’re always so busy” is, “no one is here to see it when we’re not busy!” There is always an ebb and flow for one reason or another and the challenge is maintaining quality during the ebb.
SPLACER: What about The Odeon do you think sparked it becoming such a creative mecca in the 80’s?
LYNN: Timing! It was a combination of opening downtown at the right time along with an appealing ambiance, good food and a dose of luck!
SPLACER: How do you feel about the way the restaurant is represented in popular culture?
LYNN: Fantastic. There are so many stories and memories around The Odeon – outrageous and wild to emotional and intimate. I love the idea one place can provide the setting for such diverse experiences.
SPLACER: Do you have any favorite customers?
LYNN: There have been so many fantastic customers. One of the reasons The Odeon is still around is that we have always wanted to be a neighborhood restaurant first. It’s your neighbors who stick with you during the tough times, and it is they who create the feeling of good will and energy when you walk through the doors.
SPLACER: Could you tell us some of your favorite stories or memories from Odeon?
LYNN: The stories in the Vanity Fair article by Frank DiGiacomo (November 2005) from these customers are better than any I could give you!
“Few things compared to the number of nights we reopened for John Belushi. Always acting, always high, he was so unfailingly generous in spirit it was just impossible to turn him away, no matter what hour he’d come knocking at the door or what sorry state he was in. Sometimes he’d go into the kitchen and cook himself a hamburger.”
-Keith McNally in Vanity Fair
Click to expand image below for the full selection of memories and stories collected in the 2005 Vanity Fair article, below.
SPLACER: You own some other restaurants as well. What is the most important thing you try to achieve with these spaces? What makes you love them?
LYNN: The constant has always been the desire to create places where I’d like to spend time—to find chefs who create accessible menus with the highest quality of product and preparation and to find staff who truly enjoy taking care of the customers who come to us for a couple of hours in hopes of enjoying themselves.
For more details on this space, check out the listing here.
