West Bank Cafe

About

Owner Steve Olsen began working in the restaurant industry at age 16 and opened West Bank Cafe when he was all of 24. He is a passionate collector of California wines and holds vinification, viniculture, and blind wine tasting certificates from the American Sommelier Association. In keeping with West Bank Cafe's close ties to the theater and film worlds, Mr. Olsen has nurtured young actors, writers, and directors including Lewis Black, Sean Penn, and Side Man playwright Warren Leight many of whom appeared in and staged performances at the downstairs Laurie Beechman Theater, on their way to accomplished careers. Kenny Bell holds the titles of both Special Events Co-ordinator and Theatre manager, a native New Yorker, he has come a full circle, starting as a musical theatre performer which led to performing in industrial shows and ending up in special events. He has worked in event, catering & convention planning in New York City, Chicago & Las Vegas. Kenny has represented many New York Restaurant Corps. in the past 15 years as a special events director and has worked with such clients as ABC, Sony, Price Waterhouse Coopers Radio City Music Hall and MTV. Kenny has been with West Bank Caf and The Laurie Beechman Theatre since January 2006. Opened in 1978, West Bank Cafe was a pioneer of fine dining on far-west 42nd Street at a time when Hell's Kitchen still lived up to its name. ( The restaurant's early clients even included the notorious Irish gang, the Westies. In 1980, The New

Service area

Serves the business city