Playboy chef Todd English has lost control of his Union Square restaurant Olives because of his bad-boy antics.
The Gerber Group has taken over English’s eatery at the W Union Square Hotel, and a source tells us the move is because of his recent “erratic behavior,” which includes “going off the rails” and having a hot and heavy, three-way make-out session with two women in public at a nightclub.
A source close to the deal told us, “The Gerber Group was recently contacted to take over management of Todd English’s Olives after reports of erratic behavior by the famous chef, and because of the close and long standing relationship they have with the W Hotel.”
Gerber Group — originally founded by Rande Gerber, along with his brother Scott Gerber who now runs it — also operates Stone Rose Lounge, Whiskey Blue and Kingside in Manhattan. A Gerber rep said in a statement that the company has taken over “management and operations of Olives at W Union Square from Todd English Enterprises.” And that, “Todd English is no longer involved in the day-to-day operations.”
A rep for English — who Page Six recently reported was seen getting hot and heavy with two women at nightclub Provocateur — insisted that the restaurant’s menu and name will remain. “Olives New York will remain Todd English’s Olives and serve the same delicious food . . . We are working in collaboration with the Gerber Group to continue the same great restaurant at the W Union Square,” the rep said.
Soon after we revealed English’s antics with the two women, a photo of him in a hot tub with three topless babes separately made the rounds.
“Todd was in a 3 ¹/₂ -year relationship, but that ended, and he’s acting like he has gone off the rails,” a source told Page Six of the off-the-menu antics. At Provocateur, he was “literally having a threesome in front of everyone. It was crazy.”
His former girlfriend Candice Sonneman was seen confronting English with the two women, exclaiming, “How could you do this? . . . We dated for over 3 ¹/₂ years!”