'We're not doing this for crass or commercial reasons': 9/11 museum to house Danny Meyer restaurant as bosses claim black tie party as just a 'small gathering'



It has been revealed that the under fire 9/11 museum will house an 80-seat restaurant called The Pavilion Cafe

It will be run by Shake Shack mastermind Danny Meyer who has denied that the idea is crass

VIP guests including former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg were invited to the sacred site Tuesday night

A museum worker said the guests 'desecrated' the museum by drinking

A spokesperson has said the event was just a 'small gathering' and included '9/11 family members'



The site contains the remains of 1,115 unidentified September 11 victims



Some first responders were reportedly turned away due to party preparations

They were supposed to be able to tour the museum for free prior to it's official Wednesday opening

The 9/11 museum have come in for further negative criticism and accusations of crass commercialism after it was revealed that the memorial site will house an 80-seat restaurant.



The Pavilion Cafe, run by famed New York restaurateur and Shake Shack mastermind Danny Meyer, is scheduled to open inside the National September 11 Memorial & Museum during the summer.



A portion of proceeds from the restaurant are going back to the museum and Meyer has denied that it is an inappropriate location for people to enjoy food and drink. ‘We’re not doing this for crass or commercial reasons,’ he told the New York Post.

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Danny Meyer, founder of Union Square Hospitality Group, has denied that opening a restaurant on the 9/11 memorial site is crass, while memorial spokesperson called Tuesday night's social event a 'small gathering'

The cafe at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum will be run by famed New York restaurateur Danny Meyer who is responsible for the Shake Shack brand

Details about the restaurant emerged just hours after the sacred site was accused of being turned into a private club for invited guests on Tuesday night.

Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was one of dozens of guests accused of 'desecrating' the graves of 9/11 victims by 'drinking, eating and laughing' at a VIP-only opening party for the museum.

According to reports, some first responders, who were supposed to be able to tour the museum for free prior to its official Wednesday opening, were turned away due to party preparations.



'They were drinking, eating and laughing when this is pretty much a grave-site,' a National September 11 Memorial & Museum employee, who asked not to be named, told the New York Daily News of the 60 or so partygoers.



Criticized: Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, pictured on May 14, was accused of 'desecrating' the graves of 1,115 unidentified 9/11 victims by 'drinking, eating and laughing' at a VIP-only opening party for the emotive September 11 Museum

Emotional: The impressive museum features Ladder three Fire Truck as well as scores of other memorabilia

In honor of the first responders: Captain Patrick John Brown's helmet from the FDNY on display in the museum

Haunting: Part of the World Trade Center's original foundations are now incorporated into the museum

No day shall erase you from the memory of time: The letters of the quotation from Virgil's Aeneid were forged out of remnant World Trade Center steel by New Mexico blacksmith Tom Joyce

Poll Was the black tie opening party at 9/11 museum disrespectful to the victims? Yes No Was the black tie opening party at 9/11 museum disrespectful to the victims? Yes 2693 votes

No 925 votes Now share your opinion





'I don't think alcohol should be allowed in there. It's a sacred ground and they desecrated it.'

The worker, who also described the party's mood as 'festive,' said the information desk at the lower level of the museum acted as a makeshift bar from 6.30p.m. until 9.30p.m.

Bloomberg and Condé Nast executives reportedly noshed on crab cakes and shrimp cocktail hors d'oeuvres at the black tie dedication ceremony for the museum.

But museum spokesman Michael Frazier said the event was more a ‘small gathering’ than ‘festive.’



‘This small gathering was done respectfully and in recognition of our supporters who helped to build the memorial and museum,’ he told the New York Daily News.



‘Among the attendees were 9/11 family members.’



Earlier in the day, several first responders, including an NYPD officer and his wife, were turned away. The newspaper also said a group of firefighters left the site in tears after they were told to wrap up their tour early.

Condé Nast is paying for all visitors who explore the museum on opening day.



Artifacts: The museum displays artifacts associated with the events of 9/11 along with touching testaments of both loss and recovery

For sale: The new museum's gift shop sells t-shirts, stuffed animals, key chains and other products marketed off the tragedy

The fresh critisism comes amid outrage from September 11 survivors and victims' families over a gift shop attached to the 9/11 Museum. The store associated with the museum sells items ranging from key chains to NYPD dog vests marketed off the tragedy.

Jewelry, mousepads, magnets, flags, pins, stuffed animals, cellphone cases, toy firetrucks and much more are available for purchase.



According to the museum's website, the proceeds benefit 'developing and sustaining' the memorial which is run by executives with privately-funded six-figure salaries.



The idea of a gift shop alone is offensive to many, but is made even more painful considering thousands of unidentified remains of victims were recently moved to a tomb beneath the museum.



'Here is essentially our tomb of the unknown. To sell baubles I find quite shocking and repugnant,' Diane Horning, who lost her 26-year-old son Matthew in the attacks, told the New York Post.



Insensitive: Diane Horning, pictured above with Representative Chuck Schumer, lost her 26-year-old son Matthew in the Twin Towers attacks. She finds the idea of a gift shop 'shocking and repugnant' Never forget: President Obama dedicated the new museum on Thursday, opening the memorial to survivors and victims' families. Pictured above looking a pictures of the lost with former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg

SAD SOUVENIRS: A LIST OF SOME OF THE ITEMS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE IN THE 9/11 MUSEUM GIFT SHOP

Black and white hoodie with image of Twin Towers and emblazoned with the words: 'In Darkness We Shine Brightest'

Price: $39

'I Love NY More Than Ever' T-shirt

Price: $22

Charm etched with Twin Towers

$65.00

'Survivor Tree' jewelry, molded after leaves of a pear tree that survived the Towers' collapse

Price: $40-$68

Twin Towers tote bag

Price: $15

Twin Towers book mark

Price: $12.95

Twin Towers glass ornament

Price: $23

9/11 Memorial Nalgene water bottle

Price: $20.95

Yellow Lab search & rescue stuffed animal dog

Price $19.95

Silk scarf with print of vintage photo showing WTC at lunchtime

Price: $95

Matthew worked as a database administrator for Marsh & McLennan, an insurance firm which had offices in the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Matthew's remains were never recovered.



'I think it's a money-making venture to support inflated salaries, and they're willing to do it over my son's dead body,' Mrs Horning said.



Joe Daniels, the memorial and museum's CEO, makes $378,000 a year, though his and other executives' six-figure salaries are funded through private donations.



Still, the idea of a gift shop doesn't sit well with many close to the tragedy, who believe it could have been kept closed until Wednesday, when the museum opens to the public.



President Obama dedicated the museum in a moving speech on Thursday, and the memorial has since only been open to survivors and victims' families.



'These people are suffering, and they don't need to be reaching into their pockets,' John Feal, a former Ground Zero demolition survivor, told the Post. 'The museum could have gone six days without asking for money.'



However, Feal, who runs the FealGood Foundation for ailing 9/11 workers, said he understands the museum's need to sell items in order to cover costs.



The museum plans to operate on a $63million budget with money raised through admission fees and donations.



'All net proceeds from our sales are dedicated to developing and sustaining the national September 11 Memorial & Museum,' the museum's website reads. 'Thank you for helping to build a lasting place for remembrance, reflection, and learning for years to come.'



The gift shop itself was funded with a $5million donation from Paul Napoli and Marc Bern, partners in a law firm which made $200,0000 representing 10,000 Ground Zero workers in a lawsuit.

