By 1941, Rockefeller Center Inc's manager Hugh S. Robertson was in a dispute with the Rainbow Room's workers' union.
Robertson threatened to shutter the restaurant and blame it on war-related reasons if they kept demanding wage increases.
The Rainbow Room was closed at the end of December 1942 due to World War II, which contributed to the "increasing shortage of manpower" in American civilian life, according to Robertson.
The Rockefeller Center Luncheon Club remained open through this time.
However, the restaurant would not reopen to the public until 1950, and then only as a cocktail lounge that shuttered at 9 p.m.
The Rainbow Room was closed again in 1965, this time for renovations.
The refurbishment restored the establishment to its 1930s decor.
The historical accuracy of the decor continued through the 1970s.
Throughout the years, the Rainbow Room lost its sense of exclusivity, as almost anyone could book a reservation at the restaurant.
However, even through the 1980s and 1990s, the restaurant still hosted the occasional politician.

On June 16, 1966, the restaurant hosted the 20th Tony Awards.
In commemoration to the actress Helen Menken, who had died three months prior, the ceremony was closed to the public.
The ceremony was also the first Tony Awards to be held in the afternoon.
Entertainers began performing in the Rainbow Room again in 1973, for the first time in decades, starting on September 18 of that year when classical-piano duo Whittemore and Lowe played three 40-minute-long sets, with half of each set dedicated to song requests from guests.

In January 1975, the Rainbow Grill had to close temporarily due to a rising lease but reopened the following month when new management took over the operation.
The Rainbow Grill was also briefly closed for renovations in 1979 which included installation of a new stage.

In 1985 the Rockefeller family bought the entire Rockefeller Center complex from Columbia University and immediately set out to modernize many aspects of the complex.
As one of these components, the Rainbow Room was closed for a $20 million restoration and expansion that brought the restaurant's floor area to 4,500 square feet (420 m²).
David Rockefeller, the son of John Rockefeller Jr, commissioned the restoration, led by Joe Baum, Arthur Emil, and Hugh Hardy.
At the time, Baum and Michael Whiteman were the restaurant's operators.
The Rainbow Room's expansion went through the only passageway that led to the RCA Building's observation deck, so the deck was subsequently closed.
The Rainbow Room reopened in December 1987 with cuisine, cutlery, and decorations designed to evoke the restaurant as it had been in the 1930s.
The restaurant's 300 lights were synchronized with a new sound system and a new entrance was added at the southwest corner.
The artist Dan Dailey created "Orbit", an 8-by-15-foot (2.4 by 4.6 m) glass mural, for the western wall behind the stage, that was eventually moved to the Toledo Museum of Art in 2017.
By 1941, Rockefeller Center Inc's manager Hugh S. Robertson was in a dispute with the Rainbow Room's workers' union. Robertson threatened to shutter the restaurant and blame it on war-related reasons if they kept demanding wage increases. The Rainbow Room was closed at the end of December 1942 due to World War II, which contributed to the "increasing shortage of manpower" in American civilian life, according to Robertson. The Rockefeller Center Luncheon Club remained open through this time. However, the restaurant would not reopen to the public until 1950, and then only as a cocktail lounge that shuttered at 9 p.m.
The Rainbow Room was closed again in 1965, this time for renovations. The refurbishment restored the establishment to its 1930s decor. The historical accuracy of the decor continued through the 1970s. Throughout the years, the Rainbow Room lost its sense of exclusivity, as almost anyone could book a reservation at the restaurant. However, even through the 1980s and 1990s, the restaurant still hosted the occasional politician.
On June 16, 1966, the restaurant hosted the 20th Tony Awards. In commemoration to the actress Helen Menken, who had died three months prior, the ceremony was closed to the public. The ceremony was also the first Tony Awards to be held in the afternoon. Entertainers began performing in the Rainbow Room again in 1973, for the first time in decades, starting on September 18 of that year when classical-piano duo Whittemore and Lowe played three 40-minute-long sets, with half of each set dedicated to song requests from guests.
In January 1975, the Rainbow Grill had to close temporarily due to a rising lease but reopened the following month when new management took over the operation. The Rainbow Grill was also briefly closed for renovations in 1979 which included installation of a new stage.
In 1985 the Rockefeller family bought the entire Rockefeller Center complex from Columbia University and immediately set out to modernize many aspects of the complex. As one of these components, the Rainbow Room was closed for a $20 million restoration and expansion that brought the restaurant's floor area to 4,500 square feet (420 m²). David Rockefeller, the son of John Rockefeller Jr, commissioned the restoration, led by Joe Baum, Arthur Emil, and Hugh Hardy. At the time, Baum and Michael Whiteman were the restaurant's operators. The Rainbow Room's expansion went through the only passageway that led to the RCA Building's observation deck, so the deck was subsequently closed. The Rainbow Room reopened in December 1987 with cuisine, cutlery, and decorations designed to evoke the restaurant as it had been in the 1930s. The restaurant's 300 lights were synchronized with a new sound system and a new entrance was added at the southwest corner. The artist Dan Dailey created "Orbit", an 8-by-15-foot (2.4 by 4.6 m) glass mural, for the western wall behind the stage, that was eventually moved to the Toledo Museum of Art in 2017.
Rainbow Room