Grand Central Oyster Bar Closes After Brief Reopening
MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Just 12 days after it was allowed to reopen for indoor dining, the iconic Grand Central Oyster Bar is closing back down due to a lack of customer support, the restaurant announced Monday.
The 107-year-old eatery reopened to the public on Sept. 30, when the city began allowing indoor dining at 25 percent capacity. That day, the oyster bar had lines out the door, but customer support dried up since then, owners told the New York Post.
"As we re-opened on September 30th we relished the opportunity to be of service again, and fill your hearts, and ours, with joy and do what we do best; offer an amazing experience to our beloved New Yorkers and to our friends from all over the world," a message on the restaurant's website reads.
"Today, however, we must, temporarily, close again due to the lack of traffic and business implicitly, caused by the Covid-19 pandemic."
Managers of the 440-seat restaurant vowed that it would reopen again at a future date. Owners told the Post that they are hoping to get a rent break from their landlord, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and have not discussed closing permanently.
This article originally appeared on the Midtown-Hell's Kitchen Patch
