[title]
Grand Central Terminal may still feel like a ghost town to those who remember the 2019 levels of commuters in the halls, but the iconic train station is on the rebound.
The biggest sign of that yet? Grand Central Oyster Bar, the subterranean seafood restaurant popular with New Yorkers and visitors alike is finally reopening to guests on Tuesday, September 7.
Because the restaurant is underground and is known for freshly shucked seafood towers and steaming hot chowders, its ability to offer cater to a pandemic crowd was limited—there's no outdoor seating option, and oysters don't exactly hold up during an UberEats e-bike delivery.
After initially shutting down in March 2020, the restaurant briefly reopened in late September, offering 25 percent seating indoors and closing once again in early October.
Now, Grand Central Oyster Bar will reopen with 100 percent seating capacity, though seating is promised to be more spaced out. Takeout will also be offered for pickup and delivery within five blocks of Grand Central.
Dating back to 1913, Grand Central Oyster Bar is the oldest restaurant in Grand Central Terminal, which opened that same year.
“We relish the opportunity to be of service again and fill our customers’ hearts, and ours, with joy, and do what we do best,” Oyster Bar president Janet Poccia shared in a statement. The menu will be abundant, though still limited as Grand Central Terminal's foot traffic remains at less than half of what it was pre-pandemic.
To date, only a handful of eateries have reopened in the Dining Concourse, including Hale & Hearty, Joe Coffee Company, Magnolia Bakery, Shake Shack, and Zaro’s Family Bakery.
For the grand reopening, Grand Central Oyster bar will have limited hours, Monday–Friday from 11:30am–7:30pm, and will be closed on Saturday and Sunday.