Grand Central Oyster Bar's Reopening Delayed By Hurricane Ida

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — New Yorkers will need to wait a bit longer to slurp oysters under the vaulted ceilings of Grand Central Terminal: the station's famed oyster bar has delayed its eagerly-awaited reopening due to last week's catastrophic storm.

"Due to unforeseen operational issues, and delays caused by Hurricane Ida, the re-opening of the Grand Central Oyster Bar has been postponed two weeks until the week of September 20," management said in a statement posted to Facebook on Tuesday.

The famed 108-year-old eatery has been largely closed since the onset of the pandemic. A brief reopening attempt last fall lasted only 12 days, as the restaurant decided to shut down again following the return of indoor dining due to a lack of customer support.

Over the summer, the oyster bar announced plans to reopen on Sept. 7, only for those plans to be scuttled again by the storm.

The oyster bar's management did not specify what problems the storm had caused, but said the latest delay is "not COVID-related."

"We feel terribly for all of our employees who have been working so hard to get ready to reopen, and for all of our patrons," said Janet Poccia, the restaurant's president; Sandy Ingber, the executive chef; and Mohammed Lawal, the vice president, in a statement.

"It’s very disappointing for everyone, but we’ll continue to persevere."

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