Legendary San Antonio Seafood Restaurant Closing After 43 Years
If you spend enough time in a city, you'll begin to learn about some of the favorite local restaurants and other spots that develop a life of their own within the community.
Families gather here to share meals and celebrate achievements, budding relationships get their starts on awkward first dates and everything in between. For certain communities and cities, restaurants have become the de facto "third place," where citizens come to interact with one another and build community.
One restaurant in a major American city is beloved by the locals and by those who come to visit, but it appears that they'll need to close their doors soon.
San Antonio's Dry Dock Oyster Bar has been a staple of the city since 1982, sporting its iconic colors, tile bar and wooden tables, preserving the charm of a bygone era.
The establishment has had the same owner for its entire lifespan, and many of the same servers have worked at the bar for years, becoming familiar with the frequent repeat visitors.
On May 13, the Dry Dock Oyster Bar will officially close after 43 years of operation.
"We extend our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you for your unwavering support and patronage over the years," the restaurant said in a statement on its home page.
"Your loyalty has made this journey incredibly rewarding, and we are truly humbled by your friendship and kindness."
This isn't the first time this year that the bar has faced financial issues. It was forced to close temporarily back in February due to unpaid rent. After the late rent was addressed, doors reopened in a matter of weeks according to Culture Map.
The restaurant will live on in the same space, as the owner sold the building to a restauranteur. The new eatery will also follow a seafood theme, but the new name of the establishment will be "Crab City."
The San Antonio location will be Crab City's second after opening their inaugural restaurant in Odessa, Texas. A date for the reopening has yet to be set, but the rebrand will take place after the old Oyster Bar shuts down for good on May 13.
Fans have been encouraged to make the trip for the restaurant's final day of operations on May 12, as they'll be running normal business hours.