It may be hard to understand how a seafood restaurant could become so popular in a landlocked city without a beach or direct access to the ocean.
However, there’s more to this story than meets the eye.
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Every city has those restaurants that become local favorites, sometimes because of their food and other times because of the energy they bring to the community.
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But all good things come to an end at some point, and just like all the other restaurants that have closed their doors due to economic challenges and the slowdown in consumer spending, this restaurant’s time was cut short after obtaining a second chance.
A beloved seafood restaurant will close its doors.
Image source: Universal Images Group via Getty Images
A seafood restaurant becomes iconic due to a unique feature
Dry Dock Oyster Bar, located at 8522 Fredericksburg Rd. in San Antonio, Texas, has attracted hundreds of tourists and locals for many generations, becoming an iconic symbol in the city’s restaurant scene.
This restaurant is known for its beloved seafood dishes, bar food, and ice-cold beer, but its unique boat-shaped structure tends to be the first thing people notice.
Since 1982, Dry Dock Oyster Bar has maintained its blue and white colors, tile bar, and wooden tables. It even has the same long-standing owner and some of the same servers who have continued to bring in loyal clients since the restaurant’s first day.
To San Antonio locals, this restaurant is a place of comfort and many great memories. It is especially popular on warm summer days, when it becomes the hangout spot for families’ weekend getaways.
An iconic San Antonio restaurant closes its doors forever amid financial troubles
This summer will be very different for the community and Dry Dock Oyster Bar because on May 13, it will close its doors forever after 43 years of service.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you for your unwavering support and patronage over the years. Your loyalty has made this journey incredibly rewarding, and we are truly humbled by your friendship and kindness,” wrote the restaurant on its website’s home page.
Dry Dock Oyster Bar also stated that it will be open during regular hours on May 12 and encourages the community to visit the restaurant one last time.
Although an unexpected announcement to many, others have long seen it coming.
The restaurant temporarily closed in February last year due to unpaid rent, which was eventually paid off, allowing it to continue operations a few weeks later, as confirmed by the online publication Culture Map.
However, unfulfilled rent payments seem to have caught up with the restaurant again; this time, it couldn’t keep up.
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To keep the restaurant’s memory alive, the owner sold the business to a restaurateur who will turn it into an entirely different concept and rename it Crab City, as Culture Map reported.
Crab City already has a restaurant in Odessa, Texas, making this new acquisition its second location. This restaurant shares some similarities with Dry Dock Oyster Bar, since it also serves seafood dishes, bar food, and drinks.
The official date for the opening of the new Crab City in San Antonio has yet to be revealed, but it’s expected to open in the upcoming months.
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