Pittsburgh’s Original Oyster House temporarily closed, donated food to Light of Life
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The website and social media pages for the Original Oyster House in Market Square explain the closure:
They show a person sitting by the water, holding a rod. “WE’VE GONE FISHING,” reads the message. “CLOSED FOR JAN. 2021.”
“You can say we have temporarily closed to regroup,” said owner Jen Grippo. “At this point, we are extremely short staffed and we worked six days a week during the holiday season, so we just decided to close a little bit.”
The time away will give employees, who can claim unemployment, a chance to be with family. The month-long pause will also allow for a little “tender loving care” for the restaurant, which celebrated 150 years in business in October.
Grippo said this closure is the first she knows of since her dad, Louis Grippo Sr., bought it 50 years ago. He died in May 2017 and she took over operations.
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She credits her father with transitioning the business to a takeout and food-based restaurant versus just a bar, which has helped it endure through the pandemic.
“He is still a big part of this business in spirit,” she said.
The Jingle Bar pop-up located outside the Oyster House, which might have helped business, was short-lived. It opened on Nov. 27 but had to close on Dec. 12 with the state’s covid restrictions.
Grippo donated food inventory and some other kitchen items she didn’t need to Light of Life Rescue Mission on the North Side, which helps the homeless. The mission is moving to a new home, also on the North Side, within a month.
“I know a lot of fellow businesses who have decided to open later in the month or stay strictly takeout,” she said. “January is notoriously slow for our industry. We have amazing customers who have supported us through all of this and I can’t say enough about the staff. They have been incredible. This is so beautiful to see because we truly all need each other, especially during this pandemic. We all need a little bit of peace.”
She said she wants people to feel comfortable coming back to restaurants and she will do everything she can to provide a clean and safe environment, from sanitizing to social distancing to face masks.
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The plan is to reopen on Feb. 16, the day before Ash Wednesday — the beginning of Lent, traditionally one of the best times of the year for the Oyster House.
That should give them plenty of time to catch all that fish.