Blue Water Grill has been a staple to the Union Square area for the last 22 years, but as of January 1 it has permanently closed.
The seafood restaurant is following in the footsteps of other local establishments that have been forced to close recently—like its neighbor Coffee Shop and the West Village Cornelia Street Cafe.
It was announced in 2017 that the restaurant would close due to exorbitant rent hikes, which at the time was said to have increased to over $2-million annually, according to a report by Bloomberg. In the report a spokesperson for Landry’s (the parent company to Blue Water Grill) said: “Even though this is one of New York’s most successful restaurants, it can’t be successful with a $2 million plus rent; therefore, we will be relocating within the next year. In the meantime, it is business as usual.”
However, while the 2017 report suggested a relocation, it seems the only thing being relocated is the staff—which are all moving to sister restaurants like Atlantic Grill. It’s certainly sad to see the restaurants which helped define the area now being driven out by its success and desirability.
featured image source: Yelp / Blue Water Grill