The pandemic isn’t over — at least when it comes to restaurants. The owners of the Local Oyster announced Monday they are shutting down the eateries’ branches in Mount Vernon Marketplace and Locust Point, a wrenching decision they chalked up to the lasting effects of COVID.
“Things haven’t been good [in the restaurant industry] since 2019,” said Zack Mills, partner at Chef Shucker Farmer Inc., the parent company of the Local Oyster. Mills, who is the “chef” in the company’s name, attributed the closures to the pandemic’s impact and an ongoing downturn in sales.
The Local Oyster stall in Mount Vernon debuted in 2015, and the Locust Point restaurant opened near South Baltimore’s Anthem House just last year. Recent guests to the newer location included Gov. Wes Moore, who feasted on blue catfish, an invasive species in the Chesapeake Bay.
The last day in operation for both the Locust Point and Mount Vernon eateries will be Nov. 11, according to an Instagram post from co-owner Nick Shauman. Shauman is the “shucker” in the parent company’s name and a recognizable presence on Baltimore’s food scene.
