Grand Central Oyster Bar Moving Into Fornino Space...Say What?!

Image via oysterbarny.comRumor Alert! Let’s gossip! According to Gothamist, the former Fornino space on 5^th Avenue is slated to become the newest offshoot of Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant.

Before you say, “Wait! Isn’t their whole deal oysters in Grand Central? Wouldn’t a different location sort of ruin the fun?” You should know that they already have a few satellite oyster bars (two in Tokyo and one in the Newark airport), so this isn’t an entirely new concept to them.

Nor is it a new concept for us; Park Slope seems to be a sought-after location for successful restaurants looking to expand. An outpost of Grand Central Oyster Bar would be only the newest in a series of “small-chain” restaurants to open up shop in the Slope, following Le Pain Quotidien, Terroir, and Dinosaur BBQ.

Though, as Here’s Park Slope opined, Grand Central Oyster Bar’s presence may help bolster the impression that 5^th Ave. is a respectable restaurant row, I guess I’m not entirely convinced. Sure, we’re all flattered that we are considered worthy of the century-old purveyor of $62 lobster, but do we really need another oyster bar? Personally, I think we already have a vast selection of impeccable seafood available on 5^th Ave., and given the relatively casual neighborhood ethos, I’m skeptical that Grand Central Oyster Bar would be a great fit here. But I guess if they can fit in at EWR, then they know how to appeal to a varied audience.

What do you think? What small chains would you want to expand to 5^th Ave? Comment away!