Rodney's Oyster House never had much of a reputation for being quiet, but the closure of its Gastown location has largely been just that.
As 2023 came to a close, so did the decade-long run of Rodney's at 52 Powell St.
In December, CTV Vancouver made a brief mention of Rodney's impending closure alongside news of Cannibal Café and Tacomio's departures and Finch's Tea House's financial struggles.
However, Rodney's does not display any closure announcements on its website or its Facebook or Instagram feeds.
As of January 2, 2024, the restaurant did not have any closure information posted on its doors or windows, however, the location is listed as "Permanently Closed" on Google.
An employee at the Yaletown location indicated by phone on Jan. 2 that the Gastown location was closed down a couple of days prior. It appears the last day of business was Dec. 31.
The Gastown location of the usually raucous oyster bar and seafood restaurant has not been accepting online reservations for January 2024. Rodney's Instagram account now only mentions its Yaletown outpost, though its website continues to list Gastown.
A commercial real estate listing for the restaurant space hit the market in December. The building in which the business is housed dates back to 1909-1910 and is considered a Vancouver Heritage site.
In December, V.I.A. reached out multiple times to Rodney's through Instagram and email but received no response to any inquiries. An in-person visit to the Gastown restaurant on December 21 found the location was closed unexpectedly for the evening; a handwritten note on the door indicated staffing issues led to the closure.
Rodney's restaurant legacy began decades ago in Toronto
The Rodney of Rodney's Oyster House is Rodney "the Oysterman" Clark, who brought his love and knowledge of oysters from his native PEI to Toronto in the 1970s and opened the first namesake restaurant there in 1987.
Building on its established legacy in Toronto, Rodney's launched its first Vancouver restaurant in Yaletown in 1998. The Gastown location joined the fold in 2012 and a Calgary outpost followed, however, the Vancouver restaurants have their website and social media presence separate from their Toronto and Calgary cousins.
The brand is known for having a laid-back, boisterous (and cheeky) beach-side shack vibe. They call happy hour "low tide," and staff have nautical titles, like "First Mate." Handsome male servers present signature brimming pours of wine and shuck oysters while customers watch at the bar. Menu highlights include clam chowder, seafood pasta, and crab cakes.
The Yaletown location remains open daily, according to @rodneysvancity on Instagram, with "low tide" (happy hour) service starting things off in the afternoons.
V.I.A. will update with any additional information regarding the Gastown location closure should any details be made available.
Find more delicious Vancouver food and drink video stories by following V.I.A's Forking Awesome TikTok account, @forkingawesomevancouver on Instagram, and signing up for our Forking Awesome newsletter delivered fresh to your inbox every Thursday.
