Collar City gourmands have another reason to polish that silverware and get out on the town again. Plumb Oyster Bar, the five-year-old upscale eatery located in Downtown Troy, has reopened following a 10-month closure due to the pandemic.
The grand reopening was celebrated on August 26 with a ribbon cutting that was attended by owner and local entrepreneur Heidi Knoblauch, her staff of four (down from 18), the Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce and representatives of the Rensselaer County Legislature, City of Troy, Troy Downtown BID, Redburn Development, Mathes Public Affairs, Clermont and Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
Sixty-five guests were treated to signature cocktails and nonalcoholic cocktails, freshly shucked oysters, an expanded raw bar and specialty pressed sandwiches. This new back-to-basics menu is a nod to Plumb’s original concepts when the restaurant first opened in 2016.
Knoblauch credits her talented team of employees with encouraging her to reopen her popular downtown dining space after the pandemic shutdown. “I have watched them pivot time and again in the face of uncertainty throughout this ongoing crisis,” says Knoblauch. “This reopening is a testament to the resiliency of restaurant workers and makes evident the importance of entrepreneurs engaging employees to retain and leverage talent at a time when many are struggling to find workers. I am grateful to them as well as to the Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce which has done a great job of ushering small businesses back into business.”
Prior to the pandemic, Plumb was a popular spot for the collared-shirt, after-work and business-networking crowds. The restaurant effectively closed in November, though it did dabble in cocktail/sweets delivery, sporadically. Back in June, Plumb began hosting a chef-in-residence series, with pop-ups by Clermont, among others.
“Our downtown businesses, especially restaurants, have been so innovative throughout the pandemic, and I applaud Heidi and her team for their creativity at Plumb Oyster Bar,” says Kate Manley, president, Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce. “The official reopening of Plumb marks an exciting time for the City of Troy and the Rensselaer County business community as Plumb has been a destination restaurant—bringing many visitors into Troy for the past several years. Its reopening emphasizes the resiliency and vitality of our city and county as not only a destination, but an excellent place to live, work and play. As the recovery efforts continue, the Chamber is committed to ensuring our small businesses have the support and resources to survive, grow and thrive. Together, we can ensure the future of our community is bright.”
Plumb will be open three nights a week—Thursday, Friday and Saturday, from 5-10pm—and will be accepting walk-in customers only.
