Rappahannock Oyster Co. to open a second location in Norfolk’s Waterside District

Published November 29, 2016 by Paula C. Squires

The Rappahannock Oyster Co. will be making its debut in Hampton Roads this spring. It has joined a mix of local and national restaurants locating at Norfolk’s renovated Waterside District on the banks of the Elizabeth River.

Rappahannock Oyster, based in Topping, already has a location in Richmond on East Grace Street. The new restaurant will begin operations when Waterside District opens in April 2017.

“We are excited to announce another Virginia-based company to open at Waterside District,” Reed S. Cordish, vice president of The Cordish Cos., the project’s developer, said in a statement.

Rappahannock Oyster Co. at Waterside District will be located in The Market, a 30,000- square-foot, two-level anchor concept situated in the center of the entertainment and dining district. The Market will serve as a home for entertainment, festivals and family attractions. Other tenants will include Guy Fieri’s Smokehouse, The Fudgery, Blue Moon TapHouse, Cogan’s Pizza, Carolina Cupcakery, and Starr Hill.

“Much like The Cordish Companies, we pride ourselves in being a family-owned company and a good community partner so Waterside District is the perfect fit for us.” said Ryan Croxton, a co-owner of Rappahannock Oyster Co. along with his cousin Travis. Besides having a location in The Market, the company plans a portable raw bar that can be used at events and festivals that will take place in and around Waterside District.

The Croxtons took over their family’s oyster company in 2001, reviving a lease on oyster beds signed by their great-grandfather in 1899. Few oyster beds remained at the time, and harvest rates in the Chesapeake Bay were at a low point. Today, the cousins have helped restore the oyster population and trade while promoting sustainable farming practices and expanding into the restaurant business.

Located in Norfolk’s central business district and adjacent to the city’s waterfront and festival site, Waterside District is undergoing a $40 million overhaul and rebranding from its previous life as Norfolk’s Waterside Festival Marketplace.

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