Matunuck Oyster Bar will welcome diners to slurp oysters and sample seafood in a makeshift, outdoor space across the street from its acclaimed restaurant starting July 1, Perry Raso, restaurant owner, announced Wednesday.
The reopening of the acclaimed South County dining destination on its 16th anniversary comes less than two months after a fire forced the restaurant to close. Ahead of a permanent rebuild, Raso cooked up a temporary solution relying upon the marina parking lot across the street from his restaurant.
The tented dining space required sign-off from state and local officials to ease restrictions governing outdoor eateries. The Rhode Island General Assembly unanimously approved changes to state regulations on June 12, clarifying that pandemic-era allowances for al fresco dining also extend to restaurants closed due to floods, fires or other disasters.
Separately, the South Kingstown Town Council OK’d details including operating hours, parking plans and capacity caps for “Matunuck Marina,” Raso said in an emailed statement.
He thanked state and local officials for helping revive the famed seafood restaurant overlooking Potter Pond, allowing 50 of his 300-person staff to keep working over the summer.
The revival includes tableside dining and grab-and-go options, preserving the existing reservation and takeout system via the restaurant website.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Rhode Island Office of the State Fire Marshal. A preliminary investigation suggested it was accidental and not caused by commercial cooking equipment.
This story was originally published by the Rhode Island Current.
