Kansas City is getting its first standalone oyster bar, and it will do it without a single stove, fryer, or hood system in sight. Brandon Hayden, a chef and certified oyster ambassador, plans to open The Shuckers Union at 1739 Oak St. in the East Crossroads, a raw bar and cocktail spot built entirely around shellfish and drinks rather than a traditional kitchen menu.
Hayden organized Kansas City's first Oyster Fest at J. Rieger's Electric Park in May, and he currently runs the raw bar at The Parker Hollow as its sous chef, according to Kansas City Magazine. The roughly 2,300-square-foot space is expected to seat around 40 people.
KCUR reported that The Shuckers Union was planned to open in December, with a menu including oysters, shrimp cocktail, and lobster rolls, alongside a full bar. Hayden is opening the bar alongside business partner Brad Barta, a former U.S. Army chef who has cooked in multiple local Kansas City kitchens.
A Half-Block of Crossroads History Gets a New Tenant
The half-block East Crossroads property containing 1739 Oak St. has been held by local property owner Andy Surface's family since the mid-1880s and is being redeveloped in partnership with Fishman Commercial Real Estate, Startland News reports. Hayden has led public oyster-shucking and tasting workshops that use flavor wheels and appellation guides to walk patrons through different oyster profiles, as reported by Kansas City Homes & Style.
The East Crossroads has seen real turnover in recent months. Session Taco closed its longtime location at 409 E. 18th St. in late August after a nine-year run in the neighborhood, as Hoodline previously reported in its coverage of that closure. The district's broader restaurant dynamics were also part of Hoodline's earlier look at Parlor Food Hall nearby.
Certification and Farm Ties
Hayden is Kansas City's first certified oyster ambassador through the Oyster Masters Guild, an oyster sommelier certification program, Kansas City Magazine reports. Hayden has said relationships with farmers make direct oyster sourcing easier and help him explain to customers where their oysters come from.
KCUR reports that Hayden attended a national oyster symposium in Houston in January and was headed to Oyster South's Landlocked fundraiser in Atlanta. He wants to meet farmers and share their stories, Kansas City Magazine notes. Hayden has worked at The Parker Hollow and the former Aqua Penny's, a Leawood coastal seafood eatery.
Timing the Opening to Oyster Season
KCUR reported that The Shuckers Union was planned to open in December. Hayden also offers a mobile raw bar for catering, KCUR reports.
