Black Duck closes Oysterhead, no plans for cafe space in foreseeable future
It’s not a good year for Bridge Street restaurants. In addition to the ongoing closure and unknown future of Mel’s Tearoom, Oysterhead Tavern, formerly Moot Point Tavern and the Black Duck Cafe, has closed for the time being. Co-owner Al Barbour says he and his partner Sarah Evans are continuing to operate The Black Duck Bakery next door, which offers grocery items, baked goods, coffee and takeout meals. But Barbour says the couple doesn’t have any plans for the cafe space next door.
“Plans are kind of useless at this point,” says Barbour. “We’ve been operating for 10 years, various cafe, bistro, bar type operations. But we’ve come to the point now where we just can’t hire anyone.”
Barbour says he and Evans have shifted their business to a state where they can mostly run the Black Duck Bakery as more of a “mom and pop” shop, as opposed to the bustling cafe they once ran. The cafe space does not fit into that scale of operation, however.
“It’ll be mothballed,” says Barbour. “We might do something with it for fun in the future but as for the time being, it’s just going to sit here, unfortunately.”
In addition to issues finding people to work in the cafe and tavern businesses, Barbour says there have been other problems “snowballing” and compounding each other. He cites the ongoing pandemic, high rates of inflation, and supply chain issues.… Continue
The latest offering from the Black Duck team, Oystërhead Tavern, opens today
The Black Duck on Bridge Street in Sackville has gone through a number of changes over the course of the pandemic, as co-owners Al Barbour and Sarah Evans tried to adapt to the steady stream of changes in public health rules and people’s habits. And today, the popular eatery reopens anew again, this time as Oystërhead Tavern.
CHMA dropped by the restaurant this week to find out what’s in store from Barbour himself:
Barbour says that Oystërhead is run by “the same Black Duck team, working out of the same building,” just under a new name. With asthetic changes inside the restaurant, the name Oystërhead—part homage to English heavy metal band Mötorhead, and part nod to the fresh oysters on the menu—seemed more fitting that the Black Duck, says Barbour.
There won’t be significant menu changes since the cafe moved to lunch and evening service earlier this year. “It’ll be a similar menu to what we’ve been running,” says Barbour.
“We’ve been operating for 10 years and the pandemic has made us rethink some of the things that we were doing,” says Barbour. “We decided to concentrate more on bespoke food, as opposed to things like sandwiches and fast grab and go sort of stuff.”
Barbour says the restaurant will still use food from the Black Duck garden and other local suppliers. Meals will be more elaborate than what was on offer at the old cafe, but also “approachable and not particularly expensive,” says Barbour.… Continue
Moot Point Tavern opens today in former Black Duck location
A new restaurant opens today in the former Black Duck space on Bridge Street, beside Quality Grocery. Moot Point Tavern will be an evening-focussed restaurant, and for the time being, will be open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturday starting at 5pm.
Co-owner Al Barbour, of the Black Duck and Quality Grocery, says he felt it was time for a change in direction. “We had been doing the Black Duck for 10 years,” says Barbour, “and when we started it, there was a real need for a cafe.” But with more cafe options available in town, that need has dropped off, and Barbour says he now sees a new opportunity. “There’s definitely a need for somewhere to go in the evening and get some some good food and maybe a beer or a glass of wine or a cocktail.”
Barbour says there will be familiar faces at the new restaurant, though some former Black Duck staff have moved on. One new face will be taking over the reins in the kitchen at Moot Point, having recently moved to Sackville from Nova Scotia, where he worked in a number of popular kitchens.
Phil Benitez most recently worked at Canteen in Dartmouth, a popular spot opened up by chef Renée Lavallée. Benitez moved to Sackville for a relationship, and sounds positive about his new career at Moot Point. “I always like to give a helping hand wherever I can,” says Benitez, “And I just decided that Al and I could do something great together.”… Continue