Our Methods

At Open Oyster we strive to provide a handpicked selection of some of our favorite east coast oysters.  Wherever possible, we deal directly with small, family-owned farms that share our belief that sustainability is a top priority.

All east coast oysters are the same species, Crassosstrea virginica. The flavor, shape and size of different varieties are determined by a combination of the culture conditions in which they are raised and their genetic makeup. Because oysters are consumed raw it is important to know where your oysters come from and how they are raised.  Oysters raised in polluted waters carry those pollutants with them to market.  At Open Oyster, we do the research so you don’t have to and only deal with farms and dealers with reputations for good practice.

Our focus on sustainability extends beyond our suppliers.  Whenever possible, we recycle the shells from the oysters we sell.  Pete Malinowski, one of our founders, uses the shells to help create oyster reefs as part of his ongoing publicly funded effort to clean up New York Harbor.