Grand Banks

What Grand Banks does

Crew Ventures LLC, operating as Crew with flagship brand Grand Banks, is a privately held New York hospitality company founded circa 2005 by brothers Alex and Miles Pincus. The company operates a portfolio of roughly 12 waterfront restaurants, bars, and marina venues across New York City (Pier 25/Hudson River Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Governors Island, Tribeca, Chelsea, Hudson Yards, Brooklyn Heights) and New Orleans (Warehouse District at Ace Hotel, French Quarter). The flagship Grand Banks launched in 2014 as a floating oyster bar aboard the 1885 Sherman Zwicker schooner and has been recognized by New York Magazine as 'The Absolute Best Waterfront Restaurant in New York' and by CNN Travel as one of the 'Best Waterfront Restaurants in the World.' The portfolio also includes Island Oyster (James Beard Foundation Award nominee for Restaurant Design), Pilot, Seaworthy (named 'Seafood Restaurant of the Year' by New Orleans Magazine), Holywater NYC/NOLA, Drift In, High Tide, The Yacht Club (Chelsea rooftop), Sailor's Choice (200-seat boat bar, Hudson Yards), Fireboat, and the recently acquired Montero Bar & Grill in Brooklyn Heights.

The company's core technology and differentiator is the operation, restoration, and preservation of historic maritime vessels as dining and bar venues — including the 1885 Coronet (under restoration at Mystic Seaport), the Victory Chimes, oyster barges, and former FDNY fireboats — combined with integrated marina operations (Pier 25 Marina, Pier 6 Wharf) and a marine works division (Heritage Marine Works). Revenue is generated across four streams: seated restaurant dining on vessels and at fixed venues, private events and catering, delivery and takeout via order.online, and recurring marina dockage/moorings. Distribution runs through direct reservations on SevenRooms, Resy, and OpenTable, third-party delivery platforms, and direct enterprise sales for private events. Customer segments are diversified across urban food enthusiasts, corporate and personal private-event bookers, seasonal outdoor diners, and marina tenants.

The company is founder-controlled with no disclosed institutional funding, private equity involvement, or parent holding structure. Marketing is overwhelmingly earned-media-driven (New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, Vogue, Eater, CNN, Town & Country, Bon Appétit, New Orleans Magazine) amplified by the venues' visual distinctiveness, with reservations and email as bottom-of-funnel channels.

Name

Grand Banks

Legal name

Crew Ventures LLC

Website

https://grandbanks.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Grand Banks (DBA Crew, legal entity Crew Ventures LLC) is a privately held, founder-controlled hospitality company operating a portfolio of waterfront restaurants, floating bars, and historic vessels across New York City and New Orleans, serving urban diners, tourists, and private-event bookers with oyster bars, seafood restaurants, and nautical-themed venues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Waterfront Restaurants & Bars

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Steakhouses & Seafood Restaurants (THAFACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rooftop Bars & Beach/Pool Bars (THAFAEAJ), Wine Bars (CRANACAE)

Keywords

• Waterfront dining
• Floating oyster bar
• Maritime hospitality
• Seafood restaurant
• Historic vessel dining

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Dining: Food and beverage sales from seated dining experiences on historic vessels and waterfront venues
2. Private Events & Catering: Private event bookings, catering services, and venue rentals for corporate and personal celebrations
3. Delivery & Takeout: Food delivery and takeout orders through online ordering platforms
4. Marina Operations: Marina services including dockage, moorings, and marine operations at Pier 25 Marina and Pier 6 Wharf

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Grand Banks is a floating oyster bar and seafood restaurant operated aboard the historic 1885 schooner Sherman Zwicker at Pier 25, Hudson River Park, in Manhattan. The brand is part of Crew, a hospitality company that operates a portfolio of waterfront restaurants, bars, marinas, historic vessels, and maritime experiences across New York City and New Orleans. Offerings include raw bar items, sustainable oysters, seafood plates, craft cocktails, private events, catering, charters, sailing school, and marina services.

Product overview

Crew operates a portfolio of waterfront restaurants, bars, and maritime experiences centered around historic vessels. The core offerings include Grand Banks (floating oyster bar on historic schooner), Seaworthy (New Orleans seafood restaurant), Pilot (Brooklyn floating bar), Island Oyster (Governors Island restaurant), Holywater (nautical cocktail bars in NYC and NOLA), Drift In, High Tide, The Yacht Club (Chelsea rooftop), Montero Bar & Grill, Fireboat, and Sailor's Choice. Supporting operations include marine infrastructure (Pier 25 Marina, Pier 6 Wharf, Heritage Marine Works), historic vessel fleet (Coronet, Victory Chimes), sailing school, charters, and catering services. The portfolio spans multiple waterfront locations in New York City and New Orleans.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Grand Banks: Flagship floating oyster bar aboard a historic schooner at Pier 25, Hudson River Park, Manhattan. Named 'The Absolute Best Waterfront Restaurant in New York' by New York Magazine and one of 'The Best Waterfront Restaurants in the World' by CNN Travel.
• Pilot
• Island Oyster
• Holywater NYC
• Seaworthy
• The Yacht Club
• Drift In
• High Tide
• Sailor's Choice
• Fireboat
• Montero Bar & Grill
• Holywater NOLA
• Pier 25 Marina
• Heritage Marine Works

Products and services

• Grand Banks Flagship floating oyster bar and restaurant operated aboard the historic Sherman Zwicker schooner, offering sustainable oysters, raw bar, seafood, and cocktails with waterfront views of New York Harbor.
• Pilot Floating champagne and oyster bar docked at Brooklyn Bridge Park aboard a historic vessel offering waterfront dining and outdoor seating.
• Island Oyster Seasonal waterfront seafood restaurant on Governors Island featuring outdoor dining with Manhattan views and sustainable seafood offerings. Nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award for Restaurant Design.
• Seaworthy Oyster bar and seafood restaurant located in New Orleans' Warehouse District at the Ace Hotel, offering sustainable oysters, Gulf seafood, and cocktails in a maximalist subterranean space.
• Holywater NYC Nautical-themed cocktail bar and oyster bar in TriBeCa, Manhattan, offering cocktails and oysters. Named to Eater's list of NYC's Hottest New Cocktail Bars during its first six months.
• The Yacht Club Nautical-themed rooftop restaurant and bar in Chelsea, Manhattan, offering outdoor dining with city views, cocktails, and seafood.
• Drift In Waterfront bar with outdoor seating, offering cocktails and casual fare in a relaxed nautical setting at the Brooklyn waterfront.
• High Tide

Quantifiable outcome

• Consistent top rankings in NYC waterfront dining by major publications including New York Magazine, Condé Nast Traveler, CNN Travel
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mystic Seaport MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for restoration and preservation of historic vessels including the Coronet schooner. Mystic Seaport providing expertise and facilities for extensive restoration work on maritime heritage vessels.
• Hudson River Park TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Pier 25 Marina operations and Grand Banks vessel docking at Hudson River Park. Collaborative relationship with public park for maritime recreation and dining.
• Brooklyn Bridge ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Pilot floating venue at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Long-term docking agreement for oyster bar operations at public waterfront park.
• Governors IslandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Island Oyster venue operations on Governors Island. Seasonal restaurant presence at public recreation area.
• Ace Hotel New OrleansminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeaworthy located within Ace Hotel building in New Orleans Warehouse District. Hotel partnership for integrated dining experience.
• Conservation OrganizationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWork with environmental and marine conservation organizations for sustainable seafood practices and oyster restoration initiatives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lure Fishbar: SoHo-based upscale seafood restaurant and oyster bar. Comparable as a high-end NYC seafood concept with similar raw bar, cocktail, and private event focus.
• Maison Premiere: Williamsburg-based oyster and cocktail bar with waterfront sensibility and award-winning design. Closest direct competitor to Grand Banks and Pilot in oyster bar positioning, raw bar quality, and craft cocktails.
• Tao Group Hospitality: Large multi-concept hospitality operator spanning restaurants, nightlife, and event venues (TAO, Lavo, Avenue, Marquee). Comparable as a scaled, founder-influenced hospitality platform with branded venue portfolio across major US cities.
• The Standard (Standard International): Hospitality brand combining hotels, restaurants, and bars (The Standard Grill, Standard Biergarten). Comparable as a design-forward, brand-driven hospitality platform with waterfront / lifestyle positioning.
• Catch Hospitality Group: Multi-city seafood and steakhouse operator (CATCH, Catch Steak, VUE). Comparable as a scaled seafood-forward hospitality group with branded venue expansion across major US markets.
• Boka Restaurant Group: Chicago-based multi-concept, award-winning restaurant group (Boka, Alinea, Girl & the Goat). Comparable as a chef/founder-led, brand-portfolio hospitality operator with strong press recognition and award pedigree.
• Union Square Hospitality Group: Danny Meyer's NYC-founded multi-concept restaurant group (Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, Shake Shack, Blue Smoke). Directly comparable as a brand-driven, multi-venue NYC hospitality operator with strong press recognition.
• Major Food Group: New York-based multi-brand hospitality group operating Carbone, Sadelle's, Torrisi, Dirty French and other upscale concepts. Closest analog in scale and strategy: founder-led, multi-venue, award-driven NYC hospitality platform.
• Mermaid Oyster Bar: NYC-focused oyster bar and seafood restaurant with locations in the East Village and elsewhere. Comparable as a Manhattan-based oyster and seafood specialist targeting similar clientele.

Broad incumbents

• Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises: Established multi-concept restaurant group with 60+ years of operating history and 100+ venues. Comparable as a broader incumbent demonstrating the long-term viability of the multi-concept operator model Crew is pursuing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grand-banks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Grand Banks