"The warm, jazzy American restaurant has been operating in the same location since 1996 but has struggled to keep up with rising rents in recent years. In 2014, Blue Water Grill considered relocating when faced with a million-dollar rent increase. However, it managed to stay at 31 Union Square West for a few more years. Financial troubles resurfaced in 2017, and the restaurant announced it would close within a year due to a new rental rate of more than $2 million per year. Howard Cole, COO of Landry’s, stated that lease increases made it impossible to operate profitably. Employees shared farewell messages on Instagram, with some transitioning to the company's UWS restaurant Atlantic Grill." - Carla Vianna
