Fish Market Chain Opens First NYC Location In Park Slope

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — A long-awaited fish market has finally opened on Park Slope's Fifth Avenue, bringing the first outpost of the seafood shop chain to New York City.

Fjord Fish Market — which has locations in Connecticut and Westchester — officially opened its doors at 249 Fifth Ave. last week after more than a year of navigating construction in the storefront amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The outpost is the sixth location and first in New York City for Fjord, which was started eight years ago by two neighbors passionate about hunting down the best local ingredients.

"Park Slope is a neighborhood that we thought would see the value products that we offer," co-owner Jim Thistle told Patch. "At the heart of our business model is the sourcing of better seafood. We’ve spent the past 8 years curating a selection of seafood for our cases which meets a pretty high standard."

The market includes a selection of fish platters, to-go seafood meals and even a selection of sushi.

Thistle pointed specifically to a house-cooked shrimp cocktail that is free of additives, lobster rolls made from meat steamed daily and crab cakes with handmade dipping sauces.

The opening is the end of a year-long process for the co-owners, who spent months navigating the city's building permit only to have construction shut down because of the coronavirus crisis earlier this year.

But an understanding landlord and the support of the neighborhood kept the dream alive, Thistle said.

"The neighborhood had also been consistently reaching out to us through our social media platforms with support throughout the process," he said. "Happy to finally be open and the support of the neighborhood has been amazing so far. Really humbling on multiple levels."

Fjord is one of several businesses opening on Fifth Avenue as record-closures brought on by the coronavirus crisis slow on the commercial corridor.

A total of 32 businesses have shut down on Fifth Avenue in the past eight months, but 37 have opened or are preparing to open, according to the Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District and a Wall Street Journal study of the street.

Other new businesses include a Lebanese restaurant opened by a longtime New York City chef and a new grocery store.