Opry City Stage Drops the Curtain After Less Than a Year in New York City

Opry City Stage will take its final curtain call after just nine months in operation. The restaurant and entertainment venue located in Time’s Square announced plans to shut down on Thursday, Sept. 27.

According to Colin Reed, Ryman’s chairman and chief executive, the 28,000 square foot, four-story space “underperformed our revenue expectations this year.”

“As we have shared over the past several months, our Opry City Stage venue has taken longer to ramp up its operations than we initially anticipated,” he added.

The venue’s 99 employees were informed of the decision to close before the public announcement.

Opry City Stage is an extension of the Grand Ole Opry brand. The venue opened with a retail store on the first floor, a two-story restaurant located on the second and third floors, a bar included within the eating area and a premier entertainment venue dubbed The Studio at Opry City Stage on the fourth floor.

A museum of memorabilia from artists including Johnny Cash, Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood and more was also on display, Hard Rock Café style.

While the closure is a hit for Ryman Hospitality, the company is marching forward with its successful Ole Red brand. The brand, which is a partnership between the company and Blake Shelton, currently has locations in Tishomingo, OK and Nashville, TN, with openings expected in Gatlinburg, TN and Orlando, FL.