Ship shape: Old fishing vessel becomes New York oyster bar

Alongside a stylish oyster restaurant and nautically themed cocktail bar, Grand Banks will also host art exhibitions and a series of informative lectures on maritime and aquatic themes.

The project is the collaborative brainchild of the Maritime Foundation, Atlantic Yachting, Brooklyn restaurateur Mark Firth, and architect and interior designer Eric Cheong.

The different backgrounds of the founding partners are a good indication of the cross-purpose and cross-experiential nature of the project. In creating a luxurious leisure and culinary destination, Grand Banks can also support and promote maritime heritage to the public. The boat is the last original saltbank fishing vessel in existence and the team behind Grand Banks is keen to preserve, and share, its history.

Grand Banks is a good example of how companies are launching commercial ventures that are entrenched with projects that seek to educate, inform and inspire. For more examples of how the lines between sectors are blurring, see our macrotrend on The Convergence Economy.