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-   United Airlines | MileagePlus (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/united-airlines-mileageplus-681/)
-   -   New Invitation-only restaurant "Classified" at EWR. Reopened 13 September 2022 (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/united-airlines-mileageplus/1862375-new-invitation-only-restaurant-classified-ewr-reopened-13-september-2022-a.html)

as219 Aug 24, 2022 5:00 pm

Gosh it's been closed a long time... Does anyone have any intel on if/when it will reopen?

I visited twice and liked it a lot both times. Not perfect, and overpriced (though the United Card discount helped) but very much an oasis of calm.

LesPaul30 Aug 24, 2022 6:17 pm


Originally Posted by as219 (Post 34542836)
Gosh it's been closed a long time... Does anyone have any intel on if/when it will reopen?

I visited twice and liked it a lot both times. Not perfect, and overpriced (though the United Card discount helped) but very much an oasis of calm.

Would also be curious if a reopening is in the plans. Was a nice “getaway” even if just for a glass of wine and some fries.

lilpisher Aug 24, 2022 7:31 pm

For what its worth, if you click reserve it allows you to select a date/time. Not sure what happens if you do, but conceivable they didn’t remove the language from the main page.

txirish Aug 25, 2022 6:49 am

I'd be a little surprised if they re-open. It seemed like a very niche amenity, and I have to imagine the Polaris Club takes away much of the traffic from business-class international travelers.

AeRoSpaceman Aug 25, 2022 6:55 am

So what is going on with the space that Classified was in? Is it just sitting empty or are they using it for regular restaurant diners? Anyone take a peek in there recently?

kirkwoodj Aug 25, 2022 7:54 am


Originally Posted by AeRoSpaceman (Post 34544061)
So what is going on with the space that Classified was in? Is it just sitting empty or are they using it for regular restaurant diners? Anyone take a peek in there recently?

I went back to the secret door in June, nothing going on back there, wasn't being used for dining that I could tell. just some waitstaff looking at me funny coming in & out of kitchen.

nmenaker Aug 25, 2022 10:04 am

I think at this point, it’s WAY too much overhead for not enough return. The fact that we have now the largest and most amenitied CLUB in the system at EWR makes me think this is not going to ever re-open. Space is at a premium, premium is subjective now at best, business travel has NOT returned in any pre-covid way, most estimates show still <50% and international <25%, so to staff and service this in a way that provides some experience or value to the high value UAL customer probably just does not make sense.

physioprof Aug 25, 2022 11:32 am


Originally Posted by nmenaker (Post 34544583)
I think at this point, it’s WAY too much overhead for not enough return. The fact that we have now the largest and most amenitied CLUB in the system at EWR makes me think this is not going to ever re-open. Space is at a premium, premium is subjective now at best, business travel has NOT returned in any pre-covid way, most estimates show still <50% and international <25%, so to staff and service this in a way that provides some experience or value to the high value UAL customer probably just does not make sense.

Seems like the opposite argument is also possible: too much sunk cost & too little incremental expense to keep it closed. It uses the Saison kitchen & bar, so all it takes to staff it is servers in numbers that can be easily scaled to demand.

nmenaker Aug 25, 2022 11:48 am


Originally Posted by physioprof (Post 34544815)
Seems like the opposite argument is also possible: too much sunk cost & too little incremental expense to keep it closed. It uses the Saison kitchen & bar, so all it takes to staff it is servers in numbers that can be easily scaled to demand.

Maybe slightly off topic, but have you tried hiring anyone lately? I guess we’ll see. I’d love to see if opened up again since it was quite and easy to access, but I think it is not a priority for UAL at this point.

TWT.

manstein58 Aug 26, 2022 6:40 am

I miss it. Pleasant oasis, halfway decent (if overpriced) foof, clean accessible bathrooms. Only downside would be the occasional loud blowhard on his/her phone ("I'M AT THE AIRPORT...")

diburning Aug 26, 2022 8:49 pm

I miss it as well. The quality of the food, the relaxed atmosphere, the great tarmac views, the ability to just hang out or sit around after my meal, and the separate restrooms made it worth it.

bmwe92fan Aug 26, 2022 8:50 pm


Originally Posted by diburning (Post 34548780)
I miss it as well. The quality of the food, the relaxed atmosphere, the great tarmac views, the ability to just hang out or sit around after my meal, and the separate restrooms made it worth it.

I miss it to -- I chose it every time over the PL - and I loved the floor in front of the restrooms....

MTan Aug 27, 2022 1:24 am

For what it’s worth, the staff at saison said they were told it would reopen September 2022. I last asked someone there one week ago and they told me the same.

benewr Aug 27, 2022 11:52 am

Also, the speak easy aspect makes it very cool when you take coworkers/clients.

Everyone remembers it.

Much better than everything else at EWR especially when OPM.

CMK10 Aug 29, 2022 3:36 pm


Originally Posted by MTan (Post 34549119)
For what it’s worth, the staff at saison said they were told it would reopen September 2022. I last asked someone there one week ago and they told me the same.

The same staff who said last month it would be "end of August"? I think at this point we need to believe it when we see it back open.


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