JERSEY: Grafton Oyster Bar receives JCBA Business of the Year Award

By Editor | February 12, 2025 |

By Steven Spencer

Steven Spencer/Jersey County Journal
The Grafton Oyster Bar received the Jersey County Business Association’s Business of the Year Award at the JCBA’s Annual Dinner.

The Grafton Oyster Bar received the Business of the Year Award at the Jersey County Business Association’s Annual Dinner on Thursday, Feb. 6, at Westlake Country Club.

In a video produced by JM Video Productions, Brad Hagen, owner of the Grafton Oyster Bar, said after working with Anheuser-Busch and the Broadway Oyster Bar he and his wife Nicole decided to move closer to home and opened up a restaurant of their own.

With their experience, hard work, and dedicated staff the Hagens were able to build a staple to the Grafton business community that serves as an anchor tourist destination.

“The Grafton Oyster Bar provides a tremendous environment for every person that comes to Grafton. You can be dressed up, you can be casual, you can be a boater. We have a lot of transients come in and spend the weekends here. We have several boat slips that our members rent from the marina,” Hagen said.

Manager Ericka Deck said their customer base is everyone, and that’s the best part of the Oyster Bar.

“I love my customers,” Deck said. “They are the best part of the Oyster Bar. We get people from St. Louis, we get people from all different kinds of countries. It’s a wonderful experience. It’s a wonderful environment to be around.”

Hagen said he and his wife have always been dedicated to the community because they’ve been so generous to them. The Hagens have been involved with the Catholic church and school, and Brad even serves as a member of the Jersey Community Unit School District 100 Board of Education.

“This will be our tenth season coming up and in ten years we’ve donated somewhere around $500,000 or put back into the community or helped raise money for people in need. We’ve supported two larger benefits, unfortunately, for employees or an employee’s spouse,” Hagen said.

In June of 2024, the Oyster Bar lost their General Manager Lindsay Blair, who helped create the friendly welcoming environment that the Oyster Bar is known for.

“Lindsay Blair was my right hand person. Lindsay was a great leader, a great team player, and anyone that knew her, she had a smile on that was infectious,” Hagen said. “This award means so much to us as a tribute to Lindsay and her success and everything she’s done for us. As well as a testament, a real true testament to our employees previous and current.”

Hagen thanked the JCBA and their directors for the spectacular recognition as well as the community and customers who have allowed them to help give back.

“I know there are so many businesses in this room that are just as deserving as we are, and thank you for everything that you do for our community,” Hagen said. “When it comes to giving back to the community that’s probably the easiest thing we do in business. Nicole and I believe it’s through God’s will we’ve been fortunate to do so. But what you need to understand is when you see my name in the paper or my name on social media. I’m not the one that gave back. It’s every single person that walks through that door and spends money at that restaurant. They’re the ones that give back. It’s our community and our surrounding communities, and we thank you so much for your support.

Hagen said Blair’s death wasn’t just a business challenge but something that deeply impacted their family.

“Lindsay was special to us. She was a great friend to my wife and I. She was the woman that took our kids to dance class a lot of nights. She was my middle daughter’s best friend’s mommy,” Hagen said. “Her legacy lives in our hearts every single day.”

Hagen also thanked his family, friends, and most importantly his wife Nicole for being put through 24 years of “restaurant hell.”

“She’s the glue that keeps this craziness going and put together,” Hagen said.