We have broken ground on our fish market and restaurant in Raleigh’s Transfer Company Food Hall, opening later this year. We’ll have a fresh fish market, oyster bar, and restaurant – all focusing on North Carolina seafood.
“Our restaurant is going to use the same fresh, quality seafood our customers know and love,” says Lin Peterson, co-founder of Locals Seafood. “We want to celebrate classic North Carolina dishes while adding our unique twist.” Ryan Speckman, co-founder, adds, “We’ve always been committed to sourcing responsibly from North Carolina fishermen and shellfish farmers. They work hard to harvest and provide this resource. We want to honor their work and tell their story.”
Locals Seafood was founded to bring North Carolina seafood to Triangle customers, celebrating the stories and traditions of our coast along the way. Since we’ve been in business, we’ve built relationships with the North Carolina fishing community, oyster farmers, and seafood suppliers. The location at Transfer Company Food Hall is yet another place for us to showcase the work of this state’s watermen and women.
Lin and Ryan have assembled a talented team to achieve their vision, partnering with the owners of Person Street Bar to execute the concept. The kitchen will be led by Eric Montagne, who grew up around commercial fishing and shares Locals’ passion for seafood traceability and localized food networks. Brian Habeeb will lead front-of-house operations, calling on years of hospitality and management experience throughout the Triangle.
The menu will focus on seasonal interpretations of traditional seafood dishes, often featuring underutilized species harvested from North Carolina waters. A large oyster bar will anchor the space and allow for conversation between guests and oyster shuckers. “The oyster bar is a place for shucker and diner to connect. We hope guests are curious about how, where, and by whom their oysters were grown. Our shuckers will be able to answer these questions, and talk about why seafood is so important to the state,” says Ryan.
Next to the restaurant we will operate a market selling fresh fish, fresh and steamed shellfish, smoked seafood, ready-to-cook entrees and more.
Follow us on Instagram @localsoysterbar & Facebook, and visit localsoysterbar.com to stay up-to-date on our progress. We can’t wait to share our love of North Carolina seafood with you everyday at our new location.
Read the full press release here.
