Good food, grown well.
In 2001, when we set out to revive our grandfather’s oyster company, the Chesapeake Bay had just recorded its lowest oyster harvest in history. Nearly all of the oysters being processed in the Bay were being trucked in from the Gulf of Mexico. But for a few enterprising individuals, the industry was headed for utter collapse. So our mission seemed clear: to resurrect the native Bay oyster and put it back on the map. Just a little over a decade later, Virginia is seeing harvest tallies not witnessed in a generation, and she now leads the entire East Coast in oyster production.
In no way is that transformation due to any one company, but rather due to an inspiring collective of farmers, chefs, patrons, activists, and yes, even politicians who've put purpose ahead of profit. The Chesapeake once again enjoys its place among the great oyster regions of the world - this time, on a foundation of sustainability. For our part in that, we’re immensely proud of our history and our amazing and irreplaceable staff.
Today, we’ve got a new mission: to celebrate good food grown well … or put another way, to celebrate our community of like-minded friends. Because, it’s always been about more than just oysters for us. It’s about good people doing great things. Which is why in 2011 we entered the restaurant business, to create venues where we could bring these great people to the table, quite literally. It’s a start. We know there’s much more to do. But for now, we invite you to come celebrate with us.