An interview with Jon and Terry Hartill, owners of Bell Buoy of Seaside, 1800 S. Roosevelt Drive, Seaside, 97138.

Together the Hartill brothers have 66 years in the seafood business. They bring experience, great customer service and fresh local seafood to their shop and to their customers.

Bell Buoy is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., seven days a week. Hours of operation increase based on demand. It is closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. For more information call (503) 738-2722 or check out the Web site at (www.bellbuoyofseaside.com).

What do you offer your customers?

Jon: “Reliability and good seafood.”

Terry: “The freshest seafood in the Northwest. We try to meet everybody’s demands.”

What can you tell me about the volume your business does?

Jon: “In the summer we can have 150 or more customers a day.”

Terry: “It’s all proportionate to the amount of traffic going by on the highway. We’re fortunate to be in the location we’re in.”

Tell me about the most difficult part of your business.

Terry: “Finding enough quality product for our customers.”

What is the most satisfying part of what you do?

Jon: “We’re one big family here. With what we do, we can employ a few people and satisfy our customers at the same time. We enjoy making customers happy.”

What is your busiest time of year?

Terry: “July and August are the two busiest months.”

Do you ever get any strange requests?

Terry: “Yes, and if it’s something we can’t provide we attempt to get them to try something else that is just as good.”

What do you want people to know about your business?

Jon: “We’ve opened a fish and chips restaurant. Also, we wholesale razor clams. We’re the only business Oregon licensed to clean razors. We want to add on to the reputation that Bell Buoy has established.”

Terry: “We have a new Web site. Our product is wild, not farmed.”

– Patty Hardin