New restaurants show Seaside’s positive economic grow

Published 5:00 pm Saturday, August 11, 2012

SEASIDE With the opening of several new restaurants in Seaside over the past six months, Seasides eatery industry has expanded to 67 restaurants that offer a wide range of specialty meals and beverages.

According to a Dean Runyon Associates Travel Impact Study, the Clatsop County food industry brings in $113.7 million annually. Using information from the Runyan study, Jon Rahl, Seaside Visitors Bureau Director of Tourism and Marketing, calculated that Seaside restaurants account for a conservative impact estimate of $40.6 million annually.

Bob and Laurie Breslauer moved to Gearhart from Washington State. The two opened The Firehouse Grill at 841 Broadway Street this past spring.

We decided to open the Firehouse Grill because we thought Seaside could use a good breakfast-lunch spot, said Laurie.

We didnt want to do another dinner house, Bob said. We just sold one that we operated in Washington. We wanted to make this simpler.

The restaurant sits on property that once housed the Seaside Fire Station.

We love this space and its fun to have the firehouse theme, Laurie said.

But the couple also knows operating a restaurant during any economy can be challenging.

Whats important to people now is that when they go out to eat they can get a good value and the quality is there, Bob said. We want people to walk out of here saying they are full, they had a good meal, they were well taken care of and they will come back again.

The Firehouse Grill sits just down the block from The Seaside Brewing Company which opened in June at 851 Broadway in the old Seaside City Hall.

Co-owner Jimmy Griffin and his partner, Vince Berg, have a long history in brewing and running pubs. Before launching this venture, Griffin was the manager of the Rogue Ales Public House on Pier 39 in Astoria and is an experienced caterer. Berg oversaw operations at several Rogue pubs as general manager.

Griffin thinks the Seaside Brewing Company fits well with the culture of Seaside and the North Coast beer culture.

Griffin told the Signal in March that he was amazed to discover a lot of home brewers in Seaside.

So its time Seaside had its own brewpub, said Griffin. The Old City Hall is such a unique spot that we had to do the brewpub. This offers a comfortable, family-friendly place where everybody can come.

The one-barrel brewing capacity in the pub isnt large enough for commercial production, but Griffin believes it will be just right for demonstrations and clinics with home brewers and could possibly be a way for local home brewers to share their favorite recipes with the public. Eventually, Griffin and Berg plan to open a production facility at the south end of Seaside.

Another Washingtonian, Patrick Seager, opened The Gray Whale BBQ and Grill at 280 S. Roosevelt Dr. in June. Seager brings barbecue food to the coastal community.

Seager has been cooking since he was nine and has been interested in opening up a restaurant for the past five years. So after spending 12 years in information technology in the Seattle area he decided to make the career transition.

Though Seager admits he does not have an extensive background in advertising and marketing, the prospect of a restaurant gets him excited.

I love to serve great food, he said. Barbecue is unique.

Seager acknowledges that opening a new business during a fragile coast economy may be risky, but he said people must eat and many will seek local restaurants no matter the economy.

Im not trying to make a fortune, said Seager. Im providing something really good for locals and people who are touring.

Seager is hoping that with inexpensive pricing and good quality barbecue food, he will survive the winter months when fewer tourists visit Seaside.

If you look at our prices, we are fairly inexpensive, said Seager. My hope is during the winter months, we will be an attractive option. We have really good food and barbecue is unique down here.

Bob Breslauer is also apprehensive, but encouraged about the slower winter months.

The challenge is getting through the slow time in the winter and than capitalizing on summer, he said. That is our biggest challenge. We are really after the local community rather than the tourists. The visitors will be great and thats gravy, but we want to establish a local hangout where people can come in, they know each other, its comfortable and they know that the owners are here and we are already finding that.

The couple agrees that establishing a successful business takes time and patience.

Yes, absolutely, Bob said. It does take time and we are ready to do that. We are committed. We are here to stay.

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