Today we’d like to introduce you to Ted Mountzuris and John Dussi.
Ted and John, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
John and I first began opening a High End Sports Restaurant with sports memorabilia, and sports signings. We have been featured in TV shows and food magazines for our food, which is a basic menu you would find in any Casual Dine sports restaurant. We just added a different twist to it like our famous burgers. It was time to change it up a bit. We both wanted to open either a Steak house or Seafood Restaurant. We chose Seafood.
Castaways Seafood and Grille is a Seasonal Restaurant. When we purchased the property, we both had the same vision as to what establishment was needed for this location. We created a Seafood Restaurant on the water. Although, there are several Seafood Restaurants in the area, this was designed to be a Casual Dine sit down restaurant where the other establishments were more take out fried seafood, burgers, and hotdogs. We added four large decks overlooking the Seabrook Harbor where all of the fish boats dock. It reminded us of how the restaurant/taverns are in Greece and Italy on the water’s by the fish boats. We wanted to have that look of a Mediterranean Seafood Tavern. It is just a very picturesque view of the sunsets, ocean waters, and fish boats.
We also offer several Fire pits where our patrons sit after dinner and enjoy beverages while watching the Sunset.
We have been in business for nine years and each year we incorporate modifications to improve the customer experience. Our motto is “Sit Back, Relax, You are on Vacation”.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The business has been a success from the time we opened. It filled a much needed void of a Casual Dine Restaurant. Some of the struggles we have endured were allowing for entertainment outside, but we were able to work through those challenges. Seabrook town council and the Beach Precinct have been great to work with.
Please tell us about Castaways Seafood and Grille.
Castaways Seafood and Grille is a Seasonal Restaurant. We wanted to have that look of a Mediterranean Seafood Tavern. It is just a very picturesque view of the sunsets, ocean waters, and fish boats.
We wanted to introduce our menu of a Mediterranean sauté entrees like Shrimp Florentine, Seafood Alfredo or Mussels al Diablo which are all served in the pans they are prepared in tossed in our homemade pastas , but also that New England specialties like Clam Chowder, Fried Clams, Baked Haddock, and Stuffed Lobsters. Our homemade desserts vary from Key Lime Cheesecakes, to Greek Baklava. To our homemade Greek Yogurt topped with nuts and pure Honey from Crete.
We also offer several Fire pits where our patrons sit after dinner and enjoy beverages while watching the Sunset.
We are most proud of our Staff. We employ students and parents from the area that move up here for summer. It is not only a family restaurant, but all of our employees are treated as one big family. We have employed generations upon generations of employees. Watching them grow from High School, to College, to a job employment in their field. Regardless, they always come back whether to work on weekends or to dine.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My parents would take me (Ted), to a great Seafood Restaurant in Boston called Jimmy’s Harborside, it was located by the Seaport. It has a great story behind it where the founder came from Greece, with nothing and grew this worldwide known seafood restaurant. The food and service was always on point. They had these big windows where you saw the fish boats and the across the harbor was Logan Airport, so you saw the airplanes flying out. My mother was a fantastic cook. The founder shared some of his famous recipes with my mother which I found. These become great specials to offer our guests. Every time our chef prepares one of these entrees, it brings back great memories.
Contact Info:
- Address: Castaways Seafood and Grille
209 Ocean Blvd.
Seabrook, NH 03874 - Website: www.castawaysseafoodandgrille.com
- Phone: (603) 760-7500
- Email: tmountzuris@harborsiderg.com
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