Small towns often hold a unique charm for someone passing through. There are plenty of small shops and businesses that offer unique takes on gifts, history, and food. Seeing and tasting new interpretations of old favorites is part of why people enjoy wandering far from home, and there have been a couple of places that have already made it into the Feel Good Friday series. The Black Seal Seafood Grille is a new addition to the series that justifies at least a day trip to the town.
If you have already read about The Griswold Inn or Joy Chocolate Co then you probably have a good idea that the town of Essex is a historic town with a focus on providing tourists with a glimpse of the past. The Black Seal Seafood Grille continues this tradition with its nautical theme, but it offers a little more with it than the other businesses that have already been written about.
So, let’s get to it.
What Feels Good About the Black Seal Seafood Grille
The Black Seal Seafood Grille would certainly appeal to any history buff with an interest in nautical history; its decor creates the sense of walking into an eighteenth century seaside tavern, with life preservers festooning the walls, a half-finished boat hoisted into the rafters as if the boat-wright had stepped away for the day, and a collection of nautical memorabilia situated around the space to give visitors the feel of wandering through the bowels of a ship.
Once you open a menu, you will find a collection of dishes that lean into the New England, seaside town feel with a collection of seafood options that can appeal to anyone who enjoys the taste of fresh fish prepared in a way that nourishes the body to prepare for a day at sea. Plus, they offer a fairly extensive kids menu, so it’s worth trying even if you have family to bring with you.
The Growth Strategies of the Black Seal Seafood Grille
While the Black Seal Seafood Grill leans into the historic elements of Essex, it’s a little less clear whether it has the same historic providence of The Griswold Inn. However, that means that the business has had to come up with creative ways to continue to sustain itself and grow in a market that isn’t nearly as large as Boston, New York City, or Philadelphia. Some of those involve leaning into the novelty elements of the brand and some involve catering to the family atmosphere.
The Novelty Experience
Almost everyone who has traveled (whether it’s to a different place or the tourist center of their hometown) likely knows of a place that is infused with a single theme, focuses on creating an experience that fits with that theme entirely, and then charges a fairly significant premium for the privilege. A business that uses this model relies on the idea that tourists want a story that fits with their preconceived notions of what an area is rather than an authentic experience, and so they often get labeled “tourist traps.”
It would have been easy for Black Seal Seafood Grille to become one of these places, but they actually fall into the second category of novelty businesses that rely on a theme to improve the customer’s experience of the restaurant, but doesn’t price gouge because only tourists will be visiting. The restaurant owners instead used the nautical theme of the business to both add value to the customer’s time and offer a way to celebrate the history of the town.
Making Room for Families
Most novelty restaurants tend to either lean heavily on kid-centered themes or adult-centered experiences. Both have a built-in way to differentiate themselves in a crowded market, because you don’t have to appeal to everyone so much as capture the imagination of the immediate geographic area surrounding the business. Black Seal Seafood Grille did something a little different by offering an opportunity for families to enjoy their meal together.
To be clear: Black Seal isn’t the first restaurant to offer this kind of approach, because making space for families is an easy enough way to expand the market you can service and your revenue. However, what’s intriguing about Black Seal is that despite leaning heavily toward nautical history, they tout an extensive kids’ menu and plenty of space for family-style settings when the need arises.
It may feel like a small thing, but offering that kind of flexibility in a space can help make a space that’s already designed to be casual all the more welcoming, and customers respond to that.
The Bottom Line
The Black Seal Seafood Grille is an unassuming casual restaurant with a focus on New England seafood dishes and the atmosphere of an 18th-century seaside tavern. It works well with the surrounding historic community, but differentiates itself by offering a more casual environment than one might find at the Griswold Inn, while still offering a theme that connects to the other businesses in the area. On top of that, its menu, staff, and seating area are welcoming to everyone, including families looking to enjoy an afternoon out, which makes it easier to grow sustainably.
However, it’s also worth noting that aside from its value as a business case study, it offers a solid place to come in out of the cold, put your feet up, and enjoy a nice meal. The onion soup is a particular favorite if you do find yourself up that way.
Before You Go…
This is part of a series of articles highlighting businesses operating in the food and beverage space as part of an initiative to share feel good stories coming from local businesses. There's a few things you can do to support this initiative:
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