C
H
E
S
A
P
E
A
K
E
BUSINESS LEDGER
Serving the business leaders of Maryland’s Eastern Shore
VOLUME 17
NO. 4
MAY 2009
FOCUS:
DINING
&
INSURANCE
WEEK/FINANCIAL
PLANNING
&
ON THE WATER
SPOTLIGHT:
KENT COUNTY
INSIDE
• LEGISLATIVE
SESSION BAD FOR
BUSINESS
• CADMUS
COMMUNICATIONS
CLOSES
• BUSINESS NOT BAD
FOR EVERYONE
• BRITTLAND
ESTATES OFFERS
RENTAL
PROPERTIES IN
CHESTERTOWN
79 Years of
Seafood
MAY 2009/cHESAPEAKE BUSINESS LEDGER
FOCUS ON DINING
19
Fisherman’s Inn remains a destination after nearly 80 years
By RICHARD McNEY
Editor
KENT NARROWS — In these tough economic
times Fisherman’s Inn remains a shining
example of a business that has survived.
Despite a depression, recessions, fires and
floods, the restaurant and its spin-offs remain.
The Fisherman’s Village — Fisherman’s
Inn, the Crab Deck and a seafood market
— cannot be missed from the Kent Narrows Bridge. The buildings’ brightly painted facades can best be described as somewhere between teal and aquamarine. Of
course, the original restaurant predates
the current U.S. Route 50 Kent Narrows
Bridge by 60 some years.
William Alexander Thomas, known as
“Captain Alex,” and his wife Anna May
opened the original Fisherman’s Inn in
their home in 1930. At the time, much of
Kent Narrows was marshland. The business had six tables with seating for 26, a
small grocery store and three gas pumps
that sold Atlantic gasoline. The couple
would rent their bedrooms to anglers
while they slept on the front porch. As
business grew, so did the restaurant, The Schulz family continues the tradition of Fisherman’s Inn, which opened in 1930 at Kent Narrows. Pictured from the left are Andy, Trawhich was expanded several times, adding cy, Betty, Sonny and Jody.
more dining space and rooms for fishermen and travelers to rent.
were used to transport seafood and proThe couple’s daughter, Betty, grew up in duce across a railroad bridge at Kent Narthe business and she remains active in the rows to Love Point, where the products
business at the age of 84. She began running were shipped on ferries to Baltimore. The
the business in 1944 at the age of 20 after her Chesapeake Bay Bridge brought an end to
mother and father separated.
that practice.
When the Chesapeake Bay Bridge was The Crab Deck is located right on the waopened in 1952, the addition of a screened ter and is accessible by boat. It is the perfect
porch created seats for more customers location to sit and enjoy a bushel of crabs
who were just discovering the area and the and a few beers. The restaurant opens in
restaurant continued to expand.
April and closes for the winter each year afBetty married her husband, Oscar “Sonny” ter an annual Halloween party.
Schulz, in 1956. He has lived his entire life At one time the building was an oyster Fisherman’s Inn was opened in 1930 by “Captain Alex” Thomas and his wife Anna May when
on Kent Island, running a charter fishing house. The Schulz family purchased it in Kent Narrows was nothing more than a marsh. The original Fisherman’s Inn had seating for 26
business and working as a waterman har- the 1970s and shucked oysters and picked along with a grocery store and a few gas pumps. This photo is circa 1938.
vesting oysters and clams. In 1970 Sonny crab meat there for a couple years until it
joined Betty in the business to help build a became difficult to hire employees to do
new larger restaurant, which opened in May the work, Sonny said. When the Schulz
1971. Around the same time, the purchase sons grew older the building was used to
of an adjoining property paved the way for slough soft crabs.
the establishment of Fisherman’s Seafood A seafood market has been on the properMarket.
ty since the 1970s when it was run by anA fire completely destroyed the restau- other family. Today, the Schulz run the
rant on Dec. 23, 1980, but the Schulz fami- market, where customers can buy all kinds
ly rebuilt and reopened in July 1981. Along of seafood.
the way, the couple’s sons, Andy, Jody and The three Schulz sons help out in differ- This version of Fisherman’s Inn was opened in 1971 and destroyed in a fire in 1980.
Tracy, joined the business. Each helps out ent ways with the business. Andy, the oldtoday in different ways — it truly is a fami- est son, joined the business after the fire in
ly business. In the summer of 1991, Fisher- 1980 and works as the general manager of
man’s Crab Deck became the latest addi- the restaurants.
tion to Fisherman’s Village.
“It was time to rebuild and it was like all
The Crab Deck suffered massive damage hands on deck kind of thing,” he said. “I
in a fire on Oct. 13, 2002. The Schulz family did not plan to be involved with the busirebuilt the restaurant and reopened it in the ness. I just tried to learn and observe and
summer of 2003 only to see it destroyed in see what I could bring to the party. I was
the flood waters caused by Tropical Storm around it my whole life.”
Isabel in September 2003. The family re- Jody, the middle son, went to college at
paired the property again and reopened it East Carolina University and later played
later that October.
four seasons in the NFL for the PhiladelFisherman’s Inn and Crab Deck and the phia Eagles. His role with the business is
The current version of Fisherman’s Inn opened in 1981.
Schulz family received the Restaurant As- handling the family’s properties and worksociation of Maryland’s Restaurateur of ing on their development.
the Year award in 2004. After receiving the The Schulz family owns all of the property large the slips so they are accessible by big- ny — Tracy is the second assistant chief and
award, Betty credited Sonny with the on the southeast side of Kent Narrows be- ger boats and then proceed with the devel- Jody is the president.
restaurant’s continued success.
sides the property The Narrows restaurant opment of the banquet hall. The family also “I am very lucky to have three sons who
“He’s the one that’s kept us going,” she occupies. Jody is the leading force behind plans to build a small boutique hotel with 35 are very active in the business,” Sonny
said. “He pays attention to all the details the Schulz family’s development of a banquet to 40 rooms on the property in the future. said.
that need to be done around here. He was facility on that property — a family dream for The plans are undergoing the approval He jokes that he does the least he can do
the one who had the nerve to continue af- 25 years. The plan is to build a 13,000-square- process with the Queen Anne’s County Plan- with the business today, but he and his
ter the fire in 1980. He believed we could foot, two-story banquet facility; a 1,800- ning Commission and have received con- wife remain very active in the business.
succeed.”
square-foot temporary commercial building cept plan approval.
They try to vacation in Florida every year,
Today, Fisherman’s Inn is decorated with for boat sales; and an 870-square-foot bath- “We are trying to make it a nice water- he said.
items that reflect the heritage of the house for boaters using the existing docks. front facility to complement everything Today, the business faces numerous chalChesapeake Bay and Kent Narrows, from The development site is located near state else we have,” Jody said.
lenges including the recession, battling for
a collection of more than 300 antique oys- Route 18 and Kent Narrows Way South, be- Tracy, the youngest son, entered the busi- business with an ever-increasing number
ter plates to waterfowl decoys, old oyster tween the Crab Deck and the Narrows ness after he graduated from high school. of new restaurants and coping with the efcans and model ships. A G scale train runs restaurants.
Today he helps manage Fisherman’s Inn fects of traffic on U.S. Route 50 and the
on 280 feet of track suspended over the The plan is to rebuild the marina, which and the Crab Deck. He and Jody are active
See FISHERMAN’S
dining rooms. From 1902 to 1952 trains has not been upgraded in decades, and en- with the Kent Island Volunteer Fire CompaPage 20
FOCUS ON DINING
20
CHESAPEAKE BUSINESS LEDGER/MAY 2009
FISHERMAN’S
From
Page 19
Chesapeake Bay Bridge.
“The downturn in the economy has been
affecting the business the last couple of
years,” Sonny said. “It is an alright business, but you have your slow days.”
The highway is a big part of the reason the
restaurants have been so successful. Kent Island was changed forever after the Chesapeake Bay Bridge opened in 1952. People traveling through the area began to discover Fisherman’s Inn and it became a place many
tourists and travelers frequented.
“We have done a lot of business because
we are lucky and fortunate to be along 50
and 301,” Andy said.
The restaurants rely on strong summer
business to get through the winters when
not as many people are traveling through
the area.
While the highway brought customers, it
also brought problems as traffic increased
each year and the Chesapeake Bay
Bridge’s inability to meet the traffic demand combined with accidents during the
peak summer season started to cause
miles and miles of backups.
“The bridge changed our whole life and it
changes our life every day if anything happens on it,” Sonny said. “If traffic is heavy or
there is an accident on the bridge you can really tell the difference in business.”
Sonny laughs at the idea of a new bridge,
saying he will not be around when they
build one. He is also amused by the idea of
ferry boats easing traffic.
“Ferry boats were done years ago and
they couldn’t keep up then,” he said.
The last time anything significant has
been done to ease traffic was in 1990 when
the new Kent Narrows Bridge was built to
divert traffic around the Kent Narrows
Drawbridge, which is still in use today for
local traffic on Maryland Route 18. Before
the new bridge opened, when the drawbridge was raised on summer weekends,
traffic would back up 10 to 15 miles in each
direction, Sonny said.
“The economy, people’s idea about the bridge
and bridge closures, that hasn’t helped, coupled
with new places opening,” Andy said.
This past winter was one of Fisherman’s
Inn’s slowest ever and the business was
forced to cut back some employees’ hours,
he said.
“This past year we have been more closely
watching our numbers because of business,” Sonny said. “The economy runs the
whole show whether you are selling food,
selling gas or whatever you are selling. We
have to rely on the public and they have to
rely on what they make.”
PHOTO BY RICHARD MCNEY
During the peak season, between all of
the businesses, the Schulz family employs Mike and Kathy Trakas of Wilmington, Del., enjoy some steamed crabs at the Crab Deck
more than 200 part- and full-time employ- on a sunny afternoon.
ees, Andy said.
“We have good help. Our help is fantastic,” Sonny said. “We have a few that have local seafood. At one time the family had its staring into the rearview mirror.”
worked for us for 30 years or more.”
own seafood processing plant. More than a The business attempts to appeal to the
Fisherman’s Inn waitress Barbie Evans, dozen plants were once in operation at Kent masses and offers a broad range of menu
who has worked at the restaurant for 18 Narrows. Now, one seafood processing plant items at different prices, Andy said.
years, said she loves working at the restau- remains in business at Kent Narrows and “We try to maintain a level where you
rant because of her coworkers and the fun at- more and more of the seafood at the sur- know you can get a value for a buck at Fishmosphere. Some families have worked in the rounding restaurants is shipped in from out erman’s,” he said.
business for three generations, Andy said. of state.
This year was the first year Andy can reAnother generation of the Schulz family has Fisherman’s Inn has customers who have member not increasing prices even though
begun working at the restaurant too — two been dining there for many years, some for costs have increased. The businesses bring
grandsons are working as bus help.
more than 50, so the business tries to strike in additional revenue through booking
Being around for 79 years, Fisherman’s Inn a balance between maintaining its clientele weddings, group rentals and bringing in
and the other businesses have had to evolve and also making small changes to attract bus tours. Weddings at the Crab Deck are
to stay current. While the restaurant serves a new customers, Andy said.
a more casual and affordable waterfront
variety of food, it has always been known for “You try to maintain the clientele we have experience compared to other pricier venits seafood, from rockfish and crab cakes to and you have to keep going forward in ues, something that has proved popular in
stuffed shrimp and crab imperial. As the small steps because you don’t want to alien- the current economic conditions, Andy
Chesapeake Bay’s health has gotten worse ate your customers,” he said. “You have to
See SCHULZ
and fewer people chose to work on the water, go forward, but you can’t stare into the
Page 21
it has become more and more difficult to get rearview mirror. You will never go forward
UNLIMITED PHONE SERVICE
• Unlimited local and nationwide long distance
calling in the U.S., Canada and Puer to Rico.
• FREE Voicemail.
phone &
internet
under
50
$
• 15 great calling features like Caller ID, Call
Waiting and Call Forwarding included FREE.
• Easy to switch – and you can keep your current
phone number!
5Mbps MAX
INTERNET SERVICE
• That’s up to 3x faster than Verizon DSL.
• FREE customizable homepage.
• FREE all-in-one security protection.
/ month
Get connected now!
CALL
866-291-8305 TODAY
TO LOCK IN THIS GREAT PRICE!
Our video service is not required to enjoy this offer.
Services subject to availability. Please contact Atlantic Broadband for details. Offer expires June 1, 2009. Offer only available to residential customers who do not currently subscribe to Atlantic Broadband Phone and/or High-Speed Internet service. $49.95/mo
promotional price requires subscription to both services. At end of promotional period, prices revert to the then standard retail rate. If either service is cancelled within 12 months, the remaining service price will be the then standard retail price. Atlantic
Broadband Phone service includes one phone line with direct dialed, unlimited local and long distance calls from your home phone within the U.S., Canada and Puetro Rico plus 16 calling features. All international calls are billed at additional per minute rate.
Number portability not available in all areas. Annual savings calculated as the difference between the promotional price/month versus the standard retail rates for Atlantic Broadband Phone and MAX High-Speed Internet services. Cable modem or EMTA
equipment rental required for Phone service. Taxes, fees and surcharges not included. High-Speed Internet speeds may vary and are not guaranteed. Speed comparison versus Verizon’s most advertised 1.5Mbps DSL service. © Atlantic Broadband 2009.
FOCUS ON DINING
MAY 2009/cHESAPEAKE BUSINESS LEDGER
21
SCHULZ
From
Page 20
said. Fisherman’s Inn and the Crab Deck
also have space available for group rentals
and banquets. The family offers fishing
and cruising charters that leave from the
Crab Deck too.
Andy said his family’s businesses aim to
continue offering value to their customers.
“I see us needing to make sure we do
the right job for the customer coming in
who wants to spend his hard-earned
money and giving him the experience
that makes him want to come back
again,” he said. “You don’t ever want to
let your guard down and think because
you have been here you will always be
here.”
Mike and Kathy Trakas of Wilmington,
Del., recently visited the Crab Deck to enjoy some steamed crabs on their way to Annapolis. They have been coming to the
restaurant since around 2003 and visit two
or three times a year. Kathy said the
restaurant has the “perfect atmosphere.”
Arthur Coddington Jr. of McHenry and
Juanita Leese of Cumberland stopped in to
eat at Fisherman’s Inn recently on their
way to Ocean City for a conference. Coddington said he had been coming to the
restaurant for decades and that he enjoys
the food and the atmosphere. Leese said
she also had been coming to the restaurant
for many years and it was the first place
she thought of eating after crossing the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge.
Barbara Lane of New Cumberland, Pa.,
and her friend Ginger Zurflieh of Mechanicsburg, Pa., were eating at Fisherman’s Inn
the same day. Lane and her husband purchased a home on Hooper’s Island in 1980
and they would often stop at the restaurant
on their way down to enjoy the food, ambiance and “beautiful garden” that is visible
PHOTO BY RICHARD MCNEY
Crab Deck waitress Christy Colombo picks up an order in the kitchen.
to diners through the windows. The day of
her visit marked the one year anniversary
of her husband’s death and she was headed
down to their Hooper’s Island property,
which is now owned by their son.
In 2005 Betty published a cookbook,
“Fisherman’s Inn Cookbook,” that in addition to recipes from the restaurant and other sources includes her personal memories of growing up in the business. The
cookbook has been a tremendous success,
selling more than 5,000 copies. The proceeds are donated to local fire departments and charities.
Near the end of the book she writes, “So,
Chesapeake
Business Ledger
Next Month:
Commercial
Construction
Architecture
Focus On
Real
Estate
&
Development
To Advertise Call:
410-770-4050
we have had our trials and tribulations: it
all comes with the business. Our family
has the usual disagreements and arguments, which is normal when you have five
opinions (mother, father and three sons). I
just hope they realize that in the end, life is
short and families are important. Things
go wrong many times, and a sense of
weariness sometimes overcomes you because of the time you put in. But I feel
blessed that we have a popular, surviving
business; loyal employees, whom we fuss
with but love; good friends; and our families.”
Fisherman’s Inn has witnessed countless
changes through its 79 years, yet it remains a popular destination. Once surrounded by marshes and seafood packing
houses, the restaurant is now surrounded
by condos, marinas and restaurants.
Sonny said he enjoys seeing familiar faces
in the restaurant.
“It is funny though, I walk around the
restaurant and you only know so many
people,” he said. “Years ago you knew
more, but now you don’t know as many.”
For information on Fisherman’s Inn,
Fisherman’s Crab Deck or Fisherman’s
Seafood
Market,
visit
www.fishermansinn.com.