________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Originally established by partners Rick Staunton and Jimmy Ulcickas in 1996, Bluewater Grill has since transformed into a family of seafood restaurants. Situated in resort communities, each location is committed to serving guests delicious, fresh seafood that is sustainably sourced and prepared with either classic techniques or a modern twist. Jimmy Ulcickas, Co-Founder and Co-Owner, retraces the company’ s history.
“ Bluewater Grill began with a single restaurant on the Lido Peninsula in Newport Beach at 630 Lido Park Drive. This location had been a well-known seafood destination for decades, originally opening as the Sea Shanty in the early 1960s before Francis Delaney founded the first of nine Delaney’ s there in the following decade. Once the space became available in the 1990s, my business partner, Richard Staunton, and I knew we had a tough act to follow in impressing a discerning local clientele that already had many choices for seafood. To differentiate ourselves, we developed a unique approach by taking the fresh fish conversation and dining experience up a few notches, with a strong focus on sustainable seafood. We were at the forefront of the fresh, sustainable seafood conversation back in 1996, a time when people were not used to sourcing hyper-fresh seafood and shellfish in their own neighborhoods and the question of fish origins was just starting to gain traction,” he opens.
Today, Bluewater Grill remains a leader in sustainability, on track to practice 100 percent sustainable sourcing. The founders work closely with Anderson Seafood in Orange County and even operate their own fishing boat, resulting in greater control over the fish served to customers, which is a difference they can taste. Since its founding in 1996, the company now operates eight Bluewater Grill locations across California and Arizona, including Redondo Beach, Coronado,
▼ Bluewater Grill Newport Beach
86