arrangement fitting a place that is called the Flying Fish. The high ceiling in the entrance way reflects light from the windows above making it feel open and spacious. Sitting before me a is a confident and approachable family man with his wife both displaying a welcoming character. He and Robin made it a place where people would be able to enjoy a wide variety of the best local seafood available as well as landlubber treats and a variety of craft beers. Ten years ago Mike started the next step in his life moving him into the role of owner/ entrepreneur. Being around this area over the h years there are plenty of good friends and solid relationships formed over time. Mike developed a place that today is a packed house because of those relationships and more . He shares with us one experience from the day before he opened the Flying Fish. As you can expect he is working “ninety to nothing” making sure everything will be ready. One problem was somewhat monumental--he didn’t have an ice machine! No worries a friend of his had one in his garage, problem solved. Friends, in and out of the food business helped him open on what Mike said was a low budget then he corrected to say rather no budget. It is his experience, determination, good friends, along with an attitude of making it happen, that made it all happen. In the beginning he was always adding and growing even if it was just a few tables and chairs a week. The building was originally a location of a medical practice and then changed to a pizza place so it saw many transformations throughout the years. An outside deck, then an outside bar which accommodates live music on the weekends and events. The live music compliments the casual feel of the place and in the cooler weather fires are outside in Chimeras giving it a fun bonfire type environment. The music is from a select group of popular and well established Savannah musicians. Events to raise money for specific causes and for holidays are also part of the appeal of the Flying Fish. One such event is the annual oyster roast. Each year on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving the Flying Fish holds its annual oyster roast. It started with a couple dozen people and now boasts over 600 attendees and 5000 lbs of oysters still doesn’t seem to be enough! After around 6 aaa a 665 5s s e y gga years of systematically growing and maturing as a business the next level was attained. The all Fi Fish h saw more growth and a steady loyal clientele forming. It was around that time Mike and Robin got together as a couple also. They knew each other and she had an office not far away. Mike needed some accounting work for the restaurant done and decided he would ask Robin to handle it. They are now married for 4 years. Although Robin says the restaurant is all his, she contributed by helping with the business side and marketing side of the business. She provides constant encouragement and urged him to expand the marketing as well. She would walk past a spot and say to Mike hey this would be a nice place for an outside bar and he would make it happen. They began to market resulting in people finding out what the Flying Fish experience is like and coming back for more. The restaurant saw a surge in business from that point. There are some unique differences between working for an employer and being the owner. As a worker you rely on the people you work for to provide solutions and stability in the workplace. This includes the way you have do things the boss tells you to and you must become accustomed to being told you cannot do something you may want to do. Now Mike reminds himself it’s his place and he can do with it what he chooses. The result is a successful (cont. pg 31) ROSS HOWARD PUBLISHING 5 WHERETOEATSAVANNAH.COM
20151WT
To see the actual publication please follow the link above