There’s a truism in the restaurant industry that says if you can survive your first year, your chances of success skyrocket. Look at the failure rates of food businesses and you’ll see why that’s such a common benchmark. But it’s also no guarantee.
Island Seafood Market in St. Petersburg’s Grand Central district has just hit the one-year mark, normally a time for celebration. “We survived our first year, yeah,” says co-owner Elizabeth Moch. “But now it’s horrible. It sucks.” She still sounds positive — anyone who’s eaten at Island has experienced Moch’s casual, happy banter — but it’s difficult for restaurateurs like her not to be a little bitter about circumstances beyond their control.
When Moch and partner Linda Schuch opened the place a year ago, their plan was to offer local seafood, mostly retail but with a few sandwiches and simple dishes for casual diners and takeout. They picked their spot in Grand Central based on a simple equation of rent and proximity to downtown, not because of the vibe or people who frequent the area. “We didn’t even know about Grand Central at that point,” says Moch.
This article appears in Jun 17-23, 2010.
