EAT & DRINK SPECIAL SECTION : EXPANSION | SPICY FOOD | COCKTAILS
Thai coconut chicken satay with Kai Cooler at Starfish Newport ; the Starfish Laguna patio ; slow-cooked wet baby back ribs at Starfish
LESSONS LEARNED As local chefs spread their wings , they take with them experience gained from their first ventures in Laguna . Some of these pearls of wisdom include “ the importance of establishing your reputation and building [ up your ] business ,” Santana says .
Cohen adds that “ it ’ s very important to understand who your customers are and what they are accepting of .” He recalls needing to slowly educate the clientele “ so that they understood what we were serving and that fresh fish tasted different from what they were used to tasting .”
“ You have to create a trust with the guests so that they understand you ’ re doing certain things for a reason and it ’ s in their best interest , but … there ’ s a trust you have to build and a bond between the kitchen and the guests ,” he says .
At Starfish , Gretchen McConnell has gleaned a lot since 2011 when she and her husband , Archie , founded the restaurant focused on coastal Asian cuisine with dishes from sushi to Thai coconut chicken satay , Vietnamese pho soup , dumplings , wontons , noodle dishes and more .
“ Our Laguna location has taught us countless lessons over the years to take with us as our company ’ s journey continues ,” McConnell says . “ The No . 1 thing that has driven our success over the past 12 years is our teams . Hiring and cultivating passionate and committed individuals is the foundation of the Starfish brand , the heartbeat of our operations and the key to our future growth .”
Cohen echoes that sentiment , saying he
values the people that work at his restaurants . No doubt , the workers are the backbone of any business .
“ I always believe family first , restaurants second ,” Cohen says . “… We ’ ve tried very hard to promote that in the restaurants . And I ’ d really like to thank not only the customers that have been with me for the last 29 , 30 years , but the majority of my staff has been with me for over 20 years … and the same is said for Opah .
“… We really try to not only work for the customer , but work for each other . It ’ s a very , very , very difficult business and it ’ s very important to me that we take care of each other . I think one of the most important things is to thank those people that have trusted me with their jobs and their families .” Much has also been learned from the changing times in Laguna . “ Our motivation for expansion was always fueled by our continued growth , both within our organization and through building guest relationships ,” McConnell says . “ I ’ ve worked in Laguna for over 20 years , and it has changed a lot . I remember those cold and damp November Tuesdays when there wasn ’ t a soul in town , and now the amount of year-round tourism and diner flexibility has changed all that .”
Cohen says a big shift he ’ s seen relates to customers ’ increasing diet restrictions . “ If you go back to 2000 , I ’ ve been through 25 fad diets ,” he says . “ A lot of things I ’ ve seen change the most … have been more people have become allergic to more items . That really was not as much of an issue when I was getting into the business , but we ’ ve definitely seen that develop over the last
maybe 12 to 15 years . You see a lot more allergies and special requests . … We make everything to order , so we do the best we can to eliminate any of those concerns .”
Of course , the COVID-19 pandemic also changed the dining scene and what customers expect from restaurants .
“ We looked at six different locations leading up to 2020 and we had a perfect space in Newport Beach selected in the summer of 2019 ,” McConnell shares . “ As with all businesses , COVID changed the landscape in which they operated . For Starfish , we witnessed a dynamic shift in demand for our cuisine in our takeout operation .
“ As we navigated those 18 months , we quickly realized we had a whole new market segment at our fingertips . Not only did we have the opportunity to maintain our long-standing guest relationships through connecting our regular diners to their favorite cuisine , [ but ] … with the delivery platforms already in place , we were able to reach far beyond Laguna Beach for the first time .”
So the Starfish team moved forward with opening a Newport location , knowing the next restaurant “ would have to embody the experiences we ’ d just endured ,” McConnell says . The new space , which opened in May , features a more intimate setting with floor-to-ceiling windows to let in a bright , open-air feel . It offers the same food menu as Laguna , but , on the bar side , only beer , wine and libations made with premium soju vodkas , tequilas and sake rather than hard liquor . Catering is also a big part of the business at this location .
COURTESY OF STARFISH
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