FAIRHOPE — Market By The Bay has returned to Fairhope to bring its seafood selection back to the city's growing restaurant arsenal.
The original Fairhope location resided near South Greeno …
This item is available in full to subscribers.
Please log in to continue |
FAIRHOPE — Market By The Bay has returned to Fairhope to bring its seafood selection back to the city's growing restaurant arsenal.
The original Fairhope location resided near South Greeno Road before closing in 2021, though they continued to operate out of their location in Daphne save for a time in 2022 when ownership changed from the LeJuenes. Now, the establishment is also located at the corner of South Church Street and De La Mar Avenue in the former Dragonfly Foodbar spot downtown.
Scott Dumas, a managing partner for Market By The Bay, said when a spot opened in Fairhope, he and his business partner, Garrett DeLuca, knew they had to take advantage.
"They've done a lot of great success with Market By The Bay in Daphne, so they wanted to expand," Dumas said. "When this [building in Fairhope] became available, we jumped on the opportunity."
Market By The Bay has a menu engineered by Chef Mike Sullivan, who Dumas said may be one of the most talented chefs he has worked with in his career. It features a selection of seafood ranging from po-boys to platters while also including Cajun influences, such as their signature gumbo, a recipe they have been cooking for over 20 years. They have also added a crab cake BLT sandwich, which has quickly become one of the restaurant's more popular dishes.
Dumas said one thing that stands out to him at Market By The Bay is the camaraderie among the staff, which was evident when members of the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce came on a rainy Friday morning to celebrate the restaurant's opening.
"They're great people," Dumas said. "They work very hard. They are very dedicated to the business and take a lot of pride in what they do. They're wonderful human beings, and it just shows in their work. That's our competitive edge is that we have the best people working here."
With Market By The Bay's return to Fairhope, they hope to once again establish themselves as a premier dining establishment for not just seafood, but also for hospitality.
"You have to be a good citizen, got to be a good neighbor, got to be a good boss, and we want to be part of the place that people come to and not just be solely business, Dumas said. "I want downtown Fairhope to do good, and if downtown Fairhope does good, if Fairhope in general does good, [Market By The Bay] will do good."
Market By The Bay is now open at 7 S. Church St. in Fairhope. They are open from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. They will also open for Sunday brunch starting Jan. 26 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.