On any given day, especially around lunchtime, it’s not uncommon to see a line of folks hungry for clam chowder and seafood snaking out of The Rock Seafood & Grill.
The family-run restaurant, owned by Daniel and Susan Rivas, opened in Nipomo in December, and business has been booming ever since. According to Daniel, his cooks fry up about 100 orders for fish and chips every day.
“We’ve been bringing them in,” he said. “We’ve had to buy more tables and more chairs, and we’re pretty much at capacity.”
And what’s in a name? The restaurant’s unique moniker reflects the Rivas’ Christian faith; even the menus include scriptural passages.
“Jesus told Peter to build his church on a rock and it would stay standing forever,” Rivas said. “So we started the business and dedicated it to the Lord. His blessing has proven our success.”
Besides a little help from above, Rivas said The Rock owes its popularity to filling a void for Santa Maria and Nipomo residents, who don’t have to drive to Pismo Beach for good seafood. Rivas buys his fish—including local halibut, snapper, and king salmon—right off the boat for the most part. The eatery’s delicacies are all homemade, and cooks blanch their potatoes the old-fashioned way for French fries and potato chips.
“We can look someone in the face and say, ‘We make it from scratch,’” Rivas said. “A lot of people just don’t do that anymore.”
The Rock’s not just for seafood; each week, the restaurant’s chefs create and prepare special feature menu items, from Italian pasta to Philly cheesesteaks. All the fish can be prepared in a myriad different ways by request: charbroiled, flame-broiled, deep-fried, blackened, or on a sandwich or salad; you name it, and The Rock will oblige.
“We’re trying to bring back the old family restaurant. … If it’s not on the menu, it doesn’t matter,” Rivas said. “Just tell us how you want it and we’ll cook it.”
With Nipomo as the foundation, Rivas plans on opening three more locations in the next five years: Orcutt, Lompoc, and Santa Barbara, where he previously ran restaurants. Currently, The Rock reels in about 300 customers each day, and after just six months in business, the restaurant is already almost paid off.
“Even in today’s economy, it’s always possible,” Rivas said. “A lot of people said I was crazy to open a restaurant in Nipomo, but if you put God first, the blessings follow.”
The Rock Seafood & Grill is at 622 Tefft St. and is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday to Saturday, and 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays.
Highlights
• The two locally owned physician networks on the Central Coast, San Luis Obispo-based SLO Select and Santa Maria-based Midcoast Care, announced they’ve merged as Physicians Choice Medical Group.
“Our physicians have decades of experience working together to enhance quality while managing the costs of health care,” the group’s newly elected president, Dr. John Okerblom, said in a press release. “As the only locally owned physician network, we know the needs of our community. We keep our health care and business decisions local.”
With nearly 70 member doctors, Physicians Choice will contract with insurance companies Aetna, Blue Shield, Blue Cross, Cigna, PacifiCare, and Secure Horizons, and will work with French, Arroyo Grande, and Marian hospitals.
• Carpinteria businessman Victor Schaff, owner of Schaff Holdings Inc., purchased the assets of All Around Landscape Supply, a Central Coast landscaping and irrigation company.
With branches in Santa Ynez and Solvang, All Around has been in business in Santa Barbara County for more than 50 years and is one of the largest distributors of landscaping and irrigation supplies on the Central Coast. Michael Hamman of Santa Barbara has been appointed as the company’s new CEO.
All Around Landscape Supply is at 3588 Madera St. in Santa Ynez, and at 1665-A Fir Ave. in Solvang.
For more information, call Betty Martinez at 576-1705.
Biz Spotlight/Highlights are written and compiled by Staff Writer Jeremy Thomas. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, e-mail, or mail.
This article appears in May 26 – Jun 2, 2011.