WILLIAMSBURG — Renovations are complete and the new Oceans & Ale location on Monticello Avenue is now open for business.
The original plan was to build a 5,000-square-foot standalone location on the Richmond Road former Yankee Candle property, but after discussing plans with builders, the owners quickly discovered it was out of budget. So, the restaurant, which for a decade and a half was located at the Williamsburg Premium Outlets, pivoted and expanded to its own stand-alone location at the former Ruby Tuesday site near Monticello Marketplace.
“We desperately needed a bigger kitchen. When we opened up 15 years ago over there at the outlets, we never envisioned the volume and the success that we would have there. It was a 3,500-square-foot building and our restaurant just exceeded all of our expectations in terms of performance,” explained owner John Wagner.
The new space includes 5,400 square feet of space, almost double what the outlet location offered. The restaurant also now boasts its own parking lot.
“This new location really checked all the boxes in terms of what we wanted to do. From kitchen size, dining room size, bar size, private dining space, we pivoted to this option and knew that it would take quite a renovation to the building,” Wagner said.
The additional space will also allow for the restaurant to offer catering and the ability to host events in a private dining space, including bridal showers, graduation parties, and dinner parties.
Oceans & Ale is primarily known for its seafood selection and focus on craft beers. The restaurant also works with local musicians to provide a live entertainment venue with a local feel.
A grand opening was held on July 2 at the new space, which according to Wagner, was well attended.
As the restaurant begins operating in its new home, Wagner hopes to remain true to the community that brought it so much success.
“We want to be able to give the community what we’ve always envisioned. When you have a space like we did at the outlets, you kind of get pigeonholed into a menu based off of efficiency and volume. Now, we’re going to expand and do so much more, we’re going to be able to be a lot more creative with our menu offerings. I don’t know exactly what the future holds but I know that we are extremely proud of this building and what it offers to the community,” Wagner said.
The restaurant is currently hiring for full and part time line cooks, kitchen staff, and morning prep cooks. Job seekers can find the application on the Oceans & Ale website.
Oceans & Ale is open Monday-Thursday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
To learn more about Oceans & Ale, visit oceansandale.com.