Will Horton and Bobby Kruger have known each other since they were 16-year-olds working in the restaurant industry outside of Richmond.
Their restaurant careers took them to various parts of the country, with Horton most recently in Phoenix and Kruger in New York City.
When Horton decided to move back to Williamsburg to be closer to his sister and her children, he lured Kruger back with his idea for a restaurant in the area: Holy Mackerel Seafood Grill, which will aim to create a family-focused atmosphere with an emphasis on local products
Kruger, looking for a new opportunity after Hurricane Sandy closed down his restaurant in New York City, jumped at the opportunity to work with his old friend again.
Holy Mackerel enjoyed a soft opening Wednesday and will host its grand opening Friday.
Opening Holy Mackerel in the spot left vacant by J.M. Randalls has been an ongoing effort since October. Horton, the managing partner, and Kruger, the bar manager, teamed up with Williamsburg-area friends and family who wanted to open a restaurant.
The process has been smooth so far for the business partners. They said they have been able to make big decisions quickly, each trusting the other’s restaurant know-how based on their extensive experience in the industry.
“It’s been really fluid, very organic,” Kruger said.
Kruger and Horton have put much of their planning into making it a restaurant anyone can enjoy. Though the restaurant focuses on seafood, they hope to have something on the menu for anyone who walks in the door.
“We are a family restaurant first and foremost,” Horton said.
Holy Mackerel boasts a game room with two pool tables and several arcade game systems, including one with several games adults might remember from their childhood, like Galaga and Ms. Pac Man.
In an interview prior to the restaurant opening, he said they hoped to include a treasure chest for children to pick a toy from after finishing their meals and Tuesday nights, children 12 years and younger will eat for free.
Horton tried to gear the restaurant’s offerings toward things he thought his niece and nephew would appreciate.
The restaurant’s space was completely renovated and built up for Holy Mackerel’s ideal atmosphere, which allowed Kruger, who has been featured on the Travel channel twice for his cocktail-making prowess, to design a bar from the ground up. He said some restaurant spaces with pre-fabricated bar spaces aren’t always conducive to bartending; with the opportunity to design a bar of his own, Kruger could focus on fluidity for drink-making.
Kruger has plans to maintain an herb garden so fresh herbs can be included in the bar’s drinks and the chef’s recipes. All the mixers used for drinks will be house-made, and Kruger said he even plans to make marshmallows for some drinks. All the beers on draft are Virginia beers, and Kruger hopes to bring in several of Virginia’s craft beers from companies not currently distributing in this area.
“We’re really blessed in this state with the agriculture that we have and our wine industry, our beer industry and all these really great Virginia products,” Kruger said.
Horton said the menu would include a steamed section with shrimp, mussels, oysters and a steam pot with mixed seafood. A fresh catch of the day will be featured daily. The menu will also include non-seafood items such as a rib-eye steak, filet mignon and house-smoked ribs.
Horton has plans to have what he calls a “10-10-10” lunch menu, which would include 10 items priced at $10 or less that would be served within 10 minutes of ordering.
Continuing to focus on locals, Horton plans to have an annual oyster roast or crab boil with the proceeds donated to a charity. He also wants to have a one- or two-man acoustic performance Friday nights. Horton plans to post weekly videos on the restaurant’s website or Facebook page to educate diners on different aspects of the restaurant and menu.
Different dining areas in the restaurant give diners different experiences. There are intimate booths for couples, a row of tables and booths for families and friends, a raised dining section, another raised section for parties and business groups, the bar, and the game room.
Before the restaurant opened for business, the doors were opened to the community. Every day that workers were inside renovating, Horton welcomed any passers-by interested in the development to come inside for a tour. He said people were surprised they were welcomed to come in instead of asked to wait until the business opened.
To continue to build a personal relationship, Horton said he will put his personal cell phone number on every table so diners can call him if he is not in the restaurant to give criticism or praise. He hopes it would help him develop more than a customer-only relationship.
For more information on Holy Mackerel, click here to visit the restaurant’s Facebook page. Holy Mackerel accepts reservations through Open Table as well as by phone at 757-208-0222.
