What Smithtown Seafood does

Smithtown Seafood is a privately held, casual counter-service seafood restaurant operating two locations in Lexington, Kentucky: the original 501 West Sixth Street site opened in 2013 and co-located with West Sixth Brewing, and a second location opened in September 2017 at The Barn in Summit at Fritz Farm. Founded by chef Ouita Michel as part of the Holly Hill & Co family of 8 restaurants, the concept centers on locally sourced Kentucky seafood and Southern cuisine, including signature seafood and grits, po'boys, platters (fish & chips, fried catfish, fried oysters), salads, tacos, and a kids' menu, priced from $3-$16 per item. The brand emphasizes a farm-to-table ethos supported by intra-group and regional supplier partnerships: aquaponic lettuces from adjacent FoodChain, rye bread from sister company The Midway Bakery, cheese grits and hushpuppies from Weisenberger Mill, and rotating ice cream from Crank & Boom.

The company runs no proprietary technology platforms. Ordering occurs via walk-up counter, QR-code scanning from West Sixth Brewing seating, phone, or online through the third-party ToastTab platform, with curbside pickup available during 11am-9pm daily hours. Revenue is generated entirely through per-transaction restaurant food sales across dine-in, takeout, and delivery-style pickup, with gift cards sold through Holly Hill & Co. The customer base is horizontal and consumer: general Lexington residents, visitors, and sustainability-conscious diners prioritizing Kentucky Proud ingredients. There are no disclosed enterprise customers, no institutional revenue, and no external institutional investment; the company operates as a single-LLC entity (Smithtown Seafood LLC) under private ownership by Ouita Michel and her husband Chris Michel.

The business model is a standard casual-dining unit economics structure, with the West Sixth adjacency to West Sixth Brewing serving as a structural differentiator - QR-code ordering captures incremental brewery-patron demand without incremental dining-room capacity, and West 6th amber ale and porter are used in menu items, deepening the operational integration. Media coverage in The New York Times, Southern Living, Garden & Gun, Food Network, Cooking Channel, and Bravo's Top Chef Kentucky, combined with Ouita Michel's multiple James Beard Award nominations, underwrites brand premium and earned-media reach that is unusual for a non-metropolitan, 2-location operator.

Name

Smithtown Seafood

Legal name

Smithtown Seafood LLC

Website

https://smithtownseafood.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Smithtown Seafood is a privately held, casual counter-service seafood restaurant with two Lexington, Kentucky locations, founded in 2013 by chef Ouita Michel as part of the Holly Hill & Co group. It serves locally sourced seafood and Southern dishes to local residents and visitors, with online ordering via ToastTab and a QR-code channel from adjacent West Sixth Brewing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casual Seafood Restaurant

NAICS

Special Food Services (7223)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Seafood Fast Casual (THAFABAJ)

Keywords

• Casual seafood restaurant
• Farm-to-table dining
• Locally sourced seafood
• Counter service restaurant
• Kentucky Proud ingredients

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Food Sales: Point-of-sale restaurant revenue from dine-in, takeout, and delivery orders. Customers pay per transaction for menu items including seafood, sandwiches, salads, and sides. Multiple ordering channels (counter, online, phone) drive transactions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Smithtown Seafood operates two casual counter-service seafood restaurants in Lexington, KY (West Sixth Street and The Barn at Summit at Fritz Farm). It sells locally sourced seafood dishes, sandwiches, salads, tacos, platters, snacks, and a kids menu through dine-in, online ordering, phone orders, QR-code ordering for patrons at adjacent West Sixth Brewing, and curbside pickup.

Product overview

Smithtown Seafood is a casual counter-service seafood restaurant with two Lexington, KY locations (West Sixth and Summit at Fritz Farm). The restaurant offers a diverse menu centered on locally-sourced seafood and Southern cuisine, including signature Seafood & Grits dishes, various sandwiches (Po'Boys, burgers), fresh salads, platters (Fish & Chips, fried catfish), tacos, and snacks. The restaurant partners with local suppliers including FoodChain for aquaponic lettuces, Weisenberger Mill for grits, and West Sixth Brewing for beer-battered items. Online ordering is available via Toast Tab platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seafood & Grits Signature dish offered as a menu category featuring blackened shrimp, fried oysters, or blackened catfish with creole butter sauce, Weisenberger cheese grits, and crispy tobacco onions. Sold per order at the Smithtown Seafood counter-service locations.
• Sandwiches Menu category of sandwiches including Cape Codder (beer-battered cod), Fried Catfish Po'Boy, Oyster Mushroom Po'Boy, Shrimp/Oyster Po'Boy, and West 6th Taproom Burger, priced $11-$16. Sold per order at Smithtown Seafood locations.
• Salads Menu category of salads including Singapore Salad, Salad Supper, and House Salad, all made with aquaponic lettuces from FoodChain, with various protein add-ons, priced $8-$12. Sold per order at Smithtown Seafood locations.
• Platters Menu category of platters including Fish & Chips, KY Proud Fried Catfish, Fried Shrimp, Fried Oysters, and Fried Chicken Tenders served with hand-cut fries, hushpuppies, and creamy slaw, priced $13-$16. Sold per order at Smithtown Seafood locations.
• Tacos Menu category of local corn tortilla tacos with choices of rolled & fried cod, seared shrimp, or fried mushroom with lime cabbage, avocado mash, and chile lime yogurt. Sold per order at Smithtown Seafood locations.
• Snacks Menu category of appetizers including oysters on the half shell, oyster app, steamed mussels, fried banana pepper rings, beer cheese, hummus, cod fritters, and buffalo catfish bites, priced $8-$18. Sold per order at Smithtown Seafood locations.
• Kids Menu Child-friendly menu including Willa's Quesadilla, KY Mini Beef Burger, and Crispy Catfish or Chicken Fingers served with chips or veggie sticks, priced $5-$6. Sold per order at Smithtown Seafood locations.
• Smithtown Seafood West Sixth restaurant location

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FoodChaincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAquaponic farm located directly behind Smithtown Seafood that grows fresh lettuces for the restaurant. Every salad is made with fresh lettuces from this local sustainable agricultural operation. The partnership supports FoodChain's mission of innovative, sustainable agricultural practice.
• West Sixth BrewingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdjacent brewery where customers can sit and order Smithtown Seafood via QR code at their table. Food is delivered to their location. Smithtown uses West 6th amber ale and porter in menu items. Deep operational and ingredient partnership.
• The Midway BakerycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSister company under Holly Hill & Co that supplies baked goods and desserts to Smithtown Seafood. Artichoke 'Filet of Fish' sandwich uses Midway Bakery rye bread.
• Crank & Boom Ice CreamminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal ice cream partner that provides rotating ice cream selection for Smithtown Seafood desserts.
• Weisenberger MillcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal mill that provides Weisenberger cheese grits served with seafood dishes and Weisenberger Mill hushpuppies with platters.
• Holly Hill & CocoreOthersParent company/family of restaurants that includes Holly Hill Inn, Wallace Station Deli, Windy Corner Market, Smithtown Seafood (two locations), Honeywood, Midway Bakery, Woodford Reserve Distillery restaurant, and Zim's Cafe.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Bonefish Grill: National casual-dining seafood chain with broader menu and full table service. Comparable to Smithtown on seafood-centric positioning and casual dining occasion, though at higher price points and with corporate scale advantages.
• Legal Sea Foods: Multi-format seafood restaurant operator spanning casual to upscale. Comparable to Smithtown on seafood expertise and brand reputation, with stronger supply-chain story from direct sourcing relationships.
• Red Lobster: Largest casual seafood chain in the US with broad menu and family dining positioning. Comparable to Smithtown on casual seafood category leadership and per-transaction pricing, though vastly larger scale and national marketing.

Direct peers

• Hook & Reel: Fast-casual Cajun seafood boil concept with counter-service ordering model. Comparable to Smithtown on casual seafood positioning and per-transaction ticket size, though without the local-sourcing narrative.
• The Boiling Crab: Casual seafood boil chain with counter-style service and shared-platter dining. Comparable to Smithtown in casual seafood positioning and counter-order format, though geographically concentrated in coastal markets.
• Captain D's: QSR seafood chain with counter service, drive-thru, and value-oriented menu. Comparable to Smithtown on quick-service seafood, family/casual target customer, and individual menu item pricing structure.
• Long John Silver's: QSR seafood chain with counter-service model and value-focused fried seafood menu. Comparable to Smithtown on seafood-only positioning, fried seafood menu overlap (Fish & Chips, platters), and quick-service dining format.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smithtown-seafood

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Smithtown Seafood