WELLS, Maine — Fisherman’s Catch has a new skipper.
On Wednesday, longtime owners Ned and Amy Cardinali officially sold their Harbor Road seafood restaurant to Adrienne Waterman.
in a message to the Coast Star on Wednesday, Waterman said she is very excited to own Fisherman's Catch, which the Cardinalis had owned and operated for nearly two decades.
"It's an incredibly successful business, in a wonderful town, in breathtaking surroundings," Waterman said. "We look forward to working together with the amazing team and meeting the townspeople who have been so welcoming to us."
Ned Cardinali recently announced on Facebook that he and his family were “passing along the keys to the restaurant.” In his post, he said the new owners are going to “pick up right where we are leaving off.”
“We truly believe they are the perfect fit for The Catch and that they will take it to new heights," Cardinali said.
Cardinali said he was making his announcement with a “full, yet heavy, heart,” noting that his family’s ownership of the eatery during the past 20 years “has gone by in a flash.”
Indeed, in an interview this week, Cardinali described his feelings as “bittersweet.”
“We’re excited for something different, but we’re sad about not being around the people we’ve become accustomed to being around,” he said, referring to employees and customers alike.
Cardinali said he and his wife have had their eyes on this moment for a couple of years now and, at one point, decided to put their business on the market quietly.
Earlier this summer, the Wells Planning Board approved a site plan allowing a new deck to be built onto the restaurant, expanding its seating capacity and enhancing its view of the surrounding nature. Cardinali said the new owner will proceed with the plans for the deck, which he said will be “amazing” when it is finished within the next couple of years.
“It’s going to be pretty special,” he said.
Glamping, Wes Anderson-style:Sandy Pines fashions new retreats after quirky filmmaker
Cardinalis look to the future after Fisherman’s Catch
Cardinali said he and Amy, who both graduated from Noble High School in the 1990s, are not sure what their next chapter holds for them, but they’re excited to spend time with their children, Vienna, 13, and Hudson, 11. The family has lived in Wells for the past 19 years.
Cardinali said he will miss the people he has come to know at the seasonal restaurant, which is open each year from May to October.
“They come back year after year – not just the customers, but the staff, too,” he said.
Cardinali said he also will miss the property on which Fisherman’s Catch sits. The restaurant is in a quiet, green spot, away from the summertime bustle of Route 1 and a slight distance from Wells Harbor. The property abuts the marsh and the nearby Rachel Carson Preserve.
“I love the property,” Cardinali said. “It’s beautiful, looking out on the marsh. You feel like you’re on the edge of something pretty amazing.”
The Cardinalis bought Fisherman’s Catch when they were in their mid-20s, and it was just the two of them. A black-and-white photo in a June 2005 issue of Tourist News shows the two of them standing in front of their new business. Cardinali, who has his arm around his wife in the photo, is holding a lobster.
The restaurant was “certainly our baby” during those early years, Cardinali said in his social media post.
“Amy and I worked tirelessly for the first several years to make a very special restaurant as successful as we could,” he said. “With the help from family, friends, and many years of incredible employees, we achieved and were living out one of our dreams.”
That network of support proved a lifesaver when the Cardinalis had two more babies – first Vienna, and then Hudson – and realized their dream of having a family.
“It was challenging having three babies,” Cardinali said. “However, with the help from our moms and some incredible staff, we began to find a balance between work and home. We started to give up some control and began to trust some truly amazing staff members with managing the restaurant in our absence. We have been blessed with 20 years of exceptional staff.”
Cardinali said owning a restaurant was a way for him to be entrepreneurial and creative. He expressed confidence that the new owners will continue that approach.
“We’re excited for the new owners, and we’re excited for the staff,” he said.
Most Popular
Comments / 0