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Skippers Seafood & Chowder House facts for kids
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| Independent, nonexclusive, site specific licensees | |
| Industry | Fast food, seafood, licensing, retail |
| Founded | 1969 in Bellevue, Washington, USA All Skippers intellectual property and rights were acquired in 2022 by Harbor Wholesale in Washington State. |
| Products | Fast food seafood including halibut, salmon, fish and chips, shrimp, prawns, oysters, clams, clam chowder, French fries and hush puppies, tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, coleslaw dressing |
| Parent | Harbor Wholesale |
Skippers Seafood & Chowder House is a group of restaurants that serve tasty seafood. These restaurants are owned by different people but use the Skippers name and recipes. They are licensed by a company called Harbor Wholesale. You can find Skippers restaurants mainly in Washington. Skippers also makes its famous clam chowder, tartar sauce, and other dressings. You can buy these products in grocery stores, convenience stores, and online. There are over 50 Skippers locations that operate under agreements with Harbor Wholesale.
History of Skippers
Skippers was started in 1969 by a person named Herb Rosen. The very first restaurant opened in Bellevue, Washington. At first, Skippers mainly served fried fish, shrimp, scallops, clams, and different kinds of chowder. Over time, the company's main office moved to different cities like Edmonds and SeaTac. The original Skippers company closed down in 2007. After that, the Skippers brand name was sold to new owners.
Growing and Changing
Skippers grew very quickly during the 1970s. New restaurants opened in many western states and even in British Columbia, Canada. In 1989, a company called NPC International bought Skippers. They closed some of the restaurants. NPC International ran Skippers until another company, Meridian Capital, bought it in 1995. From 1995 to 2002, the Skippers team added new grilled items to their menu. These included grilled salmon, halibut, and chicken.
Recent Times for Skippers
In late 2002, a group of investors from the Pacific Northwest bought Skippers. They introduced new logos and products in 2003 and again in 2007. By 2007, Skippers stores were operating in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
On December 12, 2006, the Skippers company faced serious financial problems. They had to reorganize their business in court. The company officially closed down on June 29, 2007. Some of the remaining 58 stores were sold to different people and companies. These new owners could still use the Skippers name. After these sales and closures, the original Skippers company no longer existed.
A company called Starway Restaurants bought the Skippers brand name and ideas in late 2007. In 2013, Starway partnered with Harbor Wholesale to create "Go Fleet" locations. These are smaller Skippers spots often found inside convenience stores or supermarkets. Starway later sold the entire Skippers brand to Harbor Wholesale in early 2022. As of October 2022, there are five regular Skippers restaurants, sometimes called "Ships of the Line," operating in Washington. The "Go Fleet" locations offer a smaller selection of menu items.
See also
- List of seafood restaurants