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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 and run by different people, but they all use the Skippers name and recipes under a special agreement with a company called Harbor Wholesale.
You can find Skippers restaurants in several states, including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and California. Besides serving food in their restaurants, Skippers also makes popular items like clam chowder, tartar sauce, and coleslaw dressing. You can buy these products in grocery stores, convenience stores, and even online! There are more than 50 Skippers locations, including smaller "Grab & Go" spots.
Contents
The Story of Skippers
How Skippers Started
Skippers was started in 1969 by a person named Herb Rosen. The very first restaurant opened in Bellevue, Washington. When it first opened, Skippers served delicious fried fish, shrimp, scallops, clams, and different kinds of chowder. Over time, the company's main office moved to different cities in Washington, like Edmonds and SeaTac.
Growing Bigger and Changing Hands
Skippers grew very quickly in 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 made some changes and closed a few restaurants. Then, in 1995, another company called Meridian Capital bought Skippers.
From 1995 to 2002, the people running Skippers added new grilled dishes to the menu. These included grilled wild-caught salmon, halibut, and chicken.
New Owners and New Ideas
In late 2002, a group of investors from the Pacific Northwest bought Skippers. They introduced new logos and new food items in 2003 and again in 2007. By 2007, Skippers had restaurants in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
Facing Challenges and Finding a New Path
In 2006, Skippers faced some financial challenges and had to reorganize its business. The company eventually closed down in 2007. However, some of the remaining Skippers restaurants were sold to different owners who continued to operate them using the Skippers name.
Later in 2007, a company called Starway Restaurants bought the rights to the Skippers name and recipes. In 2013, Starway teamed up with Harbor Wholesale to create "Go Fleet" locations, which are smaller Skippers spots often found inside convenience stores.
Skippers Today
In early 2022, Starway Restaurants sold all the Skippers rights to Harbor Wholesale. As of July 2024, there are two main Skippers restaurants, called "Flagship Restaurants," operating in Washington state. You can also find Skippers' "Fleet Grab & Go" restaurants, which offer a smaller menu, inside convenience stores and supermarkets in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and California.
See also
- List of seafood restaurants