Harbor District businesses to reopen in late November

“We have been working hard on a remodel for the past four months … to bring traditions of previous restaurant into the next five decades,” Westendorf said.

The Franklin family previously also managed Ketch Café, the ice cream shop, and Order at the Corner, the fish market — business spaces located near the Johnson Pier on Pillar Point Harbor that now will be managed by Pelagic. The hospitality group will be implementing a new fine-dining establishment, named Pelagic Harbor Grill, and a revamped Pelagic fish market.

The new Pelagic restaurant will be open late this year to early next year, and visitors can expect the fish market to open early next year, Westendorf said.

The Franklin family, who managed the Ketch Joanne Restaurant and Bar, Ketch Café, and Order at the Corner for nearly 50 years, approached the Harbor District last year about the process of reassigning their leases, Harbor District general manager James Pruett said.

“They asked permission to assign all three leases to the Pelagic Hospitality Group, moved all their paperwork. The board evaluated all that and approved the assignment a few months ago,” Pruett said. “The assignment itself, of all the transactions, selling the lease … that was completely up to the Franklin family and the Pelagic Hospitality Group. The district did not get involved for that.”

Virginia Chang Kiraly, president of the Harbor District Board of Commissioners, said that as one of the only locations in the district that serves sit-down food, the success of the rebranded restaurants is important to the district. The Pelagic Hospitality Group will now be in control of three out of five restaurants on ‘tenant row,’ a large source of income.

“The harbor district relies on 35%-40% of its revenue from these tenants, essentially. Tenants pay rent and they pay a percentage of what they make. There are various types of businesses that the harbor supports, but this is the only business that really has the restaurants and there are three. ... So right now, it’s gone to one organization,” she said.

Kiraly noted that the Pelagic Hospitality group, which also owns Half Moon Bay business the Jettywave Distillery, has been successful in their endeavors thus far, but she still hopes to have food trucks in the area to promote variety, competition and revenue sources for the district.

Pruett said he hopes the businesses will bring increased visitors and revenue to the district.

“It’ll be a great addition,” he said. “With bringing in the new restaurants and a new flavor too that might be a little different, but also providing a place for locals and tourists and any user of the harbor to come in and enjoy.”