This experience is brought to you by Livermore Maserati.
Mama’s Fish House, Maui, 2002. Keith Cox was enjoying another incredible meal at this iconic Hawaiian fish house and contemplating his experiences at the casual Maui fresh fish grills. The flavors were so fresh, so bright, so enchanting, it left him wondering how he could replicate these island experiences back in San Francisco, but with a distinctly California food sensibility.
Upon returning to the mainland, Keith told friend and longtime culinary collaborator Aaron Noveshen about his vision. They began work on a concept that would lead them on a nineteen-year journey. Pacific Catch, the beloved fish house of San Francisco, has since grown from its original location on Chestnut Street to 13 locations around the Greater Bay Area and San Diego. Now, Pacific Catch is celebrating by reopening their iconic Sunset location on
9th Avenue.
When Keith and Aaron started Pacific Catch, it was a story of humble beginnings but big ideas.
“We weren’t going to make any compromises,” Aaron recalls. “Pacific Catch was going to be about amazing quality fish, served to the neighborhood in a completely affordable and accessible way.”
“I knew that Aaron had all this background with foods of the world,” says Keith. “The menu at Pacific Catch ― all to be sustainably sourced from the Pacific ― was his sweet spot.”
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March
2017
December
2007
By 2007, Pacific Catch was ready to expand, and Keith began looking for opportunities. He soon learned his friend and neighbor Matthew Blair, founding partner of World Wrapps, owned an art gallery on 9th Avenue called Canvas Gallery & Café. The gallery featured emerging artists, including Matt’s wife, Laura Blair.
“Matt was looking to move on from the business,” recalls Keith, “so we discussed the opportunity to take it over from him to open Pacific Catch there.”
The Sunset location was a much larger space and would become the model for the future Pacific Catch fish houses moving forward, featuring a full bar and seafood grill. In an homage to Canvas Gallery, Pacific Catch commissioned Laura Blair to provide Hawaiian-Japanese style rice paper paintings throughout the restaurant.
“Even though it was our third location, 9th Avenue became our flagship store,” says Keith. “It was our first ‘full service’ restaurant with a full bar, hand-crafted cocktails, microbrews on draft, and a curated wine list.”
Opening a restaurant at the entrance to Golden Gate Park, where as many as 500k visitors entered each year, took Pacific Catch’s visibility to the next level. Combined with a burgeoning culinary scene and a supportive neighborhood, 9th Avenue was a success.
The Aloha Spirit in Action
January
2020
Beginnings
The first location opened in a tiny location on Chestnut Street with welcoming, neighborhood vibes. Opening night saw Aaron working the cook line while Keith took orders at the cash register and they both soon realized that people loved the food. Word spread, and soon Pacific Catch got a call from Apple to see if Pacific Catch would mind being featured in a commercial for their new product, the iPhone, in which a search for seafood landed on Pacific Catch. From the moment the commercial aired, business at Pacific Catch was never the same.
“We got hundreds of calls per day,” laughs Keith. “It was one of those amazing moments in time you could never pay for. It quite literally placed us on the map.”
So why has Pacific Catch been so successful? Easy: the food is incredible, the locations are bright and welcoming, and the service is exceptional. But Keith and Aaron believe something else is going on, something extra.
“Coming from our foundational roots in Hawaii, a big part of that culture has the Aloha Spirit,” Keith explains. The Aloha Spirit celebrates community, kindness, togetherness, and hospitality. It’s this philosophy that has helped Pacific Catch thrive.
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April 2003
Modernizing
The first location to encompass Keith’s new vision was Pacific Catch at the Stanford Shopping Center. Here, dining was elevated to a more contemporary, premium experience, without losing the casual Aloha Spirit. Elegant interior design complemented the lively bar and dining room atmosphere. Innovative cocktails and delicious cuisine abounded. Palo Alto would become the new model for future Pacific Catch locations across California, a breezy, vibey, modern West Coast Fish House.
The West Coast Fish House Concept Is Born
The Rebirth Of An SF Original
Where will Pacific Catch open next?
For now, that info is under wraps. But you can guarantee it will be somewhere that’s ready for the Aloha Spirit.
Experience the Aloha Spirit yourself at any of Pacific Catch’s West Coast locations.
SEE MORE
Fast forward to 2017. After taking some time away from the business, Keith returned as CEO to modernize the brand. A lot had happened in those ten years. The average restaurant-goer knew what poke was. Sushi could be delivered to your door from a few touches on your phone. And sweet potato fries ― a Pacific Catch innovation ― were now ubiquitous. Pacific Catch had to, excuse the pun, catch up.
But still, Keith knew the Aloha Spirit was that something extra that kept people coming back. He knew Pacific Catch had more potential to unlock, now as a true ‘west coast’ Fish House.
“I wanted to evolve our food menu, clarify our vision and voice, improve the branding, and manifest our positioning as a West Coast Fish House,” says Keith. “By solidifying our commitment to sustainable sourcing and eco-friendly packaging, bringing a fresh design to our restaurants, and leveraging technology to enhance all aspects of what we do, we were improving the guest experience and preparing the organization for growth beyond the Bay Area.”
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The History of
Pacific Catch,
the Innovative
West Coast
Fish House
Sponsored by
By StoryStudio on July 19, 2022 11:19 AM
October
2021
July
2022
Expansion
It's now July 2022, almost two decades since the start of Pacific Catch, and Keith and Aaron are looking forward to the grand reopening of their fully remodeled flagship store on 9th Avenue. This reimagined Pacific Catch adds a tiki terrace patio ― where tropical drinks and delicious food are served outdoors overlooking the park ― and a takeout window for neighborhood convenience to their stellar reputation for exceptional dining experiences. Keith and Aaron see it as a rebirth of the location and a vision of the future.
“Our reopening at the 9th Avenue location is really a reinvestment in the local community we’ve been part of for 15 years,” says Keith. “We just want to give our loyal Sunset guests the best possible experience of our brand as it evolves.”
The Return
It wasn’t long until they were breaking ground for their first San Diego location. Due to its relaxed, laid-back vibe, San Diego seemed like an ideal place to expand outside the Bay Area. By October 2021, Pacific Catch in La Jolla was open for business. The location’s success is already proving that Keith’s vision of Pacific Catch as a brand that works beyond the Bay Area is spot on.
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