RAW BARS

Projects to enjoy, appreciate, anticipate or remember.

2024

LTLE FISH @ CHARLESTON

An a la carte version of RAW LAB presented in the same space as RAW LAB operating Mon, Tues & Wed

Two Seatings @ 6pm & 8:15pm

BOOK ON RESY

Enjoy a limited menu of RAW LAB’s Greatest Hits, Wines by the Glass & 1/2 Glass, Charleston’s best selection of Tinned Fish (Conservas)

Featuring Chef Sandy Ochoa @ 99 S. Market Street, Charleston, SC 29401 @ RAW LAB @ Port of Call

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS

RAW BARge

2023

EMPIRE OYSTER BAR @ HOLY CITY BREWING

OPERATING AS EMPIRE OYSTER @ HOLY CITY BREWING FROM NOV 23 - AUG 24

Another attempt to #RaiseTheRawBar

This licensing deal didn’t quite work. Too ambitious for the traffic, vibe and customer base there. Also, it didn’t help that the build out wasn’t quite ever completed. Meaning, seating and other physical aesthetics were simply not done right. The bar build out cut corners too sharply. In the end it was cobbled together, not “built out well”. The same became true of food quality and marketing efforts. Corners got cut and these standards were just not in line with our brand and values. Lessons learned were many. Empire Oyster needs to focus our partnerships on higher end wineries and distilleries where the consumer is coming for a more elevated experience relative to food, decor and atmosphere.

….OFFERING…

16 SEAT RAW BAR (LARGEST IN CHARLESTON & BEYOND)

ELITE OYSTER & RAW BAR PRODUCT, SERVICE & EXPERIENCE

BEER, WINE & COCKTAIL PAIRINGS

WORLD’S ONLY & LARGEST COLD SMOKING DOME FOR OYSTERS, SHRIMP & MORE

PLATTER SERVICE & FULL RAW BAR MENU AT ALL TABLES ACROSS ENTIRE PROPERTY

RAW BOAT & SHUCK TRUCK & BESPOKE RAW BAR CATERING FOR SPECIAL EVENTS

MORE INFO HERE

2022

VISIT WEBSITE

OPEN officially SINCE feb 2022 in the heart of Historic Downtown || a singular private / semi-private fine /FUN dining & wine pairing experience || featuring marine cuisine by master mermmelier kevin JOSEPH || 4.9 STAR RATED ON RESY

VIEW PRESS CLIPPINGS HERE || RESERVATIONS pre-paid via RESY || OPERATING THURS, FRI & SAT || SEATING up to 12 guests || ONE DINNER SERVICE DAILY || $225 - $275 +++

+++ Plus Taxes, Tip & Fees

Be sure to review our a-typical reservation policies before booking

Off A MASSIVE OUTDOOR COURTYARD, in a SEMI-PRIVATE DINING SPACE, we have created the world’s only OMAKASE RAW BAR EXPERIENCE. This is a kind of vanguard test kitchen & chefs table. Guests to the RAW LAB dine Omakase Style WHICH MEANS THEY DONT ORDER ANYTHING, RATHER they “ENTRUST” THE CHEF WITH EVERYTHING. The space IS also be offered as a private dining & party room. The luxury wine, sake, cider, beer & spirits program in RAW LAB will be ultra-premium, but limited such that it will not be another “hipster mixology” experience.

Reservations VIA RESY REQUIRED: BOOK HERE

2021

EMPIRE OYSTER TEMPLE

Open briefly from Oct 2021 trough December, we featured up to 14 varieties of oysters from both near and far. This was an ELITE RAW BAR with fast casual service style. Guests ordered at the counter and we delivered their oysters and other dishes to them. Guests enjoyed a premium oyster service and experience while seated at one of the bars inside or out in the courtyard under the live oak trees. Finally, a premier dining product & experience in a casual atmosphere! Sadly, the concept was beyond what the market would support and maintaining a staff in the age of COVID proved impossible.

Both of our offering exist within the brand new PORT OF CALL FOOD & BREW HALL. The destination is YEAR ROUND, INDOORS & OUTDOORS. This sprawling 10,000 sf SPACE features 4’ think brick walls in the main building which dates back to the 1850 and robust enough to withstand cannonball fire! At both our RAW LAB & OYSTER TEMPLE we’ll offer MARINE CUISINE, DelicaSEAS & BayCuterie. So there will be dishes for all tastes, budgets and dining styles from take away peel & eat shrimp to fine caviar service, table side.

THIS IS NOT another “Seafood Restaurant that ALSO serves oysters”. No, this will be the SINGLE BEST RAW BAR EXPERIENCE & OFFERING anywhere, ever!

LOCATED @ 99 South Market Street, Charleston, SC

OTHER / PAST PROJECTS

2021

EMPIRE OYSTER RESIDENCY

THIS PROGRAM IS ON OFFER TO BREWERIES, HOTELS, WINERIES, RESORTS, DISTILLERIES OR OTHER F&B OPERATIONS ANYWHERE.

IT IS PROVEN, SAFE, SIMPLE, EASY, EFFECTIVE & PROFITABLE WITH LITTLE OR NO START UP COSTS.

LEARN MORE HERE

WHAT IS IT

Our RESIDENCY offering is “An Elite Raw Bar, In A Box”. Established F&B or Hospitality operations benefit greatly from it as the operations of such an offering can be difficult or impossible to staff and manage. The requirements can be extremely minimal. Our offering is an additional feature, attraction of amenity for your location, like a band or a pool. For operators who bring in food trucks, or otherwise operate without their own food offerings, this is a turnkey opportunity that delivers a host of benefits and a tremendous return on investment.

HOW WE DO IT

We operate an elite oyster & raw bar at your location, period. Generally we do this Wed - Sat from 4pm - 9pm for a season (Summer or Winter). Our partners do nothing or next to nothing minus obvious obligations like providing space and sometimes, cold storage. We provide the following services:

DESIGN & BUILD whatever needs to be built (if anything).
HIRE & TRAIN staff needed to operate.
MANAGE & OPERATE staff, ordering, receiving, storage, inventory, presentation, trash and ice.
MARKET & PROMOTE our operations in concert with your marketing & promotions.

BENEFITS OF RESIDENCY

NO SIGNIFICANT EFFORT REQUIRED We do the work. Period. We create a Win, Win, Win (You, Us, Consumers).

REVENUE It is difficult to project or model this until we can ID a specific location, operating hours and business model but the bottom line is that we will attract and retain new high-value customers to your location. They’ll buy other food & bev from you before, during and after they enjoy the raw bar service. This can generate (as it is currently in one NJ location) $9,000 - $12,000 per week in raw bar sales. Those sales can be tracked (on real checks/covers) to an additional $40,000 in F&B sales per week.

MARKETING We have significant social and digital media assets to leverage in these partnerships. Our IG following is over 10,000 and we have an additional 10,000 person email list. In your market we will create incentives for consumers to follow us for special offers, announcements and news about the raw bar offerings and drink pairings. We can also promote which bands are playing or which other food options may be available.
DIFFERENTIATION What if your spot had the best raw bar within 500 miles? Would that drive sales and high-value consumers to your location? Of course it would! And we can essentially guarantee that will be the case and we can probably get legitimate food media / critics to agree and publish stories about that.
NO LONG TERM DEAL NEEDED This is a seasonal offering (Summer or Winter).
LONG TERM DEALS POSSIBLE In the form of a licensing or franchise agreement, as per your interest.
EXCLUSIVITY If we engage with you we wont engage with others near by.

2020 - 2021

SURVIVE COVID

Well, we THOUGHT we were going to be engaged in a new partnership with a retail store in Huntington, LI. Then with a resort / marina / restaurant the Eastern Shore of Virginia. And then with resort / marina / restaurant in Greenport, LI. But all these deals died. So we refocused and re-invented ourselves, again. We wound up in THE HAMPTONS where we expanded our offerings and served client as a private chef at their homes or on their yachts. Aaaaaand we killed it in the age of COVID!

ONGOING / FUTURE PROJECT

The world’s first and only seagoing oyster bar. Sadly, this is on hold due to COVID 19 and a serious mechanical issue we have yet to cure. One fine day in 2021 we hope that she will sail and serve MARINE CUISINE & DelicaSEAS. Stay tuned.

Learn MORE HERE