Joey’s Seafood & Grill serves up flavors of the deep blue sea

by Robert E. Thomas

January 13,2007

After doing what he calls plenty of homework, Mark Telken has taken his first plunge into business ownership by opening Joey's Seafood & Grill in the Shoppes at Stadium.

Telken, who came to Columbia in 1997 to manage a Walgreen's store, said he bought the franchise after a year of research indicated to him that a mid-priced, causal-dining seafood restaurant would find a niche in Columbia.
"There's just not a whole lot of competition out there," he said.

The 3,400-square-foot eatery anchors the north end of the current stretch of stores. It seats 92 customers at dining tables, plus another 16 at the full-service bar, and has about 65 employees during peak serving times, 18 of whom work full time. The menu offers a wide selection of entrees, ranging from fish and chips for $6.99 to crusted halibut for $19. The average dinner ticket price is $14.50.

"We like to keep our prices as low as possible," Telken said. "We are not a linen tablecloth place where you are going to spend $60 or $70 for a meal for two people. We are trying to keep it a smaller, causal atmosphere, making us a neighborhood restaurant."

One big selling point of the restaurant, which is open for lunch and dinner, is freshness. Unlike other franchise restaurants, Joey's Seafood makes batters, pastas and sauces on-site rather shipping them in.

"Our fish are hand-cut, and all meals are made to order," Telken said.
Telken has signed a 10-year lease and estimates projected first-year sales of $25,000 a week, or $1.2 million yearly. In opening weeks, sales have well exceeded that level, he said.

Financing is provided by U.S. Bank.

"They really believed in the concept," Telken said.

Joey's Seafood & Grill, based in St. Paul, Minn., operates 20 franchises across the United States, with three now in Missouri. The franchise is an offshoot purchased from Joey's Only Seafood, Canada's largest seafood restaurant chain, which boasts 109 locations.

"We have only 20 stores but great buying power," Telken said.

Columbia was chosen for its suburb-like demographics, including population and income levels, said William Yeates, franchise corporate trainer.
"We prefer suburban rather than big-city locations. Columbia seemed perfect," Yeates said.

Within Columbia, Telken chose his location based on traffic patterns, the number of nearby homes and businesses and the proximity to Interstate 70. Also, with the razing of the vacant Wal-Mart building planned, Telken will have several new neighbors to increase his sales. The Kroenke Group plans a major expansion for the Shoppes at Stadium, extending in a horseshoe shape to McDonald's.

Jim Alabach of the Kroenke Group said the Wal-Mart building will be razed in the next 30 to 60 days. He would not comment on what stores or other businesses will occupy the new construction.

"I'll be right in the middle of the development, and the main drive from Stadium comes right to my front door," Telken said.

Two other new freestanding restaurants are expected to be constructed between McDonald's and Macaroni Grill on Stadium Drive, but Telken's lease prohibits another seafood establishment, he said.

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