Today we’d like to introduce you to Greg Kujda.
Greg, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Growing up as an 80’s child in sunny Southern Florida, I was drawn to the ocean. I lived a few short steps from the Atlantic and its fair to characterize me as one of those barefoot, Tom Sawyer kids, obsessively exploring the ocean and shorelines of the inter-costal waterways. While other kids were playing in the park I was often wandering in the knee-deep waters off Hutchison Island, Jensen Beach, and later the Halifax in Central Florida. My favorite activities were stalking baitfish, digging up sand crabs as they briefly breach the surface, and chasing fiddler crabs under the local pier was the best. Every day was a water-drenched, sun-scorched, mini-adventure.
As I entered my adolescence years, those mini-adventures turned into day trips of surf fishing for Whiting and Pompano, dropping crab-traps in the hopes of pulling it up full, and even night time adventures shrimping and gigging for flounder from a small flat bottom boat. It was a family affair, and we regularly took extended trips to the Florida Keys for deep-sea fishing, diving for spiny lobsters and scallop diving in Homosassa on the gulf coast. We formed meaningful relationships with the local fishermen who noticed, that we were in the water just as often as they were. They became extended family and our home somehow turned into a gathering place for everyone on the weekends. Each day we would always finish with my mother crafting a feast from the day’s adventure. Everyone huddled around a table of peel and eat Pink Shrimp and Stone Crab or Blue Crab were a staple. It was a common occurrence to see 40 lb. bags of shrimp being absorbed during any given evening. To this day, those relationships still remain strong and are some of my fondest childhood memories.
Shortly after high school and as I embarked on my young adult life, I enlisted in the Air Force and invested the next 8 years traveling the world. I spent quality time in Catania, Sicily, which is where I discovered the historic La Pescheria in the city center. A short walk from my apartment, the La Pescheria is Catania’s historic bustling seafood market where you can buy and if you like, taste a huge selection of fresh fish, sardines, and seafood, including clams, mussels, snails and many more. Like home, I became a regular fixture and formed meaningful relationships with a group of mongers who taught me their preparation techniques through frying, grilling and even crudo. This is where I reignited my love of seafood.
After honorably separating from the Air Force, and trying to figure out life’s next steps, I spent the next few years in college and shortly after began working in big tech as a product designer. This career took me around the country from Miami, Orlando to Seattle and San Francisco and later settling in Southern California in 2007. I worked for companies like Disney, ABC Studios and Yahoo! in Los Angeles and more recently a long stint with Amazon Inc. further south.
After years of working in the tech industry, I realized I needed a change. On a whim, I took a sabbatical to decompress and spent the next few months with my wife and kids traveling through Japan, Mexico and back home to Florida. It was here, at a friend’s house eating oysters and crab in the Florida sunshine, just like I used to, that I realized what was missing. At that moment, I decided I will package and brand the seafood experiences that I so much enjoyed growing up within Florida. Enter Hemingway’s Mobile Oyster & Seafood Bars. We have been operating as a Mobile Seafood Bar/Private chef experience since early 2019 and it’s been a personal journey that I feel I should have started years ago. As they say, it’s better late than never.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
With any new business endeavor, driving awareness, building partnerships, and making time is always a challenge. There is never enough time in a day when you run your own business. We’re focused though, and we are hoping our hard work will pay off. We’re active on Social Media and that has been the driving force behind attracting new business, building awareness and discovering possible partnerships.
We’ve done some small scale advertising on Facebook and Instagram that has shown some promise and we will continue to explore those platforms and audiences further. For the short amount of time we have been operating we have had a few repeat customers, so personally, that is extremely rewarding. As we grow, we will continue to explore new partnerships with those who we feel are authentic, customer-centric, and the right fit with our story.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Hemingway’s Mobile Oyster & Seafood Bars – what should we know?
We pride ourselves as offering The Original Key West Seafood Experience in Southern California. Our company is a mobile operation, so we come to you. What sets apart from others is that we are laser-focused on customer service, quality control of our seafood, and are always thinking about how we can elevate our customer’s experience. Our goal is to not just offer good seafood but to create an environment that is both fun and memorable for all of our customers and guest alike. We operate as a Mobile Seafood Bar/Private chef business; supporting weddings, holiday & private parties, corporate events and more. We can support smaller 20 person private events or larger more formal 200 person events. All of our seafood is sourced in accordance with Seafoodwatch.org recommendations. We select seafood that’s fished or farmed in ways that have less impact on the environment and you can rest assured that all product is direct from the source and is of the highest quality and freshness.
Our primary offering is the Hemingway’s Seafood Bar Experience (most popular). Our stylish designer bar is filled with a combination of delicious whole crab and/or claws, fresh oysters, and succulent shrimp all on ice and displayed in a nicely presented format. We source Sweet Pink Shrimp from South Florida and the Gulf, a variety of premium Pacific, Canadian, and Atlantic oysters, and South Florida Stone Crab. We do offer a variety of crab options considering our South Florida Stone Crab is seasonal. In those cases, our substitutes are Jonah Crab (Pacific Stone Crab), Rock Crab, and Dungeness Crab. Additional experiences are the Shrimp Cocktail and Oyster Bars. We have also expanded our offerings to include sides and desserts. Some of our current offerings include crispy conch fritters, smoked fish dip, ceviche, crab guacamole, oyster and uni shooters, colossal shrimp cocktails, octopus salad, and our fan-favorite Key Lime Pie.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My family and friends who shared in the sunshine with me every day growing up and still today. My mother and her fabulous cooking as she has always known how to kick life up a notch. My wife for always encouraging me to chase after my dreams and my two boys to help keep me on track.
Contact Info:
- Website: Hemingways.Catering
- Email: info@hemingways.catering
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hemingways_oyster_seafood_bars/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Hemingwaysseafoodbars/
Image Credit:
Greg Kujda
Suggest a story: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
