Today we’d like to introduce you to Dwight Colton.
Dwight, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in a very large family. All of the children shared in kitchen chores, peeling potatoes, kneading dough, prepping food and washing dishes so I guess restaurant work has always been in my blood.
I started in restaurants bussing tables in Flagstaff AZ when I was 13. I quickly moved into kitchen work, prepping, line cook and was offered a kitchen manager position in a restaurant in Phoenix when I was 18 years old.
One day, a friend of mine stopped by to tell me about a new restaurant opening in Phoenix called “The Fish Market”, his enthusiasm about the restaurant got me intrigued and I applied for a cook’s position at their “Top of the Market”. I was hired in February of 1986 and have enjoyed growing with the company for the last 31 years.
I served as Sous Chef at the Phoenix Top of the Market, became the first executive Chef of the Top of the Market San Diego in 1989 – 1993 when I decided to round out my experience and take the GM position of the Phoenix location.
1998, I accepted a promotion to Regional Manager of our 4 Bay Area locations. From there promoted to Vice President of Operations in 2006.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Never a smooth road. The restaurant industry is a daily challenge. It is ever changing and one day is never the same as another. Whether it is meeting the challenges of a rapidly changing workforce or adapting to changes to the environment that effect the seafood industry, it can be a struggle to manage all of the changes and continue to provide our guests with outstanding service and deliver on our pledge of serving the highest quality and freshest seafoods.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are a privately held restaurant group featuring 6 high-volume seafood houses, 2 in Southern CA and 4 in the SF Bay Area. We have been in business since 1976, featuring the largest selection of fresh seafood in any competing restaurant. All of our restaurants feature a retail market where we proudly display off of our days catch for guests to buy to cook at home.
We believe what sets us apart from others if the fact that we consider ourselves Seafood people in the restaurant business vs. a restaurant who sells seafood. We treat our employees as family which shows in the fact we have several who have been with us for over 20 years which is unheard of in the restaurant business.
What were you like growing up?
Energetic. Loved being outdoors, hiking, skiing, biking – anything outside.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thefishmarket.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefishmkt/, https://www.instagram.com/topofthemarketsd/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefishmarketsandiego/, https://www.facebook.com/topofthemarketsandiego/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/thefishmarkets, https://twitter.com/TopoftheMarket
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-fish-market-san-diego-2, https://www.yelp.com/biz/top-of-the-market-san-diego-san-diego-3
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/thefishmarket/, https://www.youtube.com/user/fishmarketrestaurant
Image Credit:
The Fish Market Restaurants
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