When a Culinary Dream Finds its Harbor
Embracing the challenge of taking on a new business required the confidence found in the enduring performance and reliability of Vollrath kitchen equipment — stability that turned a high-risk decision into a sustainable new venture.
Who leaves stable corporate jobs to move their family to a vacation destination during a pandemic? Meet Scott and Sarah Bennett, owners and operators of Harbor Fish Market & Grille in Bailey’s Harbor. Situated on the lakeside of Door County peninsula in Wisconsin, this cozy town is known for its natural beauty and vibrant culinary scene.
Scott, who manages the restaurant’s front-of-house operations and maintenance, enjoys telling the story of this beautiful building. Constructed in 1908 and later serving as a community center, roller rink, movie theater, and boarding house, the building boasts the original bar top and floors.
“When you walk in, you’re wowed by the bar and the view, and then you just have this really interesting feeling of like this is a special place. This is a place where you feel comfortable,” Scott said.
A Dream Realized
Sarah Bennett, who manages the back-of-house and day-to-day operations, caught the cooking bug at an early age while spending time in the kitchen with her grandma.
“I especially loved when you would cook for somebody and see how happy that made them,” Sarah said. “That gave me a lot of energy. I knew I always wanted to be a chef, even when I was little, and I eventually wanted to have my own restaurant.”
Sarah’s buried dream resurfaced in 2020. Although they lived in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Sarah’s heart has long been in Bailey’s Harbor. She said business in Door County continued to grow, reassuring them that leaving their corporate jobs and moving their family was the right thing to do, even during a time of uncertainty.
“It felt very safe to us. We also knew the area because we had a property up here. Scott’s job had connections, so we knew a lot of other restaurant owners up here already, and we had friends established here,” she said.
Equipped for Excellence
Sarah maintains their journey has been serendipitous. When they first explored buying the restaurant, she saw the kitchen was stocked with Vollrath cookware and utensils, which felt like home in Sheboygan. And she knew that when it came time to upgrade the kitchen equipment, the replacements would also be Vollrath.
Before upgrading to Vollrath equipment, Scott said they learned a lot about the importance of reliability when their griddle and steam table stopped working. “We can’t have a piece of equipment break in in the middle of season.”
“We do a lot of volume, so we wanted to make sure that it was durable enough that it could withstand a beating every day. It’s going to be a consistent, reliable partner in the kitchen.”
Sarah Bennett
This need for reliability led to replacing their old steam table with the Vollrath 2-Series back-of-house hot food station. “It was so much easier to clean. And the temperature controls were precise. It was really easy for us to integrate into our line,” Scott said.
When it came time to replace their charbroiler, they decided on Vollrath for that too. “We are open from 9 to 9, six or seven days a week. … We need it to work, and it needs to be consistent,” he said. “And the Vollrath equipment, no matter how long we run, it performs beautifully.”
It’s the Small Things
Sarah said the quality of smallwares makes a big difference, from spatulas that won’t chip, to cookware with secure handles. Other Vollrath products in their kitchen include tongs, ladles, can openers, steam table pans, perforated pans, bain-maries, warewashing racks, and bakeware. Vollrath’s sheet pans work great for thawing seafood.
“When I pick something up, it just feels better. It feels more quality [made],” Scott said. They value the peace of mind that comes with knowing Vollrath products aren’t going to break, especially important during their fast-paced summer business.
“That’s exactly why we will continue to choose Vollrath,” Sarah added. “There’s like one hundred other things to worry about. And that’s just one thing we don’t have to worry about anymore.”
A Piece of Stoelting History
Scott and Sarah have reinvested in the building, including heating and cooling upgrades, seating improvements, and new kitchen equipment. But one of their most exciting upgrades has been reviving the custard shop. When it was time to reopen it, they found a piece of Stoelting history.
The previous owners had a frozen custard machine, which, Sarah said, was made by Ross, which was acquired by Stoelting. “So, there is still the connection there with Vollrath, and we have a piece of old Stoelting Ross history.” They estimate the custard machine is at least 25 years old, and of course it still works.
“That’s been exciting, but it’s also been a fun passion project for us because you feel so happy when you’re in that space,” Sarah said. “If you have lunch or dinner here at the restaurant … you can just stroll right next door and get a scoop of gelato or frozen custard.”
Chef Approved
Sarah and Scott said they appreciate Vollrath’s reliability and history of quality. They both love how Vollrath cookware heats evenly for consistent results every time, as do their executive chef, Curtis Massad, and their kitchen manager, Dan.
Chef Curtis, who has years of culinary experience and training and has been at Harbor Fish Market & Grille since 2018, was a source of stability during the transition of ownership.
“Curtis is definitely a strong proponent on our team. We could not do this restaurant without him on our crew,” Sarah said. “Dan and Curtis work really well.”
Curtis said his first impression of Scott and Sarah was ambitious, especially since moving into a new industry is a bold undertaking. But they’ve approached it gracefully, and it’s paying off. He said they’re both wonderful to work for, collaborative and creative in their own ways.
“Every single piece of equipment that you could need, Vollrath makes and has a superior quality.”
Curtis Massad
“From a restaurant standpoint, we are heavily equipped for success,” Curtis said. “We have every piece of equipment we could ever need. The view is incredible, so that brings people in. And the food is even better, so that keeps them coming back.”
Their menu changes seasonally, which not only provides variety for their guests, but also leverages their relationships with farms to use fresh, local produce. “Menu development is a great collaboration between Scott, Sarah, myself, and our kitchen manager. We pull from different cultures,” Curtis said.
Sarah said they appreciate Curtis’ motivation, precision and open-mindedness. “One thing I love about working with him is I can toss out ideas or food combinations that I’ve been playing around with, and he can kind of make it come to life.”
A big fan of Wear-Ever® cookware, Curtis said, “I love my Vollrath pans, every size and model of them. They heat up very quickly. I have everything I need, whether it be cooking 50 scallops at once to cooking … one piece of Chilean sea bass. Each pan has a purpose, and they all perform incredibly.”
Harbor Fish Market & Grille is known for its lobster boils, a unique Cape Cod twist on the Door County fish boil tradition. Curtis said their seafood-heavy kitchen requires precise temperature control for cooking everything from delicate fish to robust pieces of meat. “Vollrath equipment helps us maintain quality, because no matter the time, you always reach for a Vollrath pan, and it’s perfect in every way.”
He also appreciates his Vollrath griddle and charbroiler for their high-heat capabilities and perfect grill marks. “The recovery rate of the Vollrath charbroiler is near instantaneous. After you pull your steaks, your seafood, your salmon off of the grill, it’s right back to where you need it for the next steak.”
“In my kitchen, we use the griddle [for] anything from French toast, chicken breasts, pan-seared whitefish, you name it. A wagyu burger. We’ll use it for anything we can,” he said. “Temperature control is perfect.”
Curtis appreciates how their Vollrath hot food station maximizes food quality and minimizes waste. “I would absolutely recommend Vollrath’s 2-Series serving system to my work colleagues, other chefs in the industry, based on its reliability, its durability, and its ease in cleaning.”
Curtis’ favorite Vollrath utensils include the 12-inch scalloped tongs and the 9-inch SoftSpoon™. “Whether it’s scraping or scooping, it’s versatile, feels great in your hand, and it’ll do anything you need it to do. … Vollrath tools support our speed and precision through durability. You know Vollrath’s total cost of ownership.”
A Culture of Consistency
Given Door County’s popularity, Sarah said they have up to 45 employees during summer’s peak, always keeping training on point to maintain consistency and quality of service.
“If you come into the bar, you can get your favorite cocktail made the same way every time. You sit down to dinner, you know the menu changes seasonally, but you know it’s always going to be consistent to what we do and how we serve it,” Scott said. “Our personal interaction makes you feel really comfortable and at home, and we want to empower every employee to really feel that way.”
“I truly feel like this is my heart, so it’s not hard for me to wake up every day,” Sarah said. “The instant gratification that both of us get from working with customers and being involved in the day to day has been what drives me.”
“You’re celebrating some of their biggest moments — family outings, anniversaries, engagements, weddings, just being part of their story and their history,” Scott said.
“We always get asked, what’s it like working with your spouse? And I’m like, it’s actually really wonderful,” Sarah said.
Vollrath is proud to partner with Harbor Fish Market & Grille to help families celebrate life’s moments.