Morro Bay oyster farmer opening a retail shop on the Embarcadero
Morro Bay has long been home to a thriving oyster-farming business — where visitors can get them fresh farmed out of the bay in restaurants and fish markets.
Now, a local shellfish farmer wants to bring his product to the waterfront in the form of a retail business located near near Tognazzini’s Dockside Restaurant.
George Trevelyan, owner of Grassy Bar Oyster Co., plans to sell oysters and clams out of a 150-square-foot retail space.
The store will serve oysters on the half shell as well, as part of its walk-in operation.
It has been approved for a minor-use permit and anticipates opening at 1215 Embarcadero D in May, Trevelyan said.
“We are still working out the details for barbecuing out front,” Trevelyan said.
The store will be standing-room-only for customers. No alcohol will be served, but they likely will offer bottled water, soft drinks and kombucha, Trevelyan said.
Public seating is available on an upstairs deck of the building.
Morro Bay oysters have California presence
Trevelyan has farmed oysters for years in Morro Bay, growing about 1.5 million shellfish annually from juveniles to full-grown, tasty morsels.
His business sells oysters “fresh and intact” to restaurants and markets throughout the state of California, including San Diego, Monterey and San Francisco.
Trevelyan also is pursuing state permitting to use depuration tanks to hold oysters, a process that could take months.
Depuration involves keeping the shellfish in containers filled with marine water, funneled in from the bay, for a period of time to allow the cleansing of biological contaminants.
“My little oyster store has windows on the side, and customers will be able to see the plant operation in the back,” Trevelyan said.
Morro Bay business uses tanks to cleanse shellfish
Trevelyan said the holding tanks can be used year-round and will help employ workers during the winter months when Morro Bay’s oyster beds are closed to direct harvests under regulatory guidelines.
In past years, he’s had to lay off staff during the period when harvesting is prohibited — but he’ll be able to keep those workers employed with the addition of the depuration tanks and work they can do to grow oysters at the plant.
“I’ve been looking around for years for a spot,” Trevelyan said. “Basically, you take oysters out of the bay and run them through purified seawater. You have to make sure the conditions are sterile, so no bugs get in. It’s quite an expensive endeavor.”
Trevelyan, who operates the business with his son, Charles, will meet with state Department of Public Health inspectors in coming weeks.
The business is located in a building developed Bob Fowler, who holds a lease on the site with the city. The two-story commercial building has five tenant spaces, two of them currently occupied, Fowler said.
Besides Trevelyan, Patriot Sportfishing also occupies tenant space there.
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