Famous for its lobsticle and lobster grinder seafood dishes, Slapfish Food Truck has hit the brakes on its mobile operation.
Chefs Andrew Gruel and Jethro Naude have turned in their truck keys so they can focus on opening a brick and mortar restaurant. With over 20 years of combined experience in the restaurant industry, the veteran food service operators said they never intended to keep the truck going.
Instead, the truck was "a marketing vehicle to use until we found a location for our restaurant," Gruel said.
The new restaurant is slated to open next month at 19696 Beach Blvd. in Huntington Beach. Gruel is also scouting Orange County for a second location expected to open later this year.
In Huntington Beach, Slapfish will modernize and expand the food truck's menu to create a fast-casual seafood shack. The seasonally-driven menu will use responsibly sourced, fresh and healthy seafood, Gruel said.
"We buy everything direct from the fisherman," said Gruel. "There's no middleman. This allows us to sell high quality seafood for fast food prices."
Every four months Slapfish will host a "Top Fish" contest in search of the perfect addition to its rotating menu. The winning dish will be named after the winner, who will eat it free any time they come into the restaurant.
