Business & Tech
Ford's First Year Takes the Hook, Line and Sinker
The fish shack is meeting demand for seafood in Ashburn, and may add oyster bar.
One year and 9,000 lobster rolls ago, Ford’s Fish Shack opened its doors to Ashburn. The family-owned and -operated restaurant celebrated its anniversary last week with $1.00 oysters on the halfshell all week as an extension of its thanks to its loyal patrons.
“We chose oysters because on this side of Loudoun County, there are not many restaurants that serve oysters,” said owner Tony Stafford. “We want to increase awareness and have even talked about opening up an oyster bar area in the future.”
During the anniversary promotion, Ford’s sold 500 to 600 oysters every day, an indication that there is a market for the oyster bar.
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“We get great tasting, fresh oysters here,” Stafford said, adding that he is proud to serve them.
The restaurant’s most popular menu items have been the fish and chips and muscles, which can be confirmed by asking just about anyone that has dined at Ford’s. Susan M. of Fredrick, MD, said in a review on Yelp, “My car bumper should have a sticker that reads: I BRAKE FOR FISH AND CHIPS and believe me, I will brake in front of Ford's as often as I can get anywhere near Ashburn or Dulles Airport.”
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Tony Stafford’s goal for his next year in business is to “keep trying to serve great food” and increase the catering side of the business.
“We want to do more lobster bakes,” he explained.
When Ford’s opened last year, many people were skeptical of how well the restaurant would do in its location at Ice Rink Plaza where two other restaurants failed. To that, Stafford said, “There are great people here in Ashburn and there is no better location for us to be in.”
One of the biggest problems that Ford’s has faced is its small space. The restaurant generally has a wait at lunch and dinner time and that can turn people looking for an intimate meal away. Stafford is aware of these problems and has hired sound engineers to work on the building’s acoustics. Those wishing to avoid the crowds are invited for $5 appetizers during the slow times from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and after 8 p.m.
All and all, with 3,200 guests walking through his restaurant’s doors a week, Tony Stafford said he “couldn’t ask for more.”
