tesg's guide to big chain road food consumption

CHAIN -- Skipper's
Owner -- Privately held
Primary Operating Region -- Pacific Northwest
Number of Locations -- The chain dissolved in 2007...a few independent licensees soldier on for now.

The end came in 2007.

Sure the chain was in bankruptcy, but few really expected the company to dissolve.

Herb Rosen founded Skipper’s in Bellevue, Washington in 1969 and grew it to be one of the big players in fast food fish with over 200 locations across the West and Midwest.  Fargo, North Dakota even had one.  He sold out in 1989 to National Pizza Company, a major Pizza Hut franchisee who eventually also picked up Tony Roma's. 

Everything pretty much went downhill after that.  

Paul Baird, who National Pizza brought in to stop the pain, led a management buyout of Skipper's backed by investment bankers.  The new company was called "Seattle Crab Co.", named after a mid-priced seafood concept they developed and launched in an old Skipper's building.  

Changes were made to the menu, the most notable being a variety of grilled fish items intended to attract a more upscale and health conscious audience.  A new logo (WHY?!?) and design package was launched as well.  But the bleeding continued.  Stores continued to close, and the locations I visited in recent years were older stores only updated with sloppy paint jobs.  Ownership changed hands once again in 2002.

In 2006, Skipper's filed for bankruptcy primarily due to unpaid payroll taxes (some fishy accounting...no pun intended...was alleged).  In 2007, the court approved Skipper's plan to close 23 of the remaining stores and sell the others.  Some, perhaps a dozen or two, would remain operating as independent licensees.  Four existing franchise units would continue.  The licensed package goods (canned chowder and jarred sauces) were sold and expected to continue.  Franchise rights were also up for sale, so I suppose it's possible the chain will be revived.

Skipper’s had a pretty good fish menu, but it was pricey and quality was inconsistent.  The traditional mystery white fish was available in breaded or battered form.  Salmon and halibut were on the menu, as well as shrimp, prawns, and clams.  They also had a “breaded chicken tenderloin”...a nicely seasoned crunchy chicken fillet.  Sides included the usual suspects...fries, hush puppies, and cole slaw...plus baked potatoes and salads.  Upscale items like salmon or chicken Caesar salad came and went.  All of it was cooked or fried to order.

Most locations offered an all-you-can-eat platter or even an all-you-can-eat chowder bowl.  The award-winning chowder was distinct, a favorite among patrons.  Skipper's sold the chowder in a condensed canned version for years before a heat-and-eat version replaced it a couple of years back.  Amazingly, the latter was pretty true to the restaurant chowder.  Unfortunately, it had 12 GRAMS OF TRANS FAT PER CAN.  At least when I bought it, anyway.

Skipper's tartar and cocktail sauces have been widely available in supermarkets for years...but I've never seen grocers carry the canned chowder.  That was only available in the restaurants.

What face your local Skipper's will take as an independent operation is anybody's guess.  I found an open store that already was seeing change...they no longer offered the battered fish, even though they were handing out coupons that offered it.  The chicken was replaced by generic chicken strips.  And Skipper's original chowder was replaced with a generic restaurant chowder.  

Without Skipper's chowder, they might as well change the name of the place.

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