It’s full-speed ahead for seafood restaurant and sports bar Ocean Shack.
The restaurant at 2163 N. Glebe Road in Waverly Hills opened its doors six months ago, replacing the former local watering hole Thirsty Bernie.
Rather than employing a more traditional marketing approach, the eatery has been sharing content from local lifestyle influencers with big social media followings on Instagram. The joint posts have been garnering hundreds to tens of thousands of likes apiece on the social network.
“We had quite a few influencers come and they love our food,” co-owner Tea Shao told ARLnow. “And of course they spread the word on social media.”
Shao would not say whether the influencers were compensated in some way for their posts and declined to further discuss the marketing strategy.
The posts highlighting the restaurant’s offerings, including a new all-you-can-eat option, have allowed Ocean Shack to gain a large volume of social media impressions — and have triggered an increase in customers.
Under the all-you-can-eat deal, patrons select three starters — from various fried fish to more traditional sides like french fries — before crafting their seafood boil, choosing from items such as blue crab, clams, mussels and more for $57.99.
Early returns show that the new deal is a hit with customers. One Instagram commenter said that the restaurant was “stepping up their game,” while many others have praised the variety and visual quality of the food.
“We definitely had a lot of business because of this,” Shao said. “But of course, we have different options for different people.”
The popular addition is one of many tweaks since the restaurant’s opening that have resulted in a wider menu and a broader dining environment.
Ocean Shack’s original menu had many similarities to that of sister restaurant Ocean Crab in Chantilly, but it quickly became apparent that Ocean Shack would have to become its own eatery. More non-fried options have also joined the menu, something Shao says came from adapting to feedback from the local community.
“We understand especially in this area that people love to eat healthy,” Shao said. “So, because of that we also made some changes to our menu.”
The updates go further than just what’s on the menu. The restaurant offers 20% off all mussel dishes on Mondays, followed by similar “Taco Tuesday” and “Wing Wednesday” deals. Live bands of varying genres perform on Thursdays, while the occasional open mic night is held thanks to a karaoke system.
However, the kinks still must be ironed out. The restaurant has received criticism for poor service online — claims that Shao said come with most any new restaurant.
“We’ll keep addressing the comments or anything that people have told us,” Shao said, “whether it’s about the food or the service.”
