Seaview Crab Company Launches Online Ordering and Delivery

When Seaview Crab Company was founded 18 years ago, owners Sam and Joe Romano and Nathan King had little more than crab pots, a pickup truck and a hand-painted sign advertising fresh blue crabs. They spent the first three years selling out of the back of the truck before they were able to take over a fish market at 6458 Carolina Beach Road, which is still in operation today.

The friends opened a second location at 1515 Marstellar St., which serves as a market as well as a kitchen and deli led by chef Sam McKibbin. The kitchen serves chef-inspired seafood dishes, seafood platters and steam plates along with soups, salads, sandwiches and daily specials. There are also plenty of grab-n-go sides, dips, snacks and desserts to choose from in addition to condiments and seasonings.

“We’ve tried to make it as much of a one-stop shop as possible,” King said.

Over time, Seaview saw a need for shipping fresh, North Carolina-caught seafood across the state and beyond, so they created an online platform for ordering and shipping.

Next up was a food truck led by chef Tim Bosse that launched last year. The truck serves many of the popular kitchen items.  Meanwhile, Seaview continues to provide seafood to several area markets such as Biggers Market and the Belville and Castle Hayne open-air markets.

Always looking to enhance the shopping experience for its customers, Seaview has launched a new online platform, Seaview Crab Express that facilitates advance ordering for pickup or delivery from the Carolina Beach Road and Marstellar Street locations. The platform allows customers to see real-time pricing and availability and place orders up to a week in advance. Orders made several days in advance are of course subject to availability.

“Our inventory changes daily,” King said, “So this is a great way for people to see what’s available without having to call or come by the store. It’s all about making it easier for people to shop for the freshest local seafood.”

King and his partners recognize that making multiple stops for groceries sometimes keeps people from shopping at specialty markets such as Seaview, even though their product is often fresher than what’s available in grocery stores.

“Having to make another stop and not really knowing if you’ll find what you’re looking for can be frustrating when you’re short on time,” King said. “By offering an online platform where customers can place orders before they leave work and pick them up on the way home or schedule for delivery provides easier access.”

The in-store pickup is offered Wednesday through Saturday, and the order cut-off time is noon for same-day pickup. For home delivery, the cut-off time is 10 a.m. There is a flat $5 fee for delivery, which extends throughout Wilmington and Leland. A map of the delivery area is available on the website.

King and his partners have learned that seafood is mostly eaten on the weekends when friends and family are likely to gather for a meal or when people have more time to prepare and enjoy a homecooked meal. Seaview Crab Express allows for peace of mind when it comes to planning these meals and offers a wide variety of options from blue crabs to snow crab legs, lobster, clams, mussels and oysters.

“The steamed crabs have really been catching on,” King said. “It’s great to be able to preorder for a gathering. We’re hoping to get the word out about the low country boils as preorder options as well, but it’s also great for just everyday meal planning.”