The tide is coming in for Munchies Grill, a saltwater poolside café overlooking the Rappahannock River in Lancaster.
Michael Siler opened Munchies at Yankee Point Marina on Memorial Day. He’s since launched a crab festival in July and enjoyed a record weekend over Labor Day. Chesapeake Bank and Chesapeake Payment Systems are excited about his vision for the place.
At the grill
Munchies Grill offers a tent, tables, and a picnic area for seated dining, which can be reserved for special events. A mobile food cart and bar also offers catering to events on-site.
Tucked away, there are only two other restaurants within a 15 mile radius. Patrons can drive out or arrive by boat and tie off at the dock.
His most recent purchase has been five televisions that he connects on Sundays for the 1:00 and 4:00 NFL games. Where he also offers specials like frog legs and sliders, as well as discounts on pitchers of beer and regular menu items.
About the chef.
“I fell in love with the area and the water, and I gave up everything in Richmond,” says Michael, a Richmond native who relocated to the Northern Neck in 2019.
He’s a self-taught chef who’s been cooking since he was a child. “Seeing people enjoy my food and taste my recipes to see how delicious they are – it’s special,” says Michael. “I’ve been doing this my whole life.”
Good things are on the horizon.
Michael’s big plans for the restaurant include online orders which can be picked up dockside or by land, and delivery services for both terrains. He’s purchasing a VHF radio before year’s end to offer boaters another means to call in mobile orders.
Munchies is one of two restaurants on-site. The Captain’s Table (formerly Windows on the Water) is an indoor sit-down experience overlooking the water, which Michael will open as soon as the ABC license is in place.
Michael hopes he can later turn this business into a mentorship program for young men looking for a change of lifestyle and to help them learn responsibility. “A lot of kids make mistakes, and I’d love to have a second-chance program for those who wholeheartedly want to get clean,” Michael says. “Maybe they will pay it forward or build from there."
Worth the wait.
Michael’s vision could bring exciting benefits to our community and to such a remote location. Munchies Grill will need the community’s support now to help them get where he wants to go.
Because Michael partners with other small businesses in the community, such as Rogue Oysters, Chris’s Seafood, and Happy Bottom Cheesecakes, you’re supporting several local businesses, when you dine with him.
When you visit, know this also means your serving time is the same as a full-service dining experience. “When people come to my place, they expect the food to be ready as quickly as fast food,” says Michael. “We make everything from scratch. We cut the fries and shuck the oysters, but once people taste the food, they understand the difference.”
However far you’re willing to go, Chesapeake Bank and Chesapeake Payment Systems want to help.
Whether you’re starting a restaurant, a retail store or a homebased business, Chesapeake can help you get started. We get excited about passion, innovation, and opportunities to grow. We always want to support those willing to invest in our communities.
In the early stages, formulating a plan can be challenging for any business owner or non-profit. Our business development officers want to get connected to you early in the process to provide a free financial review, recommend bank products if needed, and connect you with community resources that can help you meet your goals.
Many times the lending relationship comes after these first steps are in place and a business is well established.
Our Chesapeake Payment Systems team has the technology to take your business to the next level with the Chesapeake Point of Sale system that offers online ordering and wireless credit card terminals for accepting payments.
When we can hear where you want to go with your business and see the obstacles you face, our team can help you identify the steps and tools you need to get there.
We’re a phone call away. Contact our Business Development Officers now to review your plans at 877-695-8239.