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06/29/2021 12:30 PMAfter a two-week soft opening, Liv’s Dockside Grill officially opened on June 21. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner options seven days a week to patrons at Clinton’s Town Dock.
Robert Marcarelli, the director of operations for Liv’s Oyster Bar, said that starting June 21 the stand will be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. Marcarelli said the stand will have the same menu as the Old Saybrook Liv’s Shack. Liv’s Dockside Grill will be open Sunday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Marcarelli said that the stand had already been open for about two weeks so the operators could get a feel for what they’d be able to offer the public. At least to start the year, Marcarelli said that means no breakfast going forward.
“We have been open for two weeks offering breakfast and lunch with a lot of requests to be open for dinner. With that being said, we are having staffing issues like most restaurants in the country so we can only be open a certain amount of time,” said Marcarelli.
Marcarelli said the menu may expand as the busy season hits and if more staff can be hired.
In April, he Town Council announced that JR Restaurant Group had its lease approved to take over the concession stands at the end of Riverside Drive. The same group also runs Liv’s Oyster Bar and Liv’s Shack in Old Saybrook.
“We are thrilled to be in Clinton and to be in such a great spot right on the water. It fits right in our Liv’s Shack brand,” Marcarelli said.
The concession has been a popular dining destination for years, but the site has also undergone major changes over the last three years. For close to a decade the Voss family operated Sal Ds at the stand, which turned into a summer staple for residents and visitors alike. That era ended in 2019 when the town substantially increased the rent and the family chose not to participate in the bid process.
For the past two years, the stand had been known as Clinton Harbor Grill, but the previous operator asked to be released from the final year of his lease due to personal reasons and so the town again went out to find a new tenant and found Liv’s.
Town Manager Karl Kilduff had said the town wanted to find a vendor that had experience in the industry and could attract people to the stand.
“The proposal was from a credible business entity that had strong operating experience in food service and an offered rent which was higher than other proposers,” Kilduff said when Liv’s was announced as the tenant.
Liv’s made its name in 2015 by showcasing its popular hot lobster rolls at farmers markets around the state. A year later Liv’s Shack was started in Old Saybrook and has remained a favored destination in that community.
In a press release Marcarelli said, “We are thrilled to join the Clinton community in this fabulous location right on the water across from other great seafood restaurants like Rocky’s Aqua, Shanks, and Lobster Landing.”