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From Stock Market to Fish Market: Case Studies By Phil Walsh Seafood Leader January/February 1995 Eddie Freeman opened Freeman's Fish Market in Maplewood, N.J., back in 1987. He'd been a vice president at a Wall Street brokerage house and decided to go into the fish business instead. "I opened this store because I knew I could make a living at it, because the town needed it and because I wanted to have the best fish market in New Jersey." Towards that end, Freeman prowls New York's Fulton Market every morning looking for just the right fish. "Sure, I bring a market list in, but I'll buy anything that catches my eye," he says, proudly displaying a bucket of iced smelts. "Smell these; they smell like cucumbers, don't they? That's what freshsmelts smell like." Along with quality, the store keys on customer service: "We peel shrimp, crack stone crab claws, stuff flounder, poach salmon-you name it. This is a specialty shop and we know our product. We create a comfort level on products that many people are not familiar with, but would like to be." Likewise, the store is staffed by the kind of people you want to buy food from. It's a neighborhood store, whether you're a neighbor or not, and anyone who walks in the door is warmly greeted. "I was a civilian recently enough to know that fresh seafood can be intimidating," says Freeman. "It's expensive and you don't want to make a mistake in preparation. My customers walk out of here with just the right amount of fish for what they're doing, with fish that's as near perfect as it can get, and with a good idea of how to cook it. If we don't do that for them, they'll eat fish anyway-at a restaurant. That's a piece of market share we work hard for. Freeman's Fish Market maintains a soft, green atmosphere, one which manages to accentuate the naturalness and purity of the product they sell. "The plants?" chuckles Freeman. "No, they're no accident. A pain in the neck to keep up, but I like what they do for the store." Most of all, they enjoy their work The challenges that seafood is presenting them with;today are just that challenges. They see no obstacles to further growth in sales and pro~ts~ot as long as they continue to be teachable, to meet new suppliers and to listen to their customers. They make a very convincing case.