Could a restaurant on New Bedford State Pier bring 200,000 people downtown? What to know.

NEW BEDFORD - Servedwell Hospitality owner Steve Silverstein says his proposed restaurant on State Pier - Homeport - would attract 200,000 people a year.

The $5 million restaurant project is one of seven proposals for the eight-acre State Pier's redevelopment being considered by MassDevelopment.

MassDevelopment is the state’s development finance agency and land bank, and manages the eight-acre, state-owned property.

Silverstein and the other six petitioners presented their proposals during a public hearing in May, hosted by MassDevelopment at the New Bedford Whaling Museum.

Invested almost $15 million in New Bedford

Servedwell Hospitality has invested almost $15 million in New Bedford in the last six years, Silverstein said. It employs about 500 people.

He owns and operates The Black Whale, Cisco, Sail Loft, among other holdings, and soon an upscale Mexican restaurant being completed at the National Club, directly across from State Pier.

Homeport would be reminiscent of the former iconic Boston seafood restaurant, No Name Restaurant.

"A very famous, really great restaurant," Silverstein said.

Would employ 125 people at peak season

Homeport's 6,500-square-feet would seat 300, feature roof-deck dining and include two bars. It would employ 125 people at peak season

"My idea here was to focus on the fishing industry and possibly even tying in with Cassie (Canastra, CEO of Buyers and Sellers Exchange, who wants to move her seafood auction house to State Pier). They offload the fish and it goes right over to our restaurant. And into the frying pan," Silverstein said.

Proposals: New Bedford State Pier proposal makes fishing a destination attraction. What to know.

Homeport would be boat-to-table oriented, focusing on the local species that are landed in New Bedford, he said.

"It would be a much simpler, more family-oriented, more affordable restaurant than something like the Black Whale," Silverstein added.

View to see the great sunsets

The proposed location is important to the venture - the southwest corner. "We want the visibility from Route 18. We want to be looking south and west for the great sunsets."

He added they wouldn't be looking for state help in financing the $5 million proposal.

"Restaurants are very important to downtowns," Silverstein said. "They bring a lot of people, and keep adding to the downtown."

Fourth generation New Bedford native

Silverstein knows a lot about restaurants - and New Bedford.

A fourth generation native, his great-grandfather started a business on a pushcart around 1900, selling dry goods, he said.

That enterprise evolved over nearly 100 years into the family store, Silverstein's.

"I never knew if it was a family store because we were family or because we served family."

Jumping into the frying pan

In 1993, Silverstein said he "jumped from the pot into the frying pan."

"I was running Silverstein's and Silverstein's after running nearly 100 years had become a dinosaur. We had evolved beyond our usefulness and I had this great idea I'd go into the restaurant business," he said.

"Everybody told me I was nuts - but whenever they tell me that it's always a good idea. It means that they just don't quite understand the wisdom to it."

Proposals: New Bedford State Pier park facility proposed by American Cruise Lines

Not Your Average Joe's grew into 30 restaurants

He opened up Not Your Average Joe's, which grew to 30 restaurants in six states.

He retired from the chain in 2018 but kept the first restaurant, redubbed Joe's Original.

He went on to buy the former Davey's Locker, which became Cisco's, and the Black Whale, and then the Sail Loft.

New Bedford State Pier can be 'transformative'

Silverstein added, "I think the Black Whale is the best example of what Servedwell Hospitality does. It's really been phenomenally successful, the most successful thing that I've done."

His backstory is "testimony to the power of what's going on in New Bedford, and I think that State Pier is going to be transformative."

A MassDevelopment review committee is considering the seven proposals and will make recommendations. A decision deadline has not been set.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: New restaurant eyed for New Bedford State Pier, 1 of 7 proposals