RALEIGH, N.C. — A new seafood market in Raleigh is trying to provide fresh seafood for the Triangle.

Ryan Spekman is the co-owner of Locals Seafood along with Lin Peterson. They focus on selling fresh locally sourced seafood from the North Carolina coast.

What You Need To Know

  • Locals Seafood market opened a new location in Raleigh recently

  • All of its products come from North Carolina fish markets

  • Most of seafood sold in the U.S. is imported

The dream to open a market struck Spekman after living among commercial fishermen in the Outer Banks. 

“I really came to appreciate, like, truly fresh seafood,” Spekman said. “I also came to appreciate all the myriad of species that we offer in North Carolina that we catch.” 

The business started with a truck and cooler on the side of the road. But one truck has turned into a thriving market that shares the best seafood on the coast.

“A lot of people go to the beach to get North Carolina seafood. So we're bringing it here for the Triangle customer to have easy access to it,” Spekman said.

Roughly 70% to 85% of the seafood sold and eaten in the United States is imported, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

“A lot of the fish that are sold in North Carolina are not caught here,” said Sid Tatum, a driver for Locals Seafood and a former fisherman. “It’s really important for us to get fresh local product.“ 

They're striving to make sure they’re getting the freshest catch and supporting the local fishing industry.   

“Everything from the fish packers to the truck drivers, very important part of our economy," Tatum said. 

From the fishermen to the market and on to a plate, the team at Locals Seafood thinks about the impact of how they do business from start to finish.

Their new location opened May 18 in east Raleigh. They hope the work continues to bring a taste of the coast to the rest of North Carolina.