DURHAM, N.C. — The finishing touches are up at Saint James Seafood restaurant. After setbacks, the business on Main Street in Durham's Brightleaf District is reopening. 

Saint James Seafood closed after the 2019 gas explosion in Durham

The restaurant features seafood from the Eastern coastline

Saint James Seafood is located on Main Street in Durham’s Brightleaf District 

Owner and Executive Chef Matt Kelly first opened the restaurant in 2017. 

"I know a lot of my colleagues are ready for some movement. We are at the point at Saint James that's do or die," Kelly said. 

The restaurant first closed its doors in 2019 following the gas explosion that killed two people. After the business recovered and reopened in 2020, then came the COVID-19 pandemic. Saint James Seafood shut down for a second time 39 days later. 

"The gas explosion is something that happened in the past, pandemic for two years, managing that and starting new every time and being grateful and happy," Kelly said. 

Kelly is the owner of three other restaurants in the Bull City. He first discovered his love for the industry while he was working as a dishwasher in college. 

"There was a moment. I was shutting the dishwasher door, and I said, 'I really enjoy this.' There's a bunch of great people in here," Kelly said. "Food was always a centerpiece of our family get-togethers." 

Saint James Seafood will continue to feature seafood from the eastern coastline and local fish from the North Carolina coast.

The original floors from the car dealership that stood in Saint James' dining room still remain, but Kelly says there are changes. 

"Each time we've reopened, we want to refine and listen to our guests, we got a lot of requests for steamed seafood," Kelly said. 

The restaurant will be open Wednesday through Sunday for dinner service. 

"With a pandemic over two years, you realize there is not one answer, so you have to be adaptable and continue to move and adapt with your team," Kelly said.