Against the Tide: Starfish Turns Struggle into Culinary Glory

It was a particularly meaningful radio show day on Monday at KXFM 104.7 when I greeted my guests and good friends, Archie and Gretchen McConnell, with local (and visitor) favorite, Starfish Asian.When Starfish Laguna first opened its doors, it had the name, the vibe and the ambition but what it didn’t have was much of a safety net. The odds were brutal, the bank accounts were near empty, and the early days felt like a losing battle against the tide. But (then) Gretchen Andrews and Archie McConnell – now the husband-and-wife team behind this now-iconic restaurant – didn’t just hold on. They climbed, scraped and reimagined their way into one of Laguna’s most beloved dining experiences.This is the story of how they turned near-destitution into dazzling success … and why the name Starfish means more than you think.Here’s a quick recap (below) of the above audio replay:How Gretchen first came to managing Starfish and how Archie arrived in those very early days to “help right the listing boat” - docked in “the far outpost” of South Laguna Beach during major strip mall construction and after the mortgage fallout. (Great timing!)Archie’s memories of leaving his 10,000-square-foot restaurant at the Spectrum and arriving to the new Starfish … “with no humans.”Starfish’s first big decisions and wins that started shifting the winds in its favor and how the dining patron has changed in Starfish’s favor.The Starfish famed Opium Happy Hour and its enormous menu (30 food items + specialty cocktails) - why they went in this direction. (Occurring 7 days a week.)ShareThe even larger Starfish lunch and dinner menu and what’s changed in the last couple years since bringing on their corporate chef. Because the menu is so stuffed, they’ve resorted to cool seasonal specials that have knocked it out of the park. Gretchen and Archie list a few to ask for. Listen in to the litany of highest selling food items at Starfish ☝️Details on their first expansion, Starfish Newport at 19 Riverside Ave., Newport Beach, and the enormous kitchen that handles most of their off-site cateringHow their already-healthy take out program became the “800-pound gorilla” during COVID. And how people took to the Starfish cocktails once allowed as to-go items during COVID. 😳Starfish California expansion hopes and plans AND Starfish Outside-of-California expansion plans for this town … soon!Archie and Gretchen talk about life as a married restaurateur couple, their favorite foods in the area and around the world, dinners with their kids, and their first-ever 16-day trip to Thailand.The famed “Lagniappe” - what it means, what it contains and why it placed (once again) as one of the two most popular margaritas in the entire town of Laguna Beach yesterday. If you missed that article, it’s here:YOUR Vote: Top 5 Laguna MargaritasThey talk about their popular off-site catering and group dining as well as their super popular “Starfish On the Water” program for people cruising on a Duffy in Newport waters (great idea!). They even set up the Duffy rides on their website.Starfish Laguna, 30832 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach • 949-715-9200Starfish Newport, 91 Riverside Dr, Newport Beach •. 949-570-3990Both locations: Lunch 11 am- 3 pm – Opium Hour daily 3 pm - 6 pm – Dinner 3 pm to close