Matt’s Fish Camp hires chef, turns page after founder's death
Maurice Catlett walked into the SoDel Concepts' headquarters. The trendy office space is nestled quietly above the Bake Shoppe on Rehoboth Avenue. Its white walls feature bright eclectic artwork and several antique mirrors. Vases with fresh flowers and whimsical furniture are scattered about.
Catlett walked over to the long, white wooden table in the center of the space. His grey T-shirt, with the company's logo embroidered on the chest pocket, hung loosely from his strong, 5-foot-10 frame.
He sat at the table and opened a bottle of Matt's Homemade Soda Root Beer, sipping the beverage slowly.
SoDel's logo was also embroidered on his dark gray baseball hat. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, his dark eyes peering out from under the hat's brim.
"Yeah, there's a lot of pressure, but our team is ready," he said, quietly. "I'm ready."
Hanging on the wall behind Catlett was a framed picture of the company's late founder Matt Haley.
Just months after receiving three of the culinary world's highest honors, Haley died in a motorcycle accident in August 2014. His sudden death temporarily threw the company into uncertainty and turmoil. But it's been nearly two years since, and things are more than secure.
READ MORE: Learn about Matt Haley's life as a restauranteur and philanthropist
The eight SoDel Concepts restaurants in Ocean View, Bethany Beach, Fenwick Island, Rehoboth Beach and Lewes that operated while Haley was alive, are thriving. So is the company's catering company, the food truck Big Thunder Roadside Kitchen and its hospitality consulting and management divisions.
This June, a ninth restaurant will open in Lewes. Its the first expansion without Haley, and Catlett has been selected to oversee the new restaurant's kitchen, as the executive chef.
"It's a tremendous honor," he said, motioning to the picture of Haley. "I just want to make Matt proud."
From dishwasher to executive chef
Catlett has been with SoDel Concepts for seven years. His story is one full of redemption and grit, perseverance and second chances. Over the years, he has climbed the industry ladder, working his way up from washing dishes to earning the position of executive chef.
He grew up in Dover, where money was tight, but love and big family meals were abundant. His parents were happily married, he said, which was a rarity among nearly all of his friends.
"My parents supported everything I did, and they taught me what love looks like," he said. "I never grew up wondering if I mattered."
Somewhere along the way, though, Catlett fell into the wrong crowd. He was in and out of jail and eventually dropped out of high school. Throughout his 20s, he lived paycheck to paycheck, working odd jobs to get by.
Things changed when his daughter was born.
"I wanted to do more for her," he said. "I knew I had to do more for her."
Catlett moved to the Delaware beach area in 2000 and secured a job at Adriatico Italian Restaurant washing dishes and making salads. Six months later, he was running the kitchen.
"It was a disaster," he said. "I was in way over my head."
That Christmas, the restaurant closed and Haley bought the business. Nearly everyone was let go but Haley had a soft spot for the inexperienced kitchen manager.
"He was the first person in a very long time who believed in me," Catlett said. "He saw my potential. He wanted to see me succeed."
Catlett was aware of what Haley was trying to accomplish with SoDel Concepts and wanted to be a part of it. He agreed to a job, and went back to washing dishes. During those first months, though, tensions often ran high between the two. Catlett and Haley both came from troubled pasts and were very much alike, in more ways than one.
"That July, I couldn't take it anymore," he said. "I walked out. I still had a criminal mind. I couldn't pay my bills. I just, I didn't see the point."
But Haley and Scott Kammerer, who is now president of SoDel Concepts, didn't let him walk away.
"That was the first time I really met Scott and he was rooting for me, he was in my corner and he barely knew me," he said. "They offered me a salary, asked me not to leave, and to have faith. I honestly don't know where I would be if they had let me go. I'll never forget what they did for me."
Catlett went on to work at Fish On in Lewes under chef Jen Meyers, and was promoted to executive chef in 2012. Already during his short career, he has had many prestigious cooking opportunities, including the chance to cook at the James Beard House, twice.
When Kammerer was looking for an executive chef for the company's newest restaurant, the choice was immediately clear.
"I have thoroughly enjoyed watching Maurice blossom into one of the best chefs in coastal Delaware," he said. "The best is ahead for him and for the group."
What to expect
The new SoDel Concepts restaurant, a second Matt's Fish Camp, will open in Lewes this June.
The seafood eatery, located in the Tenley Court shopping center on Route 1, will have similar characteristics of the original Matt's Fish Camp in Bethany Beach, but it will have its own attitude, Catlett said.
At 3,200 square feet, the new restaurant will accommodate 90 people in the dining room, and will feature a full service 12-seat-bar, as well as a freshly stocked raw bar.
Read more about the new Matt's Fish Camp
The menu will feature fan favorites such as lobster deviled eggs, hot bacon crab dip, fresh catch options and Matt's Fish Camp stew, as well as new selections like homemade chicken pot pie, shrimp BLT pasta and country fried steak.
"Matt’s Fish Camp is all about cooking simple, delicious and local seafood in a friendly restaurant where everyone feels welcome," he said. "And making people feel welcomed is what I intend to do with every meal."
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