When the smoke cleared, Ruley was declared the winner for his crabmeat hash, made with Manchego cheese and Anson Mill white grits and a Nocello-candy corn butter jus. It was all topped with a sunny-side-up egg. Jester made a semolina-fried crab cake with walnut-scented bacon-Brussels sprouts-pumpkin hash and Old Bay frozen yogurt.

“Since it opened in Bethany Beach more than 10 years ago, Bluecoast has become a nationally recognized, award-winning restaurant,” Kammerer said. “Now our customers in the Lewes and Rehoboth Beach area don’t need to cross the Indian River Inlet bridge to experience their favorite restaurant.”

The new Bluecoast Seafood Grill will be open year-round, serving lunch and dinner. The restaurant — 4,500-square-feet inside and 2,500-square-feet outside — will be able to accommodate 250 guests. The large outdoor gathering area will feature fire pits, a fully stocked bar and an acoustic stage.

The restaurant managers and the directors of operations selected the employees. “As a criteria, we ask the managers to look for employees who represent out company culture and our mission.”

“As a company, it’s been an honor to carry on Matt’s passion for giving back to the community,” said Nelia Dolan, marketing director of SoDel Concepts. “At the same time, we are creating our own legacy with a new generation of the SoDel Concepts family. The primary mission of SoDel Cares is to contribute to the communities in which we live and work.”

“We were totally surprised and pleased when the staff at Seaford High School nominated us for the award,” Burkle said. “We love meeting young people who’re interested in the restaurant business and talking about career paths available to them in this industry.”

“Our Servers are taught how to talk about wine, suggest pairings and properly serve it,” he said. “We also want our team to learn all facets of the industry, which includes visiting farms and wineries.”

"We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of support we received this year from our community. We received donated goods and services from so many fellow business people and friends, and the turnout for the event was amazing," said Lindsey Barry, SoDel's controller.

Matt's Fish Camp, named after the company's late founder Matt Haley, is the ninth restaurant to be opened by SoDel Concepts.

“Our people are people,” SoDel CEO Scott Kammerer said. “They should have lives and feel like they can spend time with their families. And in the end, that makes them better employees.”