After years working in local sushi restaurants, David Sun decided it was time to venture out on his own. The result is Sunny Seafood, a Seabrook restaurant on the cusp of its grand opening.

“Here people like seafood, so that’s why I opened it,” Sun said.

Brandon Bowling, Sun’s friend who manages the restaurant, said the move to seafood is new for Sun.

“[He] kind of wanted to get out from under the Japanese food banner,” Bowling said.

Sunny Seafood serves seafood classics, including grilled snow crab, shrimp tacos and fried catfish. While some dishes, such as the salmon, cannot be sourced locally, the restaurant locally acquires whatever seafood it can, Bowling said.




So far, Bowling and Sun have been “blown away” by the public’s response.

“We live here, and David, he’s in here pretty much every day working, and I feel like that matters to people,” Bowling said.

The restaurant offers meals other than seafood, too, including pasta and chicken.

“We have a little bit for everybody,” Bowling said.




Bowling was originally going to be a bartender for Sun, but after trying out the food and being really impressed by its “clean flavor,” he agreed to become the restaurant’s manager, he said.

“We do kind of keep the flavors more simple here,” Bowling said.

While opening a restaurant in a post-COVID-19 world in the midst of growing inflation is tough, it has been enjoyable, Bowling said. The job can be stressful, but those moments when Bowling and other staffers connect with diners makes it worth it, he said.

“Getting to build the foundation instead of coming into a busy restaurant has definitely been a fun experience. You get to build new relationships with people in the community,” Bowling said. “When you have these overwhelming positive experiences in the midst of the chaos, ... it’s always a really good moment.”




Sunny Seafood is about to acquire its liquor license, and after, the restaurant will have its grand opening this winter.

“At the end of the day, the goal is to be able to have a place that people can come and enjoy a good meal,” Bowling said. “I want people to leave in a better mood than when they came here.”

Sunny Seafood

2320 NASA Parkway, Seabrook




281-916-9888

www.sunnyseafoodtx.com

Hours: Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-10 p.m.


3 dishes to try