RICHMOND, Va. -- There’s a familiar family behind one of Richmond’s newest seafood markets. Shoreline Seafood is now open at the Canterbury Shopping Center on Patterson Avenue in Henrico’s West End.
David Whitby opened Shoreline after selling Yellow Umbrella — the Richmond seafood market his parents started decades ago.
“The Yellow Umbrella started in 1980, so when I was a kid, I grew up in it,” Whitby said during an interview on the Eat It, Virginia podcast. “When my dad started the business, it was just crab, shrimp, oysters, and rockfish. The nature of the food business was changing, and it was a good time to be getting into it because there were a lot of new vendors coming to Richmond. People were looking for different things.”
Whitby sold Yellow Umbrella to new owners in 2020. After taking a few years away from the restaurant industry, he returned in 2024 with a new concept—Shoreline Seafood.
In addition to a full seafood market, Shoreline offers special dinners on Fridays and Saturdays.
“It’s sort of like a chef’s tasting menu. It’s 10 seats, so it’s a real intimate setting. We shut the store down at 6:45, and guests arrive at 7,” Whitby said. “It’s usually about a two-and-a-half-hour experience. Each course is laid out. It’s pretty laid back; it’s not really anything super fancy, other than the food and the way that it’s getting to you.”
Whitby emphasized the importance of sourcing high-quality seafood globally and, on the podcast, shared tips for new seafood cooks who might be intimidated to prepare seafood at home.
Eat It Virginia co-hosts Robey Martin and Scott Wise also discussed the state of service at Richmond-area restaurants. Slide into their DMs to tell them which restaurants always deliver the goods.
10614 Patterson Avenue
Henrico County, Va. 23238
Email us your thoughts about the best (and worst) restaurants in town.
EAT IT, VIRGINIA restaurant news and interviews
