Date: Fri 27-Dec-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

business-fish-Musser-soccer

Full Text:

with photo ( s ): Fresh Fish Returns To Stony Hill

B Y K AAREN V ALENTA

Those who remember when there was a seafood store in the Stony Hill section of

Bethel will be glad to hear that Frankie is back.

Frankie Musser, who worked for the former Stony Hill Seafood when it was in

the little red building on the hill alongside Route 6, and who later opened

Superior Seafood across the street, has opened Simply Seafood in Union Plaza,

at the corner of Route 6 and Old Hawleyville Road.

The store, tucked in an alcove next to a children's consignment shop, isn't

easy to see from the street. But Frankie Musser, 35, isn't worried. Offer the

freshest, top-quality seafood and the customers will come, he reasons.

The business, which opened in November, is operated by Mr Musser and his girl

friend, Barbara Miltner. She acts as the general manager while he divides his

time between the store and his other business, Soccerholics, a mail order

company he operates with Bethel Soccer Coach Ray Flannigan, which offers

"creative, fun, innovative merchandise" for soccer addicts, their families and

friends.

Frankie has been involved in soccer for 20 years, from his student days

through a stint playing professionally in Italy, to his recent years as a

coach. He's worked for premier teams in the area, is part of Al Taubert's

mentor program in Newtown, teaches at clinics and camps, and works with

coaches, showing them how to run practices.

When he sold Superior Seafood in 1992, after operating it for more than four

years, and returned to Eastern Connecticut State University to complete his

degree, begun years before, in business administration.

"The first time I was there, I was a soccer player. The second time, I was a

student," he said "It was very different the second time I was there. Instead

of classes filled with 18 and 19-year-olds, this time nearly half the classes

were older people, like me, who had returned to school and were serious about

it."

After graduation, he again was involved in soccer when Sam Nyov, a former

Superior Seafood employee, approached him with the idea of opening another

fish market. The time seemed right.

"I moved my soccer office to the back of this store and put the seafood out

front, which is convenient," he said. "We opened very quietly on November 16

and have been getting a great response. Quite a few of our old customers have

found their way back."

Barbara Miltner has been involved with catering for the past 10 years,

experience which is an asset to the store's operation. In addition to fresh

seafood by the pound, the store offers all types of custom-designed party

platters and is available for clam bakes and lobster bakes.

It's Frankie's job to hand select the seafood, which he does by making 3 am

trips to the Fulton Fish Market in New York City several times a week. He buys

only as much as he knows will sell quickly and offers hard-to-get items like

fresh (never frozen) shrimp in sizes up to truly jumbo, five-pound lobsters,

several varieties of smoked fish and fresh fish like monkfish, golden snapper

and pompano.

Simply Seafood, located behind the Panda Garden in Union Plaza, is open Monday

through Thursday from 10 am to 6 pm, Friday and Saturday from 9-6 and Sundays

from 10-6 through the holidays. For special orders, call 730-1933.