Chef Keith Rhodes has reopened his signature dining destination, Catch, 6623 Market St., to indoor dining. 

Despite having been closed for dine-in service since the start of the state’s mandated carryout-only restrictions in mid-March, Rhodes said he and his staff have been hard at work.

“We were able to keep our entire staff working and it was a team effort to sustain carryout service while taking advantage of the time to remodel,” Keith Rhodes said. “We made a pledge to one another to take the same precautions in our personal lives as we were taking at work so everyone could keep working. Retaining our staff has been a huge plus for us.”

The restaurant reopened for dine-in service on Friday, having completed a renovation which Rhodes said carried out his wife Angela’s vision for the restaurant.

Rhodes said all of his employees, including himself, were tested for COVID-19 prior to opening up for dine-in service, and reports that the restaurant doing about 45 to 50% of its normal business even at half capacity. The restaurant continues to offer carryout as well.

In other news, Rhodes has leased kitchen space from a popular Market Street bar, Seven Mile Post, for a new venture: Tackle Box Kitchen.

As part of the Tackle Box concept, Rhodes developed an app that allows guests to order and pay from their phones. The order goes right to the kitchen where the food is made and then the customer is notified via text to come and pick up their order.

The quick and easy service model allows for minimal contact and cuts out cast and credit exchange.

“Many restaurants have been able to get by with carryout,” Rhodes said. “But bars have not been able to open if they don’t serve food. So we turned this up really fast to try to help them out a bit.”

The Tackle Box menu features burgers made with local shrimp or F1 Wagyu ground beef shipped from a Texas ranch, as well as a signature fried chicken sandwich. Other items include calamari, firecracker shrimp, fried Brussels sprouts and black bean fritters, as well as daily specials.

Seven Mile Post, 7219 Market St., offers indoor seating for about 40, as well as another 60 seats outside, all with properly spaced social distancing. Carryout is also available through the app.

Tackle Box Kitchen at Seven Mile Post is a precursor to a brick-and-mortar Tackle Box location coming soon to 11 Market St. Rhodes said he is putting the finishing touches on that location, which is set to open in about four weeks.

“We’re very excited in this time to be able to continue to offer jobs,” Rhodes said.  “We want to provide safe and comfortable spaces for people to work and dine.”