MAS Seafood has closed its retail storefront after almost four years in business.
The owners posted on social media, "A difficult decision has been made and as the week draws to a close, we have decided to close MAS Seafood. We are incredibly grateful for all your support throughout these last 4 years. We are forever thankful to our customers, neighbors and friends for coming along with us on our journey."
Mas Seafood had been distributing seafood to area restaurants and grocery stores since 2006, and opened its direct-to-consumer operation in November 2020 at 809 Pendleton St. As the COVID-19 pandemic hit and restaurant demand for their seafood dropped, owners Michael and Katy Ribadulla sold fresh fish to consumers through special events. When customers asked for more, they began looking for a storefront space.
The decision to close their consumer operation came as a surprise, with the owners announcing the closure with just one day's notice.
In a post a few days after closing, the Ribadullas recommended customers go to Lobster Maine-ia, a small family business based in Chantilly that comes to the Old Town Farmers Market every Saturday. They also recommended The District Fishwife at Union Market in Washington, D.C. and Reliant Fish Co. in Jessup, Maryland.