inspiration.Hedidalotofthelegworkandwewere
finallyabletopullthattogetherandgetitopen.”
Theyreformulatedtheidea,measuredupthe
spacetheyneededandfinallygotapprovaltobuild
thewheelattheveryendofapierthatthefamily
owns.Pier 57 isafunfamilyplacewithsouvenir
shops,eateriesandatouristattraction,knownas
MinersLanding.“It’safestivalmallsotospeakand
wehaveeverythingonitfromretailgiftshops,a
merry-go-roundandthewheel.There’salsofine
dining,moderatedining,fastfoodandabakery;
webakeourownbreadsandmakeourownice
cream,”Griffithsays.
Seattle has no shortage of attractive
neighbourhoods,butitswaterfrontneededsome
attentionafewyearsbackandthewheelhelped
kick-startachange.“It’shelpedrevitalisethe
waterfront,”hesays.Atthetime,Seattlewasinthe
midstofamajorinfrastructureprojectthatcutoff
thecityfromitsshoreandGriffithbelievedthis
eye-catchingattractioncouldhelpdrawpeopleback.
Hislifeisverymuchtiedtothatparticulararea,
whichiswherehebeganhiscareerinthemid-1960s.
HewasborninCaliforniabutmovedtoSeattlewith
hisfamilywhenhewasveryyoung.Hebeganwork
early–“Istruggledthroughhighschool,”hesays.
Hisfirstjobwasinsalesforachemicalcompany,but
hehadanentrepreneurialstreakandstartedan
advertisingagency.Then,fromamentorwhotook
alikingtotheinquisitiveyoungman,Griffithlearned
hecouldmakemoneysellingsalvagedcargoand
openedastorenamedSalvageMart(Martstandingfor
marine,air,railandtruck).Veryearlyon,hefiguredout
that“inordertobesuccessfulyouneedtodiversify”.
Griffithbegansupplementingthecargosalvagewith
othermerchandiseandthestorebecameknownas
PiratesPlunder.
Thewivesoflocalhalibutfishermenandtheway
theypreparedandcookedfishgavehimanotheridea.
“Theyputthisbigsteelboxonthesidewalk,filleditwith
sandandbuiltanalderfireinitwithagrateontop.They
laidthehalibutontopinfoilandsmokeditoveralder,”
herecalls.“AndIthought,‘That’sagreatidea.’”
Prettysoonhewasintherestaurantbusinessaswell.
Additionalconceptswereinspiredbyhisboating
experiencesinthePacificNorthwest,wherehe
regularlymetupwithfriends.Theywouldsettrapsor
linesandsharecrab,mussels,clams,oysters,salmonor“That’sthefun thing aboutwhat
wedo.You seesomething different
and thenyouput your
own imaginationtothat”Griffithwaitsonboard
CrabPotinAlaskato
receivefreshlycaught
crabfromhissonTroy
(left).Below:hisMiners
LandingmallinSeattle.
Bottom:theskylineof
hishomecityofSeattle★ ★ ★
★ ★
★ ★★
boatinternational.com
I