Shore to Shore: Market Street Inn embraces it’s history
SALISBURY, Md. — The word on the street is that Market Street Inn’s name has a history dating back to 1979. The owner discussed the inn in the newest edition of Shore to Shore.
Rob Mulford, owner of Market Street Inn, said: “I came down here to attend Salisbury State College at the time, which is now SU, and graduated from there. During that time, I started working for restaurants down here through college.”
Mulford started working in restaurants when he was 13 years old. As a young adult, he decided to dedicate his craft to the restaurant industry.
“My passion was to go back to Salisbury. There was this place on the river that I went to in college, and I wanted to buy it. I moved back here and, as fate had it, I ended up buying it in 2001.”
The doors opened March 13, 2001, but the location’s history goes back much further. Part of the restaurant was built in 1941 as a fish market named Walston’s Seafood. It later became a sports bar, a sandwich shop and more. The restaurant has lived many lives, but one thing has remained true: the recipes.
“I made pretty much our three signature dishes we’ve had since we opened 25 years ago. We have our signature crab dip, which I’ve been making for about 35 to 40 years,” Mulford said.
With crab dip, seared tuna and a black-and-blue burger, the restaurant’s tried-and-true recipes haven’t changed, but the business has.
“When I took this over, it really was just an open-air sandwich shop. They had roll-up tarps. We didn’t have the outside decks. Inside, we heated the decks with chicken heaters. It was quite the growth. So it was quite a change,” Mulford said.
With the business ever-changing, he reflects on what it means to be a local business owner.
“The positives of owning your own business are what we call the American dream. I did it in a way that really mattered. My mom was a teacher, my dad was a truck driver, and going to college was a big deal for our family.”
In achieving the American dream, he explained why it is important to support local businesses.
“Support your local restaurants. We’re the ones that support the schools, the fundraisers, your fire departments and your police departments. We’re the ones that support everything locally. So it’s important to come out once in a while.”
Along the river’s edge, this 85-year-old landmark is embracing a new chapter, with Market Street Inn carrying its story forward for generations to come.
