Anthony’s is everywhere — but where did it start?

Where the map turns blue in the PNW, at some of the most picture-perfect waterfront locales, chances are good you might find an Anthony’s. For more than 50 years, the family-owned restaurants have served fresh seafood from Bellingham to Boise and many marinas in between. 

Anthony’s Restaurants are the legacy of founder Budd Gould. Fresh out of college and a few failed business ventures — a combo pet store veterinary hospital and a scheme to farm Maine lobsters on the West Coast, to mention a few — he ended up as the inexperienced owner of a restaurant. 

Back in the ‘70s, themed restaurants were all the rage, and his earliest establishment was no exception. It had an American Revolution feel, and as a history buff, Budd decided to name the place after “Mad” Anthony Wayne, a colorful general who served under George Washington. Like a barnacle on the boats that brought in the daily catch, the moniker stuck, and in 1976, the first Anthony’s HomePort opened in Kirkland.

As the business grew, Budd had the patience of a fisherman, waiting for the right opportunities to come along before reeling them in. Anthony’s would often expand into existing buildings on harbors to help keep costs low. Over time the company landed in Edmonds, Everett, and other Puget Sound ports of call.

“Most of our views look out west to watch sunsets which is pretty special.” Gould said. “Some restaurants are on the water where you can see sea lions. And if you're lucky, you can see a pod of killer whales — we have three or four restaurants that they swim by all year round.”

It wasn’t always smooth sailing for Anthony’s Restaurants though. The company made it through the hardest of times like the Great Recession and the Covid-19 pandemic. Budd even remembers a particularly poignant billboard during the Boeing Bust that read, “Last person out of Seattle, please turn off the lights.”

“We were selling two drinks for a buck, so we kept our bar busy. We survived that way,” he said. “I've had my moments — what the hell are we doing, you know? If my family wasn't involved, I would have found a different person to own the company.”

Budd had the support of his wife Kathy, who developed menus among other roles over the years. “My son Herb went right from high school into the restaurant. He started in the kitchen.” Herb would eventually go on to become president and CEO; now his sister Amy Burns leads the company. “[Jeff ‘J.J.’ Gould] is in charge of getting the next generation involved in this family company. That's his mission.” Already, you can find Budd’s grandkids pitching in from marketing to the wine program.

Many long-term employees have also been vital to Anthony’s extended success. Executive chef Pat Donahue started as a line cook in the Des Moines location 38 years ago. “We had a lot of young fishermen that caught fish in the summertime and came back to Seattle; one was a bartender for us for several years,” Budd said. “He came up with the idea, why don't we just build relationships with the fishermen up there in Alaska and buy direct so we can control the quality of seafood?”

Today, Anthony’s wholesale division on Seattle’s Pier 91 sources the freshest seafood and shellfish out of British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Northern California, and Hawaii. From the clam chowder to Copper River king salmon, having hands on all aspects of the supply chain enables the company to put food on the table that brings customers back again and again.

Budd is the first person to acknowledge the community’s vital role in riding each and every wave. Giving back has been a priority since day one: fundraisers for the families of fishermen lost at sea, dinners for local hospitals, even support for the next generation of culinary all-stars at Central Oregon Community College.

“It's all kind of natural to what we do. The kids that work for us, they're young, and it's really important that you set an example for them,” Budd said. “The industry is so much fun. It becomes part of your soul.”