Kretch's Restaurant opened its doors on October 26th, 1986. Bruce and Ellen Kretschmer bought the existing Mancuso's Deli located in 'Old Marco' tucked between Cafe De Marco and The Old Marco Inn. Some of you will remember the deli as well as Jack's Gone Bananas where you could buy fresh squeezed orange and grapefruit juice.

The transformation from Mancuso's to Kretch's took six months. Bruce and Ellen did most of the work themselves. They searched for used kitchen equipment to convert the prep area into a small kitchen. The inside of the deli was turned into a quaint dining room and air conditioning was installed. The existing porch was updated and remained an outside dining area.

The menu was created from scratch and included (and still includes) something for everyone's palate. Local seafood, prime steaks, and BBQ ribs immediately became customer favorites and remain that way today. Bruce enjoys smoking the ribs himself and prides himself on his collection of grills and smokers. Bread is baked fresh on the premises daily and seafood is delivered fresh six days a week.

In October, 1994 Kretch's lease was not being renewed and after searching the island, the current location on Bald Eagle Dr. was chosen. The move took less than a week as a modern kitchen and dining room were already in place.