Meet Tyrone Hightower, the owner of Apex Seafood & Market — a local business that we are excited to share with you in honor of Black History Month.
Introduce yourself and your business.
My name is Tyrone Hightower, and I am the owner of Apex Seafood & Market, a 100% mobile seafood market that has been in business for over three years. We have a presence at several farmers’ markets throughout the Triangle and offer delivery and weekly meetups for our customers. What makes us unique is that the majority of our repeat customers are not just customers, they are also friends.
The mission of Apex Seafood & Market is to supply our community with THE FRESHEST seafood available, and to educate them so that even if they choose to not shop with me, they are armed with the knowledge to make informed decisions about what they should be consuming and taking into their bodies.
Why did you want to work for yourself?
I felt that I had more to offer society than working as a veterinary technician/veterinary assistant, which I had been doing for over 23 years. I also wanted to have more time to spend with my family and be more involved in the day-to-day things that went on in their lives. Working for myself has afforded me the freedom to do just this. It also gave me the chance to leave something that I can call my own to my children.
What attracted you to this line of work?
Hearing how many citizens of the Triangle wanted access to fresher seafood without having to travel to the coast to get it. I decided that I wanted to fill this void. My inspiration and philosophy were simple — bring the highest quality seafood to my Triangle customers, expose them to different and lesser known types of NC seafood, and show them that we are truly “The Peak of Good Seafood.”
What’s been the best aspect of owning a business?
The freedom to spend time with my family and to do things with and for them. I also love being able to interact with and educate the public. We want to be a resource for everyone, so that they can make nutritionally sound and healthy decisions when it comes to choosing and planning their meals.
What are some unique or unexpected challenges you’ve encountered?
The inability to supply the public with whatever seafood that they desire, day to day or week to week. My business depends on what the fishermen are catching, and what the fishermen are catching depends on luck, Mother Nature and if the fishermen are allowed to keep certain fish that they catch. The majority of my customers understand this fact. Nonetheless, it is still very challenging to not have what my customers are asking for.
Who or what has inspired you?
My mom and my maternal grandmother and grandfather were my inspirations and role models growing up. They all worked so hard and gave their all to whatever they expended their energy and souls into. They taught me the value of love, family and hard work. My mom taught me responsibility at an early age, when I started working at 15 and had to pay bills. She didn’t need my money, but she taught me the value of a dollar, how to budget money and that nothing in life is free. She taught me the value of unconditional love and doing the right thing when others do you wrong — and so many other valuable life lessons during her short stay on this earth.
My grandparents owned a small farm, where I did chores with my grandfather before doing my homework and going home at night. We had the fortunate experience of harvesting cucumbers, cantaloupes, squash, cabbage, sweet potatoes, butter beans, string beans, tomatoes, watermelons, etc. This gave me an understanding and appreciation of the freshness of your food and knowing where it comes from.
apexseafoodandmarket.com
I want to do some more research. When I saw the header on my local news feed, I immediately thought of the The Fish House in Apex that is also minority owned. Being a mobile business is indeed a challenge but so is paying high rent prices for a nice brick and mortar building has seen more overhead. With all the health concerns over the last 2 years, I congratulate any retailer that can survive if not expand and prosper during these times. I hope that both will continue to expand.
Thank You, Mr. Larry Matthews for your well wishes. Most people think of The Fish House, when the name of my company, “Apex Seafood & Market is mentioned. I have been in business for over 4 years, and operate primarily out of several local farmers markets, through meetups and deliveries, and my seafood is sold at Elk Local Foods, right in the heart of Apex, NC. I would love to meet you at one of my farmers markets (Apex Farmers Market, Holly Springs Farmers Market, The Midtown Farmers Market at North Hills Mall, or the Fuquay Growers Market). If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact me.
I, too, thought this might be for the Fish House in Apex as well, and was looking forward to finding out more about a place I have seen yet not visited. That said, I now have TWO sources to check out. I truly hope there is some cross shopping for these two minority owned businesses in Apex- one at the local Farmer’s Market, one on Perry Rd, or both!
This spotlight actually did a service to both in fact. I love that the owner of the Fish House responds to their online reviews and that the Apex Seafood Market was featured with a profile here. Thank you to Cary Magazine for bringing citizens relevant and local establishment info. As a result, I’m more inclined to venture out and try them after checking out the website(s). Local businesses are SO important to the Cary and Apex areas, and it helps to get notifications such as this to bring residents some basic content they might not otherwise have, particularly during COVID-19.
Thank You, MG for reading this article and posting a comment. Most people do in fact, think of The Fish House, when the name of my company, “Apex Seafood & Market comes up. I have been in business for over 4 years, and operate out of several farmers markets, which include, but are not limited too, The Apex Farmers Market, Holly Springs Farmers Market, The Midtown Farmers Market at North Hills Mall, and the Fuquay Growers Market. I also operate through meetups and deliveries, and my seafood is sold at Elk Local Foods, right in Apex, NC. I would love to meet you through one of these avenues. I also am glad that you now know about me and where to find me. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact me.