The season for family gatherings is approaching with lightning speed. From Thanksgiving to Christmas and Chanukka to children home on holiday breaks, people will begin to gather and celebrate. Doug Parsons, General Manager of The Black Pelican in Greenbrier, wants the seafood lovers of Hampton Roads to know that he has just the place for them to host their celebrations.

The Black Pelican's Jetty Room is a tastefully decorated private dining room that holds up to 55 people and provides in-house catering with a choice of sit-down plated dinners or convenient buffet stations with heavy hors d'oeuvres.

"The Jetty Room has been a welcome addition to the restaurant," Doug smiles. "From what we understand, there aren't too many private rooms like this available in the area anymore. They're in demand, so we're fortunate to have it to offer. In fact, we've seen an increased demand for the Jetty. We've had a party in there every day this week for lunch and dinner!"

Though the holidays are approaching, the Jetty Room isn't just for such gatherings. The multi-purpose room sees year-round use and can accommodate many business and personal functions. The room has been booked for business luncheons, dinners, and meetings, holiday office parties, wedding rehearsal dinners, family holiday celebrations, birthdays, graduations, and family reunions. "The only thing the room hasn't yet been used for is Super Bowl or March Madness parties, but we would love to see that! It would be fantastic!" Doug says excitedly.

The Jetty even includes a big screen TV that guests can use for a variety of media purposes. From pharmaceutical companies to local businesses hosting working lunches and business dinners, the TV is frequently utilized by guests for presentations. "Businesses aren't the only ones to use the TV, though," Doug adds. "A lot of people enjoy bringing personalized photo slide shows or videos to play during their private celebrations."

Diners in the restaurant and people gathering in the Jetty Room appreciate the privacy the private dining room provides. "It's nicely secluded from everything else. Once you're in there, you don't hear any of the noise or the hustle and bustle of the restaurant- the rest of our guests can't hear you" he adds with a grin. "If a party gets loud in the Jetty while everyone is having fun, the noise is contained, and guests dining in the restaurant can't hear anything."

In helping guests plan for their private parties in the Jetty Room, Doug wants to assure guests that when booked for a special gathering, the room provides much more than just a restaurant experience. "We customize the experience to the guest. We work with the organizer of the event to come up with a customized menu. Some groups may choose to order off the menu, and that's perfectly fine. We want to make sure that guests using the Jetty have the fabulous experience that they want," Doug says with pride.

Customers attending events in the Jetty Room will be treated to The Black Pelican's unique fare that is locally and regionally sourced. "We're unique in that we can provide a fresh seafood experience in the heart of Chesapeake," Doug conveys. "The seafood we feature is as local as we can get. Most of it comes from coastal North Carolina and allows us to offer a variety that you might not normally find in chain restaurants or those not sourced with local seafood."

And that seafood is prepared under the watchful eye of Executive Chef and Black Pelican owner Jason Smith. Trained under an Italian master chef, Jason was Executive Chef at the flagship Black Pelican in Kitty Hawk, NC. The restaurant's famous Wanchese Fisherman's Risotto was featured on Guy Fieri's "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.'

"Jason and the chefs have an incredibly collaborative environment in the kitchen and combine flavors one wouldn't necessarily have ever thought of before. They all work together to come up with dishes that are just amazing!" Doug enthuses. "Our guests will taste things here that they've never tasted before!"

The Black Pelican's flavorful and unique food isn't the only thing that the restaurant has to offer both Jetty Room guests and restaurant diners. "We offer an experience, not just a meal," Doug reveals. "We offer the full package with our dedication to excellence â€" great cuisine with a full ABC bar, an extensive wine list, pleasing décor in a clean facility, and most of all, exceptional service! When guests first enter, if they are greeted with a smile, that makes a huge impression- even before a single word is spoken. So I insist that our guests are always greeted with a smile and given prompt attention. Everyone is searching for their favorite restaurant. We want to be that restaurant by providing a warm, friendly environment."

In his pursuit of providing continually outstanding service to guests, Jason Smith recently conceived and implemented the new Black Pelican Platter Menu, a take-out/delivery service aimed at providing group lunches for local area businesses. The menu features various entrée and salad platters that serve 10-12 people, with pick up or delivery available Monday through Friday. "This is something new we've started and want to let people know about it. It's great for business lunches or meetings, and we make it convenient. Guests just need to call one hour ahead with their order so we can have time to prepare their selections."

Whether utilizing the Jetty Room for private gatherings, ordering a business lunch off the Platter Menu, or simply dining in the restaurant, all Black Pelican customers can be assured of one thing: from the front door to the kitchen staff, from the food to the service, there is a dedication to excellence at every level under Doug Parson's leadership. He sees to it that all employees go above and beyond to serve not just food, but a dining experience. Doug concisely sums up his pursuit of exceptional service with excellence: "As an independently owned restaurant, we're a small fish in a big sea of corporate restaurants. It's our dedication to excellence that allows us to shine."