cCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants began in 1972, when Bill McCormick and Doug Schmick joined forces to purchase Jake's Famous Crawfish restaurant in Portland, Oregon. Capitalizing on the eatery's heritage-established in 1892, Jake's is one of the oldest restaurants on the West Coast-the partners transformed it into a landmark Northwest establishment. Each brought special talents and experience to the venture: Bill, a native New Englander, was already a successful businessman and restaurateur, and Doug, originally from the town of Colfax in Eastern Washington, boasted a strong restaurant management background.

A shared regard for traditionalism and quality, as well as a love for the classic fish-house restaurants of San Francisco and New England, has defined the partnership ever since. McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants currently operates more than 90 restaurants and catering operations in the United States and Canada.

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