MARATHON, Florida Keys — The site of Marathon’s newest eatery, Chappy’s Steak & Seafood, has a long and colorful history. The land parcel on Knight’s Key was used in the early 1900s as a dock extension for steamships offloading pineapples, limes, passengers and automobiles, and also was a staging point for construction on what is now known as the Seven Mile Bridge.

Owners Jim and Bettye Chaplin, both realtors turned restaurateurs, describe Chappy’s as having “the freshest fish, an incredible location and reasonable prices.”

The opening fulfilled the couple’s longstanding dream of restaurant ownership. What started as a seemingly hare-brained idea 20 years ago evolved into a plan that the Chaplins, along with sons James and Steven, spent more than 10 years bringing to life.

Together, they overcame a dizzying stream of planning, building and land-use objections that would have flat-lined someone less determined to open a restaurant.

The fruits of the family’s labor and that of scores of local workers is evident as nearly 1,000 patrons per day stop by Chappy’s to dine, drink, take a dip in the on-site pool and watch the sun sink past the horizon.

Open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, Chappy’s offers an inviting menu with no entree priced over $21. Favorite dishes include barbecue shrimp, bacon-wrapped sea scallops, mahi-mahi, homemade conch fritters with dill-laced tartar sauce, wahoo fish dip made from a Chaplin family recipe and comfort foods like homemade chili and cooked-to-order burgers with waffle fries.

Situated at 7 Knight’s Key Blvd., Chappy’s affords an unrivaled view of the Seven Mile Bridge spanning turquoise waters. Tables surrounding the outdoor pool entice patrons to dine poolside and complement the large roofed dining area and bar. Cathedral-high ceilings cover the 5,800-square-foot open-air chickee hut, representative of the native Seminole Indian building tradition.

The restaurant’s owners plan to add a boat dock within a year, further enhancing the appeal of Marathon’s newest gathering place.

For information or reservations, call Chappy’s Steak & Seafood at (305) 289-3588.