SERVING UP DELICIOUS PLATES SINCE 2009

A Family Affair

Back in 1970, newlyweds Will and Karen Shields crossed the bridge to the Outer Banks for the first time. At age 26, Will, the son of a Pennsylvania farmer and butcher, had never seen the ocean. As he stood under Avalon Pier, holding his bride’s hand, he was awestruck. The rest is what he considers the family’s destiny. Through a series of career chapters and raising three great kids – Shannon, Scott and Cara, the family moved from Pittsburgh, to Maryland, to Harrisburg, on to Richmond, and finally to Nags Head. 

Will and Karen's son, Scott, grew up and graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Culinary Academy. He met his future wife Melissa in classic Outer Banks summer style – she was waiting tables and he was a chef in the kitchen. They married and settled in Staunton, VA, honing their culinary skills and dreaming of one day ending up back on the sandbar. Then Scott made the phone call that cemented the family’s destiny. “Dad, it’s time we go into business. Let’s open a restaurant!”
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After long hours of planning, Scott and Melissa sold their home in Virginia and moved to Nags Head with their young son. Six months later, a little 32 seat restaurant named Blue Moon Beach Grill was born. Popular with locals, the 'once in a blue moon dining experience' grew in popularity – as did the restaurant; expanding to 64 seats. Cara joined the family business in 2009, handling the marketing and ‘behind the scenes’ management. She met her husband, Cory, at Blue Moon and two daughters soon followed. Scott and Melissa now have four great kids and never a dull moment!
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After 14 years in Surfside Plaza, Blue Moon had outgrown the space. The family commissioned a beautiful, custom-built restaurant just half a mile south. And that is where you will find the Moon today!