Malia Restaurant & Spoondrift Island Bowls
Jeff and Malia Samson
Jeff Samson opened his first restaurant in 1993. He named the establishment in Michigan after his daughter, Malia, then a toddler. Growing up, she worked in the eponymous restaurant and when she left for college, returned every weekend to help.
The Samsons had always vacationed on Sanibel, and planned to relocate to the island to “begin the next leg of life,” according to Jeff. Finding it a challenge to locate and buy the right business from out of state, they finally packed up and moved on faith.
Without a brick-and-mortar restaurant, Jeff and Malia secured space at the local Farmers Market, selling poke bowls. Now those bowls headline the menu at their Spoondrift Island Bowls establishment, in Bailey’s Shopping Center.
And working at the Farmers Market put the Samsons where they needed to be to keep their finger on the pulse of the island while patiently waiting for a restaurant opportunity. Then it happened—a location at Sanibel Island Golf Club, where the name Malia was resurrected. December marks its one-year anniversary.
Malia “obsessed” with keeping up with trends. Laughing, she adds, “I’m constantly keeping my parents on their toes.
I like to be ahead of the curve and have what no one else has, before they have it.” Her father says, “She is definitely adding a new dimension, bringing in the food trends and the social media side.”
“We are very hands-on, my dad and I, and it makes a big difference when it’s a family working together,” Malia explains. “I know a lot of kids my age don’t feel the same, but I can’t imagine not being with my parents every day.”
Jeff chimes in: “I’ve learned to back down and let her take the baton. She is so talented and creative and the island is getting younger, too, so it’s perfect timing. I’m the luckiest father in the world. I’ll never take it for granted—ever.”
Flavors to Savor: OG (Original) Poke Bowl. Sushi rice is the base, topped with spicy diced tuna—raw or seared. Add cucumber, red onion, edamame, nori, pineapple, flying fish row and cilantro.