1 David Yakobson
From: Kim Koury <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, September 20, 2026 4:00 PM
To: Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell
Cc: councilmtgitems; Oliver Chi; Council Mailbox
Subject: Re: Request for Item 16 – City Support for 8th Annual OFF THE HOOK Seafood Festival Oct 11 on Santa Monica Pier to Celebrate Route 66 Centennial
EXTERNAL
Dear City Manager Chi, Mayor Torosis, and Members of the City Council, First, thank you for adding Santa Monica’s premier food festival, OFF THE HOOK, as an Item 16 for Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
I spoke with Lana, and she recommended that I email everyone to clarify my funding request in advance of the meeting.
I am respectfully requesting a waiver of the City’s portion of the Pier rental license fee, which I understand to be $8,448, plus a minimum of $20,000 in combined Council discretionary funding to support this year’s OFF THE HOOK Santa Monica Seafood Festival and special Route 66 Centennial celebration.
Any contribution you can make would go directly toward helping us produce this beloved community event and celebrate Santa Monica’s incredible culinary community.
This support would help ensure that I can cover the approximately $100,000 in production costs and break even after ticket sales and additional sponsorship support. We are also facing additional expenses this year such as parking as the Pier bridge construction has significantly reduced our nearby parking options.
As you know, community events of this caliber have become increasingly expensive to produce. The City’s support would help preserve a beloved annual tradition on the Pier, keep ticket prices accessible, increase the event’s charitable impact for this year's nonprofit partner, Santa Monica Pier Corporation, and demonstrate Santa Monica’s commitment to the restaurants, small businesses, and organizations that contribute to our city’s economic vitality.
Supporting OFF THE HOOK, is an investment in our local economy, our culinary community, our tourism industry, and the continued vibrancy of Santa Monica.
The festival also generates significant positive media exposure for Santa Monica, showcasing our Pier, restaurants and community to audiences throughout Southern California and beyond. At a time when positive storytelling about Santa Monica is especially valuable, OFF THE HOOK gives us an opportunity to showcase the city as the vibrant, welcoming and world-class coastal destination we all know and love.
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2 I also wanted to share some exciting new elements that have come together for this year’s festival.
In celebration of the Route 66 Centennial, SMTT will provide participating chefs and restaurants with Route 66-branded napkins, feature Route 66 coasters at festival bars, offer Route 66 merchandise, have our staff wear Route 66 shirts, and create fun, highly visible photo opportunities throughout the event.
Santa Monica College’s Life Sciences Department will have a booth highlighting its Aquaculture Program, and OC Coastkeeper will be onsite collecting and recycling oyster shells from the festival to help restore native oyster populations in Southern California. In addition, the Office of Sustainability & the Environment will be providing sustainable reusable cups for attendees.
Together, these additions further our focus on sustainable seafood, aquaculture and ocean conservation, while complementing the work of our longtime nonprofit partner, Heal the Bay.
We are also incredibly proud of the lineup of Santa Monica chefs and restaurants participating this year:
BOA
Calabra at Santa Monica Proper Hotel / Chef Kaleo Adams Fitoor
Fogo de Chão
Huckleberry
Khan Saab / Chef Imran Ali Mookhi
Mastro’s Ocean Club / Chef Walter Mayen
MEAT on Ocean
Michael’s Santa Monica
Milo & Olive
Pacific Catch
Pier Burger
Rustic Canyon
Santa Monica Seafood
Shoreside at Shore Hotel
Sushi Roku
Sweet Rose Creamery
The Albright
The Lobster / Chef Govind Armstrong
The Penthouse at The Huntley / Chef Job Carder
Water Grill
Westside Oyster Club
I am excited about how this year’s festival is shaping up and about the opportunity to showcase Santa Monica during the Route 66 Centennial, while supporting our local restaurants, promoting sustainable seafood education and ocean conservation, and also raising funds for the Santa Monica Pier Corporation to support free community programming.
The City’s support is critical to the success of this year’s event, and I sincerely hope you will consider helping fund this year’s festival and Route 66 Centennial celebration.
As someone who has spent the past 20 years investing my career in Santa Monica—producing community events, supporting local businesses, and creating experiences that bring people Item 16-E
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3 together—I am incredibly grateful for the City’s investment in me and in the work I have dedicated so much of my career to.
Thank you again for your consideration, continued support, and contribution to our city. I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday—and hopefully on the Pier on October 11! Warmly,
Kim Koury
President, Spin PR Group
Producer, OFF THE HOOK Santa Monica Seafood Festival
www.spinPRgroup.com
On Aug 18, 2026, at 2:50 PM, Kim Koury <[email protected]> wrote:
Dear City Manager, Mayor Torosis, and Members of the City Council, Item 16-E
September 22, 2026
Item 16-E
September 22, 2026
4 I am reaching out regarding the 8th Annual OFF THE HOOK Santa Monica Seafood Festival, returning to the Santa Monica Pier on Sunday, October 11, and respectfully request that the event be added as an Item 16 at the next City Council meeting for consideration of City support.
Specifically, I am requesting that the City Council consider:
Waiving the City’s $5,940 portion of the Santa Monica Pier rental fee associated with the buyout of parking spaces; and
Contributing $5,000 each from available Council discretionary funds to reach $25,000 to help offset the significant costs of producing this community-focused event and allow us to provide chefs with a stipend.
Now in its eighth year, OFF THE HOOK is Santa Monica’s only seafood festival and was created to celebrate and support our local chefs, restaurants, small businesses, community, and coastline. This year is particularly special as we will be celebrating the Route 66 Centennial at the historic Santa Monica Pier—the official End of the Trail—and raising funds for the Santa Monica Pier Corporation to support free community programming on the Pier.
Why City Support Is Critical
Although OFF THE HOOK is a ticketed event, it has not generated a profit during its eight-year history.
The festival costs approximately $100,000 to produce, while ticket revenue averages approximately $55,000 and sponsorship revenue approximately $25,000, leaving a significant funding gap that I have historically worked to absorb through sponsorships and self-funding.
The Pier rental alone is approximately $16,000. We incur an additional $5,000–$8,000 in required public safety and operational expenses, including Harbor Patrol, police, fire, Coast Guard, recycling, security, and neighborhood notification fees.
Of the Pier rental fees, $5,940 goes directly to the City for the parking-space buyout. Waiving this portion of the fee would make a meaningful difference in our ability to keep OFF THE HOOK on the Pier, where we believe it belongs.
Additional financial support from the Council would allow us to keep ticket prices accessible, expand our promotion of Santa Monica restaurants and businesses, help pay for production and marketing, and increase the festival's support of both Heal the Bay and the Santa Monica Pier Corporation to help fund free community programming.
OFF THE HOOK's Impact on Santa Monica
Over the past eight years, the festival has grown into a beloved community event that:
Attracts nearly 1,000 locals and visitors to Santa Monica and generates ancillary revenue through parking, dining, shopping, and tourism.
Celebrates and promotes Santa Monica's local chefs and restaurants, and includes businesses from all four BIDs—Main Street, Montana Avenue, Pico Boulevard, and Downtown Santa Monica—as well as restaurants on the Pier.
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5 Generated more than 90 million media impressions last year through outreach to more than 400 print, online, and broadcast media outlets, creating significant exposure for Santa Monica and its restaurant community.
Operates as a zero-waste event and is 100% free of single-use plastics and aligns with the city’s sustainability initiatives.
Has historically raised funds and awareness for Heal the Bay and will also support the Santa Monica Pier Corporation this year.
Provides an ideal opportunity to cross-promote other City and Pier initiatives and encourage attendees to return to Santa Monica businesses throughout the year.
For those of you who don't know me, I am the founder of Spin PR Group, a Santa Monica-based PR, marketing, and events agency celebrating our 20th anniversary this year. I have lived in Santa Monica for 25 years and have spent nearly two decades creating and supporting events designed to bring our community together, drive business to local merchants, and give back to important nonprofit organizations.
Spin has produced or supported numerous Santa Monica community events over the years, including MAINopoly: A Taste of Main Street benefiting Main Street Business Association, the City’s new Tongva Twilight series at Tongva Park, Day of the Dog Festival, the first Santa Monica Pride Festival on the Promenade, Buy Local Health & Fitness Expo, Endless Summer C.A.M.P. at Tongva Park, and the annual Santa Monica Pub Crawl, which has raised more than $200,000 for the Westside Food Bank over the past 18 years. We also produced the city’s largest World Cup Kick Off Watch Party at Santa Monica Place attracting over 7,000 people throughout the day.
Additionally, we have helped bring major outside events and economic activity to Santa Monica, including the IBFutureFest Insurance Conference on the Pier, which has generated approximately $200,000 in rental revenue for the Pier and City over the past two years.
OFF THE HOOK is truly a labor of love. After working alongside Santa Monica restaurants for 20 years and seeing firsthand how challenging the past several years have been for our local hospitality community, I feel strongly that events like this are more important than ever. They give our restaurants a platform to reach new customers while creating the kind of memorable community experiences that make people want to visit—and return to—Santa Monica.
I have attached our partnership deck, support letter from Santa Monica Seafood, participating chef testimonials, and additional information about the festival and Spin PR Group.
Here is the website and link to the VIDEO from last year to give you a feel for the event.
Additionally, Here are some QUOTES from participating chefs / restaurants supporting Off the Hook:
"OFF THE HOOK is a rare event that benefits residents, restaurants, and the City’s image all at once, and it deserves to remain a Santa Monica tradition. The festival creates a large amount media attention to our restaurants, allows us to connect directly with our target clientele, and helps raise awareness for our business.” “That kind of goodwill is difficult to buy any other way, and it is exactly the kind of connection Item 16-E
September 22, 2026
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6 between local business and community that a City investment should be encouraging.”- **Alfredo Chavez, **Santa Monica Seafood “OFF THE HOOK was a great way to for us to launch our restaurant in Santa Monica. We gained dozens of new customers after participating .” **- Maria Naline, **Fogo De Chao *“We need more culinary experiences in Santa Monica and what better place to do it than the Santa Monica Pier — please support Off the Hook!” *— **Greg Morena, **The Albright & West Side Oyster Club
"It's one of the only events in the City that truly celebrates Santa Monica's restaurant community.”- ** Chef Job Carder, **Michael’s Santa Monica and The Penthouse at The Huntley *"As a local chef, I appreciate having an event dedicated to showcasing our city's culinary talent. “It’s become a beloved annual tradition within the local Restauant community and is great way to connect and celebrate * with fellow chefs outside the kitchen and support one another.”- **Chef Govind Armstrong, **The Lobster
“Thank you for all the incredible work you put into making this event such a success every year.” - **Johnny Wardell, **Santa Monica Brew Works
I would be incredibly grateful for the opportunity to bring this request before Council as an Item 16 and respectfully ask for your consideration of the $5,940 City fee waiver and $5,000 contributions from available Council member’s discretionary funds.
Your support would directly help us keep this homegrown Santa Monica event on our iconic Pier, celebrate the Route 66 Centennial, support our local restaurant community, and give back to the Pier we all love.
Thank you very much for your time, consideration, and continued support of Santa Monica's local businesses and community events.
Warmly,
Kim Koury
President, Spin PR Group
Producer, OFF THE HOOK Santa Monica Seafood Festival
http://www.offthehookseafoodfest.com
<Off The Hook Sponsor Deck 2026_FINAL1.pdf>
<SMS Off the hook 2026 letter of support.docx>
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7 KIM KOURY
President
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O: 323-330-9559
M: 310-497-6324
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www.spinPRgroup.com
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Item 16-E
September 22, 2026
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1 David Yakobson
From: Alfredo Chavez <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 22, 2026 3:41 PM
To: Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell
Cc: councilmtgitems; Oliver Chi; Council Mailbox
Subject: City Support for 8th Annual OFF THE HOOK Seafood Festival Oct 11 on Santa Monica Pier to Celebrate Route 66 Centennial
EXTERNAL
September 22, 2026
City of Santa Monica
OƯice of the City Council
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Re: Letter of Support for OFF THE HOOK Festival
Dear Members of the City Council,
I am writing on behalf of Santa Monica Seafood to express our strong support for the City's funding and support of the OFF THE HOOK festival.
At its core, OFF THE HOOK is designed to bring Santa Monica's restaurants and our local residents together, in one of the most picturesque settings our city has to oƯer: the pier. It reminds people, many of whom walk past the same streets every day, of the magic that makes Santa Monica special. There are few events that manage to recreate that feeling so eƯectively, and we think that alone is worth supporting.
The festival also gives restaurants and the City ample opportunity to create content that promotes Santa Monica far beyond the day of the event itself. The setting is genuinely Instagram-ready, and that matters. Every photo taken on the pier, with our restaurants and our community in the frame, becomes free, authentic promotion for the City long after the festival ends.
I would argue that the lifeblood of Santa Monica is the beach, the pier, the natural setting, the shops, and of course the restaurants. OFF THE HOOK is one of the only events that puts all of these elements together at once, and celebrates our city's culinary talent in the exact setting that makes Santa Monica worth visiting in the first place.
Keeping this as an annual tradition helps preserve that identity for residents and visitors alike.
I also want to be transparent about the economics from a restaurant's perspective. None of the participating restaurants make money from this event. For us, it is a marketing cost, not a revenue opportunity. But it is a cost we are glad to take on, because the chance to be that close to our community, to connect directly with our neighbors in a setting like the pier, is rare. That kind of goodwill is diƯicult to buy any other way, and it is exactly the kind of connection between local business and community that a City investment should be encouraging.
For all of these reasons, I hope the City will continue to invest in and support community events like OFF THE HOOK. It is a rare event that benefits residents, restaurants, and the City's image all at once, and it deserves to remain a Santa Monica tradition. Thank you for your consideration.
Item 16-E
September 22, 2026
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2 Sincerely,
Alfredo Chavez
Vice President of Marketing
DIRECT: 310 886 7978 | MOBILE: 310 617 0132
[email protected]
www.santamonicaseafood.com
18531 S. Broadwick St., Rancho Dominguez, CA 90220
IMPORTANT: The contents of this email and any attachments are confidential. They are intended for the named recipient(s) only. If you have received this email by mistake, please notify the sender immediately and do not disclose the contents to anyone or make copies thereof.
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