Sometimes, things just come naturally; sometimes, there’s a learning curve. Restaurant owner Rose-Ellen Padavano is familiar with this concept. She is, after all, an entrepreneur and the co-owner of two successful restaurants. And this year, she and her partner, Angela Padavano, are expecting to have another popular spot on their hands when they open the doors of Somethin’ Catchy Seafood Shanty on Shrewsbury Street.

Somethin’ Catchy Seafood Shanty is ready to keep the warm-weather vibe going all year long, serving up summer, even when the leaves change color and the temperature cools down. “My partner, Angela, and I decided that Worcester is in need of a great, homemade, fresh, fried seafood establishment,” said Rose-Ellen. “Our restaurant will be open five days a week, year round, so all are able to enjoy fresh fried seafood when they want it.”

The Padavanos intend to give Worcester the seafood spot it has been craving, with plans to “offer all scratch, kitchen-made food,” including hand-cut french fries, onion rings and soups and chowders that are made daily. Rose-Ellen also noted, “Our seafood will be fried in trans-fat-free oil that will be filtered after each lunch and dinner service. This obviously requires time and dedication to be sure that our guests get the very best and freshest-tasting seafood in the area.”

With a loaded menu that will satisfy any and all seafood lovers (clams, scallops and haddock, oh my), Somethin’ Catchy will also offer classic go-to selections like chicken tenders and hotdogs to accommodate those who may not be in a seafood mood. Specialty milkshakes will also be featured, as well as a raw bar.

But for all her apparent knowledge, Rose-Ellen wasn’t always in the restaurant biz. Nor has she even been in it for very long, a surprise considering her current winning streak when it comes to restaurant owning. “My restaurant experience began almost five years ago, when I shifted from my biotechnology career to open my first restaurant,” she said. That first restaurant was Rosalina’s Kitchen, located on Hamilton Street in Worcester.

Going from a career in biotech to one that’s involves serving up food is quite a jump, and Rose-Ellen freely admits that she and Angela had “no restaurant experience to speak of.” Rose-Ellen is “100 percent self-taught and trained.” When it comes time to keeping up with the competition, she said she “(studies) the business trends, cooking techniques and (stays) competitive by learning.”

After having gone out on a whim and hitting it solid with Rosalina’s Kitchen, Rose-Ellen and Angela decided to team up with family member, Alisa Padavano Deveau, to open Padavano’s Place on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester. If Rosalina’s Kitchen was the “small, quaint” start-up restaurant for the budding entrepreneurs, then Padavano’s Place – an Italian restaurant which features a full-service horseshoe bar – was the next step in their business growth. Now, Somethin’ Catchy’s on the menu.

But how can you manage three different restaurants at the same time? Location, location, location.

“We were looking for somewhere on the east side of the city that would be easy for us to transition from one restaurant to the next,” Angela said. “As luck would have it, a space came available in the same plaza that houses Padavano’s Place.”

One difference between Somethin’ Catchy and the other Padavano-owned restaurants, however, is the nostalgic roots it has for Rose-Ellen. A proud New England native, Rose-Ellen recalls spending many of her childhood summer days on the northern beaches of Gloucester and Rockport. “I have a lot of fond memories and want to capture that beachy feeling in the city,” she said of Somethin’ Catchy.

And if this winter turns out to be anything like last year’s, everyone will be dreaming about summer weather and vacation bliss.

“Our restaurant décor will be consistent with any beautiful beach-themed restaurant you can find along the shoreline,” said Rose-Ellen. “Come on in and feel like you’re at the beach.”

For more information, visit somethincatchyworc.com.

By Jason Savio