A soft opening was held Friday for The Hatchery, a new outdoor eatery at Oyster Seed Holdings, located at 425 Callis Wharf Road on Gwynn’s Island.

Held in conjunction with one of the oyster seed company’s bi-weekly tours of its actual hatchery, the soft opening included not only the oyster tastings that are part of the tour but also dishes and drinks that will be among those offered when The Hatchery has its grand opening sometime before summer.

Oyster Seed Holdings owner Mike Congrove said he plans on having a couple more soft openings for his new business before the grand opening of his food truck, which provides al fresco dining on the banks of Milford Haven at umbrella-covered picnic tables.

A small variety of choices will be available at each soft opening. Dishes guests might expect include Oysters Banh Mi, Fried Oyster Tacos, and Po’Boy Oysters, along with selections for people who don’t eat oysters, including Pork Banh Mi and Pork Street Tacos, among others. There will be a Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwich, a PB&J for the kids, and, of course, raw and roasted oysters. Prices range from $11 to $15 or so. The truck will also carry an assortment of beverages, including beers, seltzers and wines.

Oyster Seed Holdings is among the top three companies on the East Coast for oyster seed production, said Congrove, but it didn’t begin giving tours until last year, after being in business for over a decade. Congrove said he had realized that most people didn’t know the hatchery existed. After a controversy arose over the placement of oyster cages in Milford Haven by a different company, “We decided we should start advocating for the industry more,” he said.

Oysters are one of the few protein sources for humans that’s actually good for the environment, said Congrove. Oysters filter the water where they live, with one oyster capable of filtering up to 50 gallons of water per day. On top of that, oysters are healthful to eat, he said, and the hatchery doesn’t have to rely on Mother Nature, making it “very sustainable for farming.”

The oysters served at The Hatchery will all come from various Oyster Seed Holdings customers who purchase the seed and raise the oysters to adulthood, said Congrove. At Friday’s soft opening, they were provided by White Stone Oyster Company.

“Every oyster sold here was born here, grown in the Chesapeake Bay, and brought back to eat,” he said.

While the oyster tours will continue to be held every other Friday, with reservations required, Congrove said The Hatchery will eventually be open every weekend, Friday through Sunday, from 5-9 p.m., into the fall. Because of limited parking, he asks that people call ahead before coming.

For more information, visit thehatcheryculture.com. The call-ahead number to dine at The Hatchery is 804-725-3047.

For tour information, visit oshoyster.com.