Mark Tognazzini is one of the owners of Tognazzini’s Dockside locations, longtime popular family-owned restaurant, but that is only part of the story. Photo by Linda Gardner
Full Disclosure: Mark Tognazzini has been a trusted friend for years although our rocky first encounter was when he was over-the-moon upset when the Morro Bay Harbor Festival Wine Pavilion consumed the entire parking lot in front of his restaurant, Tognazzini’s Dockside.
Expanding this fledgling wine event was my first major responsibility after relocating to Morro Bay. Peaceful coexistence took negotiation, but this passionate business owner was willing to work with the organizers and co-exist one weekend a year for several years.
“I wear my emotions on my sleeve,” Mark admits today. And today I honor his passion for his family-owned business, his employees, and the fishing industry he’s given his heart and life to keep vital for Morro Bay.
Many of us still remember Mark’s father, Wilmer Tognazzini, who led Morro Bay’s elementary school’s operations for years as teacher, principal and superintendent, including supervising Del Mar Elementary School’s affiliation with San Luis Coastal Unified School District. He had previously taught fisherman’s children in Monterey and met and married Henrietta, a talented beauty who grew up in Greenfield. They had 10 children – eight surviving adults and all but one still actively with us today. Ultimately the family moved the original ranch house to Little Morro Creek. Mark and son Marc bought the homestead ranch from the siblings. Marc is currently Tognazzini Restaurants’ general manager, Mark’s best friend and regular hunting and fishing buddy.
“Today I’m a homebody,” said Mark. “I love living on the ranch with our five dogs. Growing up, we wanted to be close to town where the action and our friends were, but now I love the quiet, all the animals and fruit trees.”
Mark loves to tell stories about his father’s community and restaurant involvement, but said, “It was Mom who made us who we are. She used to joke to friends – ‘guess we did all right – none of the kids have been in jail.’”
She played the saxophone for 80 years and was as involved in community as Wilmer. “She was the ‘first lady’ of the San Luis County Band and a charter member of Morro Bay’s White Caps.”
Dockside’s Bonnie Marietta won the top title at the 2024 Lighted Boat Parade in Morro Bay.
Photo by Linda Gardner
As a young man Mark ran cattle on the ranch, but once out to sea he discovered his career passion as a fisherman. At fifteen he washed dishes at Port Morro, where Giovanni’s is located today. Owner Mitch Mitchell promoted him to work the fish market where he learned to filet and sell fresh fish. Mitchell also ran commercial party boats, and by sixteen Mark was sent to sea to filet and package the patrons’ catch before they returned to Morro Bay.
“That’s when I got the fishing bug,” he said. Mark tried Cuesta College, but classes didn’t mesh with days out fishing. He followed his heart and worked for the Frank Brebes Abalone Empire, Virg’s Landing and (Captain) Fast Eddie (Ewing), who he honored with the annual Fast Eddie Memorial Jam at Dockside II.
Once Mark could put $500 together, he took a month off to secure his Captain’s licensing. He would captain for Ralph Gunther’s commercial sport fishing boat, Shir-lee, and supplied Gunther’s Embarcadero restaurant, Bob’s Seafood, with fresh-caught fish. When oncologist, Bob Hittle, recognized his talent and contracted him to help develop his new Morro Bay landing, Mark supervised the construction of the landing’s first deep-water sport fishing boat Big Mama I. He spent several months with Oregon boat builder, Bob Pullen. The landing would add Big Mama II.
But after two years Mark was ready to be his own boss. He and sister Mary’s husband, Ralph Fiala, partnered in April 1981 to build the Bonnie Marietta. Bonnie is Mark’s ex-wife and mother of his two children Marc and Leah, Mari is for his sister, and etta is for Henrietta, his mother. Mark is proud to say he’s fished fisheries from Mexico to Sitka, Alaska.
“It’s been good and bad,” he said. “I liked the lifestyle. I preferred to stay close to home so I could attend my kids’ school activities.” So, he limited fishing trips out of Morro Bay to Monterey.
“The good times were when salmon was $3.80lb.” The bad came when the price of fish wasn’t worth the trip, but Mark doesn’t give up when he believes he’s right. His advocacy for his fellow fishermen rights to make a living and ‘buy direct’ off their boats began one Memorial Day weekend. Instead of supplying his catch at a loss he rallied family and friends to put the word out he was selling directly off the Bonnie Marietta. Customers responded and his catch was gone by the end of the 3-day weekend. He was warned not to do it again, but Mark pursued and sometimes would sell up to 500lbs demonstrating to him the SLO County customer wanted an option to buy direct from the fisherman who caught it. Pursuing this new path to establish a direct sales marketplace was enhanced by Mark’s skills at fileting his fish as customers requested.
“It was their fish,” he advocated before the SLO Board of Supervisors. “They bought it. They can do anything they want with their fish – feed the dog, stomp it on the pavement …” or filet it to their culinary wishes. Mark’s passionate argument prevailed to change the health department regulations, thus, creating a new industry opportunity for Morro Bay’s commercial fishermen. Buy-Direct is now common throughout the fishing industry.
Realizing what customer’s wanted Mark expanded the experience. “We bought our restaurant from David Ross. It was touch and go at first and then former Harbor Director Rick Algert, wanted to increase commercial fishing’s direct sales on our docks so helped us get Dockside II up and running.” Synergy was complete for Mark to fish, offload his fresh catch at his fish market/patio self-serve restaurant and also prepare specials for customers dining inside Dockside I. And Mark continues to honor the fishermen who bring their fresh catch to Dockside I and II by telling his customers who’s fish they are purchasing or ordering off the nightly special menu board.
Mark explained how music became a staple at Dockside II. “At first it was a true jam session among local musicians, including Fast Eddie. Dad would even play his keyboard. Now it’s a hallmark of our business. Two a day – afternoon and evening. Our musicians are 50-50 Central Valley and Central Coast talent.”
Tognazzini’s ‘Smoker’ is well-known for raising mega-funding for Cal Poly, Woods Humane Society, Black Brandt Group, Morro Bay Maritime Museum, 4H and the list of nonprofits goes on and on. “We can be a pretty easy touch,” said Mark, “but I won’t respond to letters. They need to come in and ask.”
Mark believes events like the Kite Festival, MBMM Family Fun Day, the Annual Garage Sale and the Pirates Parade started by former Mayor Janice Peters are local events that visitors would enjoy attending when they learn about them. “After all. They (visitors) found us and love us for what we are. They’ll come back if we can offer a clean community with good access to bathrooms, parking, and circulation to get us all easily around town.”
So, what makes Mark happy? Hunting with Marc in Idaho and fishing with friends out of Morro Bay. He was over-the-moon excited when the Bonnie Marietta won the 2024 Lighted Boat Parade. And if anyone attended MBMM’s Rock the HarborFront at the Yacht Club fundraiser last October, they saw that Mark loves to dance especially with his lady, Derri Hall. And who can’t love a guy who loves his dogs? “I take them everywhere. They live and sleep with me – seriously.”
What’s Mark’s next big project?
“The Trudy S. was built in 1947 and owned by Morro Bay’s Dicky Sylvester. It will be a new attraction at the Maritime Museum. I already have so many folks to thank to make this happen and more to come before we celebrate.”
