I was still in high school when I moved from Brooklyn to Carmel in 1957. I got my start in this business as a busboy and dishwasher at places like the Highlands Inn and Asilomar Conference Center. By 18, I was a maître d’ at The Seven Pleasures—a nightclub on Fremont Street. I was in a sharp mohair suit, shaking hands at the door, and I loved every second of it. Then in 1968, with my dear friend Bert Cutino, we took a chance on a little place called The Sardine Factory. We had $968 to our names, an old milk truck for refrigeration, and a dream. And now, more than 56 years later, The Sardine Factory is still going strong. But we didn’t stop at one restaurant. We saw potential in the abandoned canneries and dilapidated buildings that surrounded us. Where others saw decay, we saw opportunity. With the support of incredible partners, we transformed Cannery Row from an industrial relic into a world-class destination. Today, it welcomes over 6 million visitors a year, making it the #1 tourism destination on the Central Coast, with award-winning hotels, restaurants, shops, and attractions. What we built was never about just one business—it was about creating a place that would put Monterey on the map and give people jobs and opportunities for decades to come. The two most important things in life are character and courage—the character to know the right thing to do and the courage to do it. And if you take one thing from me, let it be this: Nobody coasts uphill. You have to push. You have to take chances. You have to believe in what you do. Because if you do what you love and love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. Ted Balestreri, Chairman and CEO Cannery Row Company Photographer Sean Gravem says capturing spectacular wave and seascape images can be elusive. Hard work has paid off, however, and the results are open to the public at his studio, located at 700 Cannery Row. “I have many new images on display and available for purchase, from an awesome fall and winter of photography,” Gravem said. “Over the last several months I have been lucky to capture several images that I have been trying to get for years. They will be showing up in the shop very soon.” After nine years on Cannery Row, Gravem is experiencing a significant tide of professional momentum himself. One of his images was selected as SmugMug & Flickr’s People’s Choice favorite in 2024 and Gravem will be the subject of an upcoming documentary. Cannery Row has proven to be a big part of his success. “It has been a pleasure running our gallery alongside many other local business owners that we now call friends,” he said. Gravem scuba dives and mounts cameras to his body to achieve shorebreak photography, or snapping photos inside of waves, which is his jaw-dropping signature. Gravem’s images of waves highlight striking colors, shapes and reflections from a view many will never experience—an artistic process he is happy to share with visitors to his studio. “Customers appreciate being able to purchase local images directly from the artist who can share knowledge and personal stories about every image,” Gravem said. “Loyal customers say they always make time on their vacation to stop by and see what’s new.” gravemphotography.com Sean Gravem Photography TED Talks
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