Martin Frannea and his wife Nicole decided 8 years ago, while living in Austin, to open a restaurant together. For a number of reasons, including Nicole's fond memories of her residence on the island in the seventies and eighties, they chose to locate their establishment in Port Aransas.Martin, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, had been the chef of numerous restaurants over the last 20 years and was ready to create his own concept. The couple decided to name their new restaurant after their daughter and Irie's Island Food opened in the summer of 2013.