Mike Dickinson

Regional Director of Operations

Mike serves as a Regional Director of Operations for Highwater and currently oversees three restaurants and two liquor stores which gross in excess of $8 million dollars annually.

Originally from East Stroudsburg, PA, Mike graduated as salutatorian of his high school class as well as lettering in soccer & football and being very active in the arts in both his school & community. He graduated summa cum laude from Muhlenberg College with a BS in Biology & a BS in Natural Sciences, and was also served as VP of the college’s chapter of Alpha Epsilon Delta, the national pre-med honor fraternity. He was accepted at the Drexel University School of Medicine, but ultimately decided that was not the career path he wanted to pursue.

Mike spent his summers growing up at the beach, and his first job was as a seasonal server with Grotto Pizza. After graduating from college, he relocated permanently to the beach and began working full-time for Grottos. Within 6 months, he had been promoted to an assistant manager, and less than a year later was again promoted to general manager. At the time of his promotion, he was not only the fastest rising, but also the second youngest GM in the company’s history. During his time with Grottos, he ran seasonal restaurants in the summer and served as a lead management trainer in the off-season, working closely with the corporate trainer in overseeing the training of all incoming managers.

In 2005, Mike left Grottos to work with Matt Haley in his rapidly-expanding SoDel Concepts restaurant group. He served as a director of operations for Haley, helping him oversee his existing restaurants, and also open new restaurants. During his time with SoDel, Mike was part of 5 Best of Delaware Awards.

Seeking to expand his skill set, in 2007, Mike left restaurants and ventured into retail. For two years he served as general manager and wine, liquor, & beer buyer for Cape Wine & Spirits in Lewes, DE, where he oversaw a 10,000+ square foot retail operation & a wine inventory of over 4000 labels.

In the fall of 2009, Mike joined Highwater and served as GM of perennial “Best of Delaware” award winner FINS Fish House & Raw bar, as well as assisting with operations at Claws Seafood House.

In 2011, Mike also began overseeing the award-winning James Street Tavern in Newport , DE , as well as the Wilmington & Newport locations of Premier Wine & Spirits. FINS continued to pile on awards, being named one of the Top 30 Raw Bars in the country, and also collecting Best of Delaware awards for Best Raw Bar, Best Wine List, & Best Appetizers, while seeing record numbers posted in total meals served, gross, & net income.

Mike lives in Rehoboth Beach.