So my question to you or anyone else....how would you propose this name best be monetized? Thanks Bob, and Happy New Year!
First of all, best wishes for the new year to you too!
I think it probably is best monetized if you could find a buyer who would like to brand on the name. While I guess there are other possibilities, such as some sort of directory, reviews, services site, and a keen developer might find interest, I think most of us do not have those skills. Certainly I do not.
I did a quick check at OpenCorporates, and while Seafood is obviously popular (more than 24,000 active businesses have that as part of their name, or also known as name. I also checked Karma, with more than 7,000 businesses use that, also popular. Somewhat surprising none have used the combination, but there are no businesses currently listed as active with the combination.
I used my SH account to do a Domain Insights query. As well as restaurants, food delivery and a seafood marketplace, it also suggested things such as a recipe site (which makes sense) or a monthly food box service, that I had not thought of. I think the karma works nicely maybe as a recipe site, but would take development work and no idea how lucrative such are in terms of revenue.
My point is, the likely hood of anyone finding it via GD, Sedo or Dan is slim and none imo.
I think it is true that most names that are not already a business name have low chances of being found. However, I think if you activate GD Fast Transfer (after 60 days holding) it may get proposed on the registrar page of any of the registrars in their premium network that increases your chance of the name being proposed and maybe bought instantly. I definitely recommend that.
The other way to get some eyes is through a brandable marketplace like BrandBucket, SquadHelp premium, or BrandPa. These are tough to get names accepted at, and their commissions are high, and they have restrictions (except BPa) on listing elsewhere, but a name there does have the advantage that a buyer looking for a specific niche, like seafood, will be presented with your and other names, so it is less lost in a sea of other names like on the big general purpose marketplaces.
I did look at BrandBucket and the keyword seafood has 191 listings, some that include the specific term, so a possibility. They take 30 days or so for decisions typically. BPa will give instant decision. SH take a few days if you use a coin on submission. They have 65 for keyword karma, a number include specific name. You can similarly search SH to see if they tend to handle names like this.
I have only dabbled in the food niche mainly aimed at takeout/fast/low end, as I recall less than 5 names in total ever. I have not announced the sale yet until I look at ToS of the marketplace, but I actually sold (not for a lot) a name in the niche this week. It is already in redirection use, but not directly for food, but rather an AI startup to give intelligence to restaurants, a use I never thought of. This just goes to show sometimes there can be applications we don't first think of. Your karma might find some use a bit broader like that, but the odds of any one name selling are very low (under 1 in 100 per year for brandable type names in .com I think). I had this name actively listed for a few years, and only sold after I reduced price and gave marketplace a lot of leeway in negotiating after several years of no offers and not much traffic. There is part of the market, and I think food is one, where there is price sensitivity I think. So as mentioned above, pricing right is one key part.
Sorry this got so long. I wish you best with this, and other, names. Remember seeing you in 2019 at NamesCon in Vegas. It seems like a long time ago. ICA are meeting there this week.
Happy New Year.
Bob