Grouper Shack restaurant, bar and market opened Dec. 20 in Jacksonville Beach, its second site in Northeast Florida.
It is at 1700 Third St. in the former The Bearded Pig barbecue spot that closed in April.
Co-owner Nathan Stuart said the restaurant is in a soft opening phase as it trains its 50 employees.
“For the first month, we have a training staff in place. We’re still working out the kinks,” he said.
The property includes The Marketplace, which will sell portioned fish, oysters and crab legs to prepare at home, plus spices and rubs, oyster shuckers and gloves, branded t-shirts and hats. It is under construction.
Total build-out cost $1 million, Stuart said. That includes The Marketplace, new kitchen equipment, new surfaces throughout the building and outdoor dining area, lighting, bar equipment and a computer system. None of the work required building permits. Stuart hired the subcontractors.
Micamy Design Studio created the look of the interior and exterior.
The Grouper Shack offers fast-casual dining where customers order and pay at a main counter and staff brings bar orders and meals to the tables. Patrons sitting at the inside and outside bar areas can order from their seats. Soon, tables will have a QR code that will allow those seated at the bar to order additional drinks without getting up.
The menu is predominantly seafood with a chicken sandwich and hamburger. Other items include starters, soup and salads, and seafood baskets featuring fried clams, fried cod, shrimp, grouper, crab cakes, fried oysters and scallops. Prices throughout the menu are $20 and under other than two market-priced seafood offerings.
“My whole concept of Grouper Shack is volume-based. Nobody’s excluded,” Stuart said.
“It’s a fun, casual environment. You don’t have to spend $100 a head and it doesn’t cost $200 to take your family to dinner on a Tuesday night.”
The daily catch is just that. A board behind the counter lists fresh fish either his boat or other local and regional commercial fishermen have caught.
Stuart regularly participates in fishing tournaments. His captain has a commercial license and fishes off a 43-foot catamaran for the restaurants when not in competition.
“Most of our seafood is sourced fresh. Whatever is running in North Florida. I am catching a lot of wahoo. A lot of the local commercial fishermen are catching sheepshead. So that’s what we’re running. All those fish that are being caught and they’re being dropped off daily.”
Grouper Shack has a full bar that also serves craft cocktails, domestic and craft beers on draft, seltzers and wine.
Grouper Shack opens at 10:30 a.m. daily and closes at 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
The restaurant is one of several owned by spouses Stuart and Margo Klar. They operate Grouper Shack in St. Augustine, The Fish House & Oyster Co. in Orange Park, Julington Creek, New Berlin, and Tally Fish House & Oyster Bar in Tallahassee. They also have Outback Crab Shack on County Road 13 and The Boathouse in Ponte Vedra Beach and St. Augustine.
There are plans to open a third Grouper Shack near Outback Crab Shack in the fall, Stuart said. That project is in permitting.
They are also building new restaurants – Cleo’s in Crescent Beach and Snappers in Vilano Beach.