Joe’s Crab Shack in Jacksonville Beach will close Jan. 24 with plans to reopen as Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., according to restaurant staff.
No opening date has been announced.
Landry’s Inc. of Houston, owns Joe’s Crab Shack and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., among other restaurant brands. Other Landry’s-operated restaurants in Jacksonville include Chart House, 1501 Riverplace Blvd., and Morton’s The Steakhouse in the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront at 225 E. Coastline Drive.
Landry’s acquired Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. in 2010. Many locations are in tourist areas such as Times Square, the Las Vegas Strip and Universal CityWalk in Orlando.
The brand was inspired by the 1994 movie “Forrest Gump” starring Tom Hanks. In the movie, the title character partners with an Army friend, Bubba Blue, in plans to operate a shrimping boat before Blue is killed in action.
There are about 30 Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. locations in the United States as well as in Mexico, Japan and China. It serves shrimp-inspired appetizers and mains as well as steaks, burgers, chicken and other seafood. Joe’s Crab Shack has a similar menu.
Landry’s bought Joe’s Crab Shack in 1994 and sold it to a private equity firm in 2006. Landry’s then repurchased it from bankruptcy in 2017. In recent years, many Joe’s Crab Shack locations have closed.
Joe’s Crab Shack, one of the few public restaurants in Northeast Florida with views of the Atlantic Ocean, opened in the late 1990s. It is at 6 Beach Blvd.
The property is owned by Ash Properties, which bought it in 2019 for $6 million as an investment. COO Christian Oldenburg said he had few details about the restaurant change, but Ash Properties has not sold the beachfront property. Landry’s will continue to lease it, Oldenburg said.