ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — A restaurant with four decades of history on the First Coast shut down after hurricane Matthew. Now it's back open.
The Outback Crabshack in St. Johns County re-opened Friday.
Different owners, different restaurant, different building.
The Outback Crabshack still has an open-air deck on Six Mile Creek, a half-mile-long dock, and fresh seafood.
"We’ve been waiting for this place to reopen, and today is the perfect place day to do that," Wynn Sullivan said. He was one of the first people to eat at the newly opened restaurant on County Road 13.
Friday’s lunch was the restaurant’s first meal it served to the public, and the parking lot was packed. Barely a parking spot was available.
"We had 350 seats full and an hour-long wait," owner Nathan Stuart said. He is the owner/operator of Intracoastal Fisheries Hospitality. Outback Crabshack is the company's newest restaurant in North Florida.
The original Outback Crabshack opened in 1976 according to original owner Margaret Tuttle. It grew in popularity and size over the years. She said the seafood was caught fresh out of the river. It was a tucked away place off the St. Johns River that boaters and locals loved.
Sullivan remembers it well. "The food was always delicious, always low country boil."
After 40 years in business, Hurricane Matthew in 2016 flooded the restaurant. Tuttle and the other owners shut it down and eventually sold it.
Friday, the place was full of people, music, food and drinks again. "We’re just so happy to be here," Stuart said.
He and his wife choose to rebuild a new restaurant on the same spot.
And they are often asked if it will flood again. He says no because the new building was built higher.
"I think the new building is 6 to 8 feet above the 100 year flood plain to the front door," Stuart noted.
Construction on the new building started in 2021, so it took three years to finally serve the first drink. Stuart says construction issues with the foundation are to blame.
"I know there was a lot of frustration with us getting open. People have been patient and nice in supporting us, and I just want to thank them for their support," he said.
As for Sullivan, he was curious if the new place would stack up to the original. He said, "I was a bit worried honestly. New and improved is not always a good thing. But, I'm happy with it. The food's fantastic. Everything we ordered was really well prepared. The atmosphere still has the vibe. So it's good! And no more floods!"