Crabby Joe’s restaurant destroyed by hurricane reopens

DAYTONA BEACH SHORES, Fla. – Nearly two years ago, part of a famous pier in Daytona Beach Shores was damaged by Category 4 Hurricane Ian.

One of the icons of Sunglow Pier is the restaurant Crabby Joe’s, which is located up there.

The restaurant announced on September 28, 2022 that it and the pier would be closed until further notice due to damage from the hurricane.

On Friday it was announced that construction work had been completed and the reopening would take place on Tuesday.

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News 6 watched as workers arrived Saturday morning to train and prepare for reopening. In the meantime, according to its website, it will still have the same old Crabby’s vibe and serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.

“The only thing we want to improve is the consistency of our food and see how welcoming we can be. Stay local, stay simple,” a spokesperson for the restaurant said in a prepared statement. “There has been an amazing and resonant desire for Crabby’s not to change, and we are fully on board.”

The menu is primarily seafood, including calamari, coconut shrimp, clam strips and a fish Reuben with lime remoulade. Breakfast options include classics like shrimp and grits and hotcakes.

The pier itself will be different, however, as it will be half the length it was before. The team said there are plans to rebuild the fishing pier in the future. It will continue to be made of wood, as the team behind the restaurant takes into account the price difference between concrete and wood materials.

“FYI, Flagler Beach is renovating its pier (with state funds) for $14 million (and the budget continues to rise). It’s an 18-month project. We simply couldn’t afford to do that while simultaneously rebuilding the seawalls and installing all of the new utilities,” a Crabby Joe’s spokesperson said in a prepared statement.

Rebuilding the levee presented an obstacle. Six months after Ian raced across the state, Crabby Joe’s was still waiting for state approval to begin construction.

A News 6 investigation found the delay was due to Crabby Joe’s applications and more than half of applicants in Volusia County being deemed incomplete.

News 6 helped the team at Crabby Joe’s connect with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to go over the documents they still needed to get permits for the dam. In June 2023, repairs to the dam began and were completed two months later, the restaurant said in a social media post.

“Now that our seawall is up, we can finally get out onto the pier with our equipment and start working. However, there is still a lot of work ahead of us,” the post said.

Crabby Joe’s then continued to provide updates on construction over the past year. On August 4, the company said in a social media post that the end of construction was in sight and that all final inspections were scheduled.

“We are so excited to be reopening. We will no doubt be very busy, so be prepared to stop by and enjoy a cold drink while you wait,” the post reads.

Overall, the restaurant will reopen on Tuesday and will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Click here to view the menu.

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