On any given day, if you’re strolling down Franklin Avenue in Brooklyn, you may come across a multitude of Crown Heights residents feasting on crab legs, lobster rolls and honey cornbread at the Crabby Shack, a Black-women-owned seafood restaurant celebrating its 10 year anniversary.
Owned by friends Fifi Bell-Clanton and Gwen Woods, the Crabby Shack, at 613 Franklin Ave., is an ode to the friends’ love for seafood boils. Both were disappointed by the lack of local seafood options when Bell-Clanton mentioned her desire to open a restaurant.
“Are you really serious about opening up this restaurant?” Woods recalled asking her friend.
Seeing Bell-Clanton’s passion for her idea, the two took a gamble.
“We had no idea, you know, what was in the future, or how we were going to do it,” admitted Bell-Clanton. “At one point, we talked about, ‘Oh, for our crab rolls, we were going to hand pick the crab out of the shell.’ It would have taken hours upon hours upon hours, so we learned those types of things, and it was really just trial and error.”
Woods and Bell-Clanton had no formal restaurant experience when they began, but they were determined to learn. Bell-Clanton worked as a fashion stylist for celebrities like The Cheetah Girls, while Woods worked in the media industry as part of Bad Boys Records, a record label owned by Sean “Diddy” Combs.
In the beginning, the co-owners would frequent popular restaurants in the neighborhood and ask the head chef to see their kitchen. From this, they were able to build their restaurant with the proper kitchen equipment and knowledge of building recipes.
As their business grew, the owners innovated. Now the two run a new venture inside their storefront called Side Piece, which serves chicken bites, sandwiches and salads for those wanting an alternative option.
They have also created their own hot sauce in two flavors, Hottie Hot Sauce and Zesty Lemon Pepper which have been featured on the popular series Hot Ones, hosted by Sean Evans.
The owners credit much of their success to the community that welcomed them with loving arms. In fact, while many restaurants were closing down during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, they had their best year year, explained Woods.
“Seeing those repeat customers and starting to know their names and saying, ‘Hi, Mr. Craig. How you doing today? I know what you want.’ [That’s what] brought us joy,” Bell-Clanton said.
“You know, these sorts of things really bring us joy, and it's what we do it for. It's what keeps us going at the end of the day because it's not easy.”
Even after 10 years, the owners are still learning and implementing new ways of serving their community. Being adaptable helps, and restaurant owners must serve their community and accommodate their needs, they said.
I think that is the number one biggest thing, and also utilize your resources,” said Woods. “Just keep thinking. Keep figuring it out. Keep trying…try your hardest.”
