Two Friends Took a Bet on Themselves, Now They Run a Million Dollar Business

Seven years ago, two friends had the idea to open a small seafood restaurant in Brooklyn, New York. Fifi Bell Clanton and Gwendolyn Niles left their jobs in the entertainment business and opened The Crabby Shack.

Since then, the pair have opened a second location at a sports arena, introduced frozen takeout entrees, and have started nationwide deliveries.

On top of the brand expansion, by 2019 The Crabby Shack had revenues of more than $1 million, having experienced a four-year growth rate of 52.65 percent, according to Fortune Magazine.

Fifi Bell Clanton and Gwendolyn Niles (Photo courtesy of The Crabby Shack)

“Since we opened in 2014, we have made some additions to the menu and removed some items that weren’t working for us. The best addition has been our Lobster Roll, which is a half crab, half lobster sandwich. We have also expanded into the Barclays Center, which is very exciting for us,” Niles told Finurah in a recent interview. The Barclays Center is home of the NBA team the Brooklyn Nets.

The menu at The Crabby Shack is more than mouthwatering; the seafood offerings have made this Brooklyn eatery a must for local seafood lovers. The menu includes: Dungeness crab, Alaskan snow crab legs, crab mac & cheese, crab cake sliders, lobster roll, lobster roll (half crab/half lobster). Its best-seller is its Famous Crab Roll — snow crab meat tossed in garlic butter sauce on a toasted Martin’s bun.

The Black-owned establishment has emerged from the COVID pandemic as a survivor while many other NYC dining spots have folded. The restaurants also completed renovations in August.

Read the full story on Finurah here.


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