The Seafood Shack, a popular Mathews seafood restaurant and market established in 2022 by Robert Martin and Amy Blanock Hudgins, is now under new ownership.
Gwynn’s Island residents Kevin and Amy Fuccella, operating under the name Mermaid Cove Enterprises, took over the business on March 1 and are seamlessly carrying on its day-to-day operations.
The Fuccellas had been regulars at the restaurant, with Amy’s two daughters both working there, and they liked the food and the atmosphere. When Martin and Hudgins approached them last summer about the possibility of a changeover, they were intrigued, but they both had other jobs and needed to take some time to consider it. After retiring from the U.S. Air Force a number of years ago, Kevin had since been working for his brother’s Auto Spa business, while Amy’s background is in flooring sales.
Kevin grew up in the restaurant business in Urbanna, where his mother once owned the Urbanna Inn, and his three sisters all went into the restaurant business, so “it’s in my blood, and I wanted to carry it on,” he said. In addition to flooring sales, Amy also has a background in baking, and she hopes eventually to add homemade baked goods to the restaurant’s offerings.
“The opportunity arose, and we took it,” said Kevin.
With a kitchen that offers an extensive menu of seafood choices, from starters, steamers and soups, to handhelds, baskets and platters; a fresh market menu that carries everything from fish and shellfish to alligator sausage and boudin; and a deli centered on Boar’s Head products, the Seafood Shack offered a challenge for any new owner. So, Kevin left his job with his brother in November to shadow Robert and learn the business’s day-to-day operations from the bottom up. He took on a lot of the in-house cooking himself, especially the soups, dips, sauces, and salads.
The Fuccellas purchased the restaurant’s recipe book along with the restaurant, and they don’t plan to change any of the long-held family recipes, including Eddie Dutton’s Made in Mathews Barbecue, but they do hope to expand some of the offerings. They especially want to add to the deli’s to-go choices, such as offering more grab-and-go sandwiches and salads for weekenders and beachgoers, and more lunch specials for locals.
“We’re excited,” said Kevin. “We had a great first week. The community has been supportive, we’ve seen a lot of new faces, and we’ve had great feedback.”
The Seafood Shack is open Wednesday through Saturday, with a full-service bar and seating inside or on the wide front porch. The fresh market opens at 10 a.m., and lunch is served beginning at 11 a.m. Closing time is 8 p.m.
Specials are posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page, and more information is available at theseafoodshackmathews.com.