Joe’s Crab Shack has never been as big as Red Lobster or other chains, but it’s been a common enough place for people to visit over the years.
Unfortunately, this may not be a common enough stop. Because, while the seafood chain is widely known, its nearly 150 restaurants nationwide are now down to fewer than 20.
Actually, Tasting Table Report The company’s website currently shows only 15 active restaurants.
So, how did things in the Qiao family become so bad?
According to Tasting Table, the chain actually began to struggle in the mid-2010s due to rising seafood costs. At the same time, its sales began to decline, at least some of which was self-inflicted, as Tasting Table noted that despite its popularity, Trader Joe’s actually ranked it as one of the worst seafood chains in the industry.
The outlet said lease expirations also hit Joe’s hard, especially in 2017, when the chain dropped from 112 stores to 70 stores from June to August. Last year that number dropped to 30, and now…it’s down to 15 again.
So, this is obviously very worrying news for Joe’s fans.
Joe’s was founded in 1991 and sold to Landry’s Inc in 1994, according to Tasting Table. JCS Holdings (later Ignite Restaurant Group) acquired Joe’s in 2006, and Landry’s acquired it again in 2017.
However, if things continue to go downhill at the current rate, Landry may not have anything to sell this time around.
Read the original article at pennlive.com.
