Angry Crab Shack, a full-service Cajun seafood restaurant specializing in boiled shellfish flavored with signature sauces, recently signed a franchise agreement to bring its first location to Texas—a new market for the brand. The new restaurant is on pace to open in January 2020 in Arlington, bringing tasty Cajun fare and culture to the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area.
The brand has grown to six corporate and four franchise locations with development well underway in Atlanta, Florida, and Alabama. Additional restaurants are planned for Texas, underscoring an overall brand expansion plan to have 100 stores open and operating across the nation by 2023.
“We were looking for another business opportunity when our family in Arizona told us we had to try Angry Crab Shack,” says Vanessa Sheriff, who will own and operate the Arlington restaurant alongside her husband, Deric. “So, we hopped a flight to visit our family and give it a shot—we fell in love. The atmosphere is fun, the culture is inviting and it had some of the best seafood we’ve ever had. Next thing we knew, we were signing on the dotted line to bring it to our hometown.”
Vanessa and Deric Sheriff met by chance. Deric, a police officer, was bringing someone into the emergency room when he ran into Vanessa, a paramedic. The two have been partners in life and business ever since. Serial entrepreneurs, the two own and operate a Nothing Bundt Cakes and a Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop in the Greater Arlington area as well where several of their six children hold management positions. The new Arlington Angry Crab Shack will be the first of three the Sheriffs plan to open in the area.
Angry Crab Shack draws on Cajun and Asian flavors—as well as a fun food presentation and a laid-back environment—to create an unparalleled dining experience for guests. Best known for using the freshest ingredients, Angry Crab Shack sources lobster from the East Coast, Dungeness Crab from the Pacific Northwest, King Crab from Bering Strait, Snow Crab from Canadian waters, and crawfish from the Gulf of Mexico. Guests can expect a fun family experience where they can throw on a bib, roll up their sleeves, and dig in. The brand offers a variety of boils including, shrimp, crawfish, lobster, crab and more.
“We’re thrilled to have Vanessa and Deric join the Angry Crab Shack family,” says Andrew Diamond, President of Angry Crab Shack. “They’re both passionate and business-savvy, and I have no doubt they’re the perfect franchise partners to bring our culture and flavor to Texas. This first Arlington location is an exciting milestone for our brand – It validates our popularity and reputation as we continue to grow throughout the country.”
Initial investment ranges between $390,000 to $711,000. Targeted franchise expansion states for the remainder of 2019 include Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, as well as Utah.
