Copyright Mechanicsburg Patriot News
Joe’s Crab Shack was never as big as Red Lobster or one of the other chains, but it was a common enough site for folks through the years. Unfortunately, it might not have been a common enough stop. Because, as well known as the seafood chain was, it’s footprint of nearly 150 restaurants across the country is now down to less than 20. In fact, Tasting Table reported that the company’s website currently shows just 15 active restaurants. So, how did things get so bad for Joe’s? Well, Tasting Table reported that the chain actually began to struggle back in the mid-2010s due to the increase in cost of seafood. That came while its sales began decreasing, and at least some of that was self-inflicted because Tasting Table noted that as well known as Joe’s was, it actually rated it as one of the worst seafood chains in business. The outlet said lease expirations also hit Joe’s hard, particularly in 2017, when the chain dropped from 112 locations to 70 from June to August. That number was down to 30 last year, and now … again, just 15. So, for fans of Joe’s, that is obviously pretty concerning news. Joe’s was founded in 1991, according to Tasting Table, and was sold in 1994 to Landry’s Inc. JCS Holdings, which became Ignite Restaurant Group, bought Joe’s in 2006, and Landry’s bought it again in 2017. If things continue to go downhill at the rate they have, though, there may be nothing left for Landry’s to sell this time around.
