Reflection on City Seafood

Years ago, when I was publishing the Mullet Rapper, I always enjoyed my visits to the various businesses, stopping and talking with the owners and guests; now I distribute our Welcome Center rack cards around town. Stopping by City Seafood recently, I was thrilled to see Richard sitting on the same bench out front, just like old times except Virgil is no longer with us. The two of them were fixtures on that bench.

It’s been a while since I had seen Richard, so we reminisced about a lot of things and people. He had a stroke several years ago and recuperated in St. Pete where he still owns the same home and raised his family. His wife Dottie passed away years ago, but the two of them shared a wonderful life (and business) together in old Florida. I asked how he happened to find Everglades City – and he said, “it started with the purchase of a boat”.

In St. Petersburg Richard was an electrician, but he and Dottie would find real estate and other opportunities in which to invest. He found out there was a boat for sale in the Everglades, a large offshore fishing boat, so he and Dottie drove here to check it out. City Seafood was originally a fish and stone crab market, and the building was located on the ground, not elevated. Richard told Dottie he thought it would be a good full-service restaurant, even though he knew nothing about operating a restaurant.

This was in 1997, and it was then he had decided to elevate the building to provide more dining space for the expanding fish house/restaurant. As the years passed, its popularity grew. City Seafood has been featured in Gulfshore Life, Florida Rambler, and many other travel magazines. Visitors continue to come back to find an expanded menu, great seafood, and sandwiches.

Stop by 702 Begonia Street any day of the week. The restaurant is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The Beach Bar is open Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sunday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Richard is still there with lots of stories and memories to share.