SWFL restaurant company introduces two new concepts, nears 2,000 employees

When Pinchers Crab Shack opened in Bonita Springs in 1997, it had 12 tables and six employees. “I cooked every day, and my dad worked on the floor each day,” says Grant Phelan. “A big day for us back then was $600 in sales. It’s a lot more than that on a big day now.”

That’s because over the last almost 30 years, Phelan Family Brands has grown from one small restaurant to 12 different concepts and 26 locations in Florida, stretching from Tampa to Marco Island. The list includes Pinchers, Deep Lagoon Seafood, Texas Tony’s Rib & Brewhouse and Hogfish Harry’s.