Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
Pam and Kent Scott are the owners of Snapper Grabbers, which recently expanded to Snapper Grabbers Land & Sea through their addition of a butcher shop and lunch deli.
With Snapper Grabbers’ recent expansion, the seafood market can now serve both halves of “surf and turf.”
Snapper Grabbers Land & Sea, neighboring the original seafood market’s space at 521 Montgomery Highway, opened in early May. It’s part lunch cafe, part butcher and wine shop. Pam Scott, who bought the 14-year-old business with her husband, Kent Scott, in 2012, said customers have been asking for years if they would stock meats along with seafood.
“[We had] a lot of requests for that,” Pam Scott said.
The Scotts have a long history in the seafood industry, but when the neighboring suite opened up, the Scotts decided to take the chance on something new.
It took about six months of construction to create Land & Sea, which still connects to the original seafood market inside.
“We didn’t break ground. We broke walls,” she said.
The butcher shop and wine selection are open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The cafe serves lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Pam Scott said the menu was created by Snapper Grabbers’ three chefs, including her brother, Patrick McCown, after a full day of brainstorming and another day of tasting during which they tried out some of their favorite recipes and found the right balance of meals from both the land and the sea sides.
“It was a fun day of just figuring out the different taste levels and what the chefs liked,” she said.
The menu includes sandwiches, soups, salads, their “almost famous” gumbo and more.
One of Pam Scott’s favorites is the Blue Springs Manor salad, named after a bed-and-breakfast where she first tried the salad and got the recipe. She said the menu also will include occasional specials such as a meatloaf sandwich, a favorite of her father’s. The meats carried in the shop are antibiotic-free and growth-hormone-free. They also expect the menu to evolve over time to try new things and see what’s popular.
The opening of Land & Sea did cause a temporary hiatus for the Snapper Grabbers Coastal Kitchen food truck, as McCown and the truck staff were moved to the butcher and cafe counter of Land & Sea. Pam Scott said they have not decided yet whether they will sell the truck or eventually hire more staff and begin operating it again.
Since its opening, Land & Sea already has been the site of Snapper Grabbers’ cooking classes. Pam Scott said they plan to host private wine tastings, pairings and other events in the new space. Other ideas they’re considering include children’s cooking classes, catering and “grab and go” take-home meals.
So far, she said the reaction from customers has been good.
“Our customers have been elated. We have loyal, loyal customers,” Pam Scott said.
For more information, go to snappergrabbers.com or find them on Facebook.
