Artistry Restaurants is shrinking its portfolio.
The Winter Park, Florida-based multi-concept group said Monday that six locations of its Shrimp Basket brand have shuttered, effective Nov. 1.
The restaurants that closed were mostly inland locations: Warrington in Pensacola, Florida; and Bay Minette, Cullman, Gardendale, Tuscaloosa, and Auburn in Alabama.
The company said it plans to focus resources and operational energy on the 12 remaining Shrimp Basket restaurants located in beach and coastal markets, saying those have proven to be best positioned for long-term success.
Artistry acquired Shrimp Basket in 2020 with a plan for strengthening its positioning and enhancing the guest experience. The company introduced family meals and other menu updates, launched an employee recognition program and increased investments in marketing.
Among the closures, however, is a restaurant that made headlines last year after then-chef Donell Stallworth saved a 78-year-old regular customer’s life.
For 10 years, customer Charlie Hicks visited the Pensacola restaurant every day, twice a day, for gumbo. When Hicks stopped showing up, Stallworth went looking for him and found he had fallen in his apartment and had two broken ribs.
Hicks recovered and Stallworth and other workers found the elderly man an apartment right next to the restaurant, where they could keep an eye on him.
But the restaurant was damaged in recent storms and did not reopen. Hicks’ family relocated him to an assisted living facility, the company said.
Stallworth, meanwhile, was the first recipient of the Shrimp Basket Big Catch Award, and was promoted earlier this year. He and the restaurant’s General Manager Casey Corbin are still with the company and have been reassigned, the company said.
The company said it will work with other impacted workers to identify opportunities to transfer to other locations.
“While never an easy decision, it is our responsibility to the team and our guests to ensure the continued strength of the Shrimp Basket brand. Upon re-evaluation and reflection, we decided our strength comes from our origins as a true coastal seafood restaurant and that returning to our roots as a brand, while directing our resources and future investments toward our beach and coastal locations, will best serve our teams and guests,” said Bryan Lockwood, Artistry’s CEO, in a statement. “This renewed focus on what made Shrimp Basket a beloved favorite among locals and visitors alike, will support Shrimp Basket’s long-term plan and strength as a brand.”
The move comes a few months after Artistry made the decision to shutter four locations of its Hickory Tavern brand, a 20-unit chain it had acquired last year.
Meanwhile, earlier this year, the company said it plans to grow its Oak & Stone brand, an eight-unit casual dining concept mostly in Florida. The group operates a total of seven brands, including Boca, The Chapman, Atlantic Beer and Oyster, and Sandbar.
