New research shows lobsters, crabs and octopuses can feel pain
New research shows lobsters, crabs and octopuses can feel pain, and the UK government is adding them to its animal welfare bill.
america today
Seafood restaurant Joe’s Crab Shack will close its Jacksonville Beach restaurant and convert to another chain owned by parent company Landry’s Inc., the company said in a statement.
Joe’s Crab Shack Chief Operating Officer Terry Turney confirmed in a statement to USA TODAY on Jan. 21 that the Beach Boulevard restaurant will soon be converted to another brand under Landry’s.
Landry’s plans to convert Joe’s Crab Shack stores into Bubba Gump Shrimp Company restaurants, thus “bringing the brand’s artisanal, Southern-style seafood to market,” Turney said.
Turney added that the company will work to relocate its employees to nearby restaurants while the company transitions to Bubba Gump Shrimp Company.
When USA TODAY asked Landry’s about a possible closing date, job losses and other possible closures, Landry’s declined to answer. Earlier this month, the company told news outlets Saber Nation and the Jacksonville Daily Record that the restaurant would close on Saturday, Jan. 24.
Once the restaurant closes, only 14 Joe’s Crab Shack locations will remain, according to the restaurant’s website. Current stores include four stores in Florida (including the soon-to-be-renovated Beach Boulevard store), California, Texas, and other states.
Here’s what you need to know about the rest of Joe’s Crab Shack locations.
In which city is Joe’s Crab Shack located?
Joe’s Crab Shack was founded in Houston in 1991 and has changed ownership several times since. The company had 120 stores in 2006, but as of 2026 there are only 15, including the Beach Boulevard store that is scheduled to be converted.
Landry’s Inc. previously owned Joe’s Crab Shack from 1994 to 2006. Landry’s acquired Joe’s Crab Shack again in 2017 after its then-owner, Ignite Restaurant Group, Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Another store in Fort Myers, Florida, closed in late May. The Fort Myers News-Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported that the location had been open for 20 years.
In June 2025, the Bossier City, Louisiana, store closed, the Shreveport Times, part of the USA TODAY network, reported. At the time, restaurant employees posted a sign on the restaurant’s door that read, “We appreciate the support of our community and encourage our guests to visit our other sister restaurants nearby.”
California
- Garden Grove – 12011 Harbor Blvd.
- Oceanside – 314 Harvard Drive
- Sacramento – 1210 Front Street
florida
- Daytona Beach – 1200 Main St.
- Destin – 14055 Emerald Coast Parkway
- Jacksonville Beach – 6 Beach Blvd. (converted to Bubba Gump Shrimp Company)
- Orlando – 8400 International Drive
kentucky
- Louisville – 131 River Road
missouri
- Branson – 717 Branson Landing
south carolina
- Myrtle Beach – 1219 Celebrity Circle
tennessee
- Sevierville – 1605 Parkway
texas
- Corpus Christi – 444 N Shoreline
- Fort Worth – 3040 Western Center Blvd.
- Galveston – 3502 Seawall Blvd.
- San Antonio – 212 College St. Suite 100
Contributor: Makenzie Boucher, Shreveport Times. Robin George, Fort Myers News Press
Saleen Martin is a reporter for USA TODAY’s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia (757). Email sdmartin@usatoday.com.
