provided to The Santiva Chronicle
Seven lucky winners took home swag-filled YETI coolers, one restaurant earned bragging rights for creating the best Yucatán-inspired dish and 455 runners raced for a cause during National Yucatán Shrimp Day at Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille, Dixie Fish Company and Bonita Fish Company. The event, which spanned the month of May, highlighted the restaurants’ signature Yucatán dishes and bottled sauces and culminated in the national holiday, celebrated every May 24.
“This was our sixth year hosting National Yucatán Shrimp Day and our largest turnout and celebration yet,” said Joe Harrity, a partner with HM Restaurant Group, which manages Doc Ford’s four Southwest Florida and St. Petersburg locations, Dixie Fish Company and Bonita Fish Company. “Collectively, our restaurants sold over 14,700 Yucatán dishes, bloody Marys and bottled sauces between May 1 and 23, qualifying customers for our grand-prize drawing.”
New this year was a top chef-style cooking competition along Fisherman’s Wharf on Fort Myers Beach. Guests sampled Yucatán dishes prepared by neighboring Doc Ford’s, Dixie Fish Company and Bonita Fish Company, with the majority voting for Doc Ford’s grilled shrimp with Yucatán -drizzled elote corn as the winner.
Doc Ford’s on Sanibel Island and the St. Petersburg Pier hosted 7K races, attracting 305 and 150 participants, respectively. Now in its second year, the Sanibel run raised $10,000 for the nonprofit J.N. “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society, which supports the island’s J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, part of the largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystem in the U.S. The seven-kilometer format recognizes the seven ingredients in Doc Ford’s iconic Yucatán shrimp – hailed by The New York Times as a “vacation on a plate.”
A menu mainstay for over 20 years, the dish pairs steamed peel-and-eat shrimp with a savory spicy sauce made from butter, fresh lime juice, garlic, cilantro, sambal, salt and pepper. The six restaurants served 4,614 pounds of Yucatán shrimp. Guests also ordered 6,154 additional Yucatán menu items, including shrimp tacos, chicken sandwiches, baked oysters and shrimp torpedoes. They bought 550 alcoholic and virgin Yucatán blood Marys and 1,047 bottles of Gloria’s Yucatán and sambal sauce.
With each purchase, customers received an entry to the grand-prize drawing and the chance to win customized YETI coolers filled with T-shirts, koozies, a bottle of Yucatán sauce and a $100 gift card. Winners were drawn May 24 from a record 14,707 entries and included:
• Doc Ford’s, Sanibel: Walter D. from upstate New York
• Doc Ford’s, Fort Myers Beach: Ken A. from Fort Myers
• Doc Ford’s, St. Petersburg Pier: Gio B. from Daytona Beach
• Doc Ford’s, Jungle Terrace: Yolanda M. from Deltona, Fla.
• Dixie Fish Company: Jessica W. from Fort Myers
• Bonita Fish Company: Dick B. from Fort Myers
• Faith from Fort Myers received a YETI cooler as the winner drawn from participating in the Fisherman’s Wharf one-bite contest judging.
Philanthropy and community outreach are engrained in HM Restaurant Group’s company philosophy. Proceeds from specialty cocktails at its restaurants raise money for children’s hospitals and water quality issues. HM Restaurant Group also supports local nonprofits dedicated to conservation, community, education and the environment. Founded in 2012, the “Ding” Darling Doc Ford’s Tarpon Tournament has raised over $2 million for the national refuge. The 15th annual tournament is May 7, 2027.
Renowned for its legendary guest experience, award-winning Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille offers food with a unique balance of flavors inspired by the Caribbean Rim. A local favorite, Doc Ford’s is known for its sauces, spices and passion. The restaurant is beloved by locals and visitors alike as a spectacular seafood restaurant and is a perennial Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice winner. The St. Petersburg Pier was named the nation’s No. 1 Best of the Best Restaurants for Everyday Eats in 2023.
Recognized as a 2023 Yelp Top 100 Florida Restaurant and ranked Tripadvisor’s No. 1 of 70 restaurants in the Fort Myers Beach area, Dixie Fish Company is revered for delicious fresh seafood in an ideal location. Its beach ambiance is complemented by live music and picturesque waterfront views of Matanzas Pass. An original Florida fish house, the restaurant’s origins date back to 1937 when it was a fish market.
Bonita Fish Company on Fort Myers Beach offers fresh Gulf seafood, casual bites and cold drinks. Featuring daily live entertainment, a central bar, breathtaking sunsets views and dockside dining along Matanzas Pass, the restaurant serves brunch Friday through Sunday from a century-old former fish-packing house and offers Bayside Private Events, an indoor-outdoor waterfront event venue, and The Marina at Bonita Fish Company.
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