Da Gang Crab Shack does not disappoint

Patrice Thomas’s Da Gang Crab Shack sells crabs, snow crabs, potatoes, corn, shrimp, and sometimes turkey wings, oxtails, and chicken.

KARIN DAVIS-THOMPSON | Staff Writer

ST. PETERSBURG — It was a simple idea during the height of the pandemic when some were out of work, including members of Patrice Thomas’s family.

So, Thomas, her sister and cousins invested $100 and started a business. They decided to call it Da Gang Crab Shack, and for Thomas, it was a way to help her family, but today, it has turned into much more.

Da Gang Crab Shack sells crabs, snow crabs, potatoes, corn, shrimp and sometimes turkey wings, oxtails, and chicken.

The start was slow, but now — more than three years later — business is booming.

“At first, we had maybe 25 customers, then 50, then 125; it was like a Christmas shop line,” the entrepreneur recalled. “We had a good product, and we got a lot of really good feedback.”

They started the business out of a family member’s home, setting up a tent outside to keep people safe.

Today, Thomas runs the business alone when family members found new jobs as the tight hold from the pandemic began to ease. While she still has lines outside, they walk up to the food truck she purchased to grow her business.

“Sometimes I have 50 people waiting for me to start,” said the mother of three. “I just steam the crabs with different seasonings and a special butter I made.”

Now, with the addition of the food truck, the 39-year-old can take her business on the road, including a stop at the Saturday Shoppes, where her customers and attendees didn’t disappoint.

“I sold out in 45 minutes at the Saturday Shoppes, she said. “My customers were waiting for me.”

She said along with the Saturday Shoppes, she’s putting together a plan to take the food truck on the road with possible stops all over Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties.

Even though she’s been running her business since 2020, Thomas said she still sometimes has trouble believing this has all happened.

“I never thought I would be in the food business,” she said. “But people were always asking me when I would be making more. They were waiting for it. I like the fact that people like what I make.”

As she works to take her business to the next level, Thomas said if she could give any advice to a new entrepreneur, it would be never to let fear rule.

“Just keep going,” she said. “It may be hard at first, but you have to keep going. Just keep pushing.”

To sample some of Thomas’ succulent surf or turf, drop by Tropicana Field or one of the many markets Saturday Shoppes offers throughout the month. But if you’re hungry right now, you can find out where Da Gang Crab Shack will turn up next by following the company on Facebook or calling 727-331-1198. You can also email Thomas for more information at Dagangcrabshack@gmail.com.

If you catch Thomas at Saturday Shoppes, make sure to visit the more than 1,000 vendors as they sell their wares. Log on to SaturdayShoppes.com to view all upcoming market events.

This story is part of a series highlighting small business owners participating in the Saturday Shoppes, an initiative creating economic development and opportunities for small business owners.