Phillips Seafood Restaurants closes landmark, 66-year-old eatery

Phillips Seafood Restaurants has closed its landmark Ocean City, Maryland, U.S.A. establishment.

Phillips Crab House opened in 66 years ago, but the company has permanently closed the eatery, Phillips Seafood CEO Steve Phillips told SeafoodSource.

“As our family has grown, so have our business interests, and we’re investing more and more into other areas outside the restaurant industry now,” Phillips said. "As we move forward, we will continue to build on the strong foundation that our original Crab House location gave us.”

The company remains “firmly planted in Maryland,” Phillips said, and will “dedicate its resources in support of its Baltimore restaurant location, Baltimore culinary center, network of franchise locations and the growth of [its] foodservice, retail, club and international business,” Phillips Corporate Director of Marketing and Business Development Michelle Torres told SeafoodSource.

In a Facebook post, the Phillips family said the decision to close the restaurant was “extremely difficult.”

"Not many restaurants live to see their 50th season, let alone celebrate over 65 years, and our family credits the amazing Crab House team for giving the business such longevity," the Phillips family said in the post.

Phillips has closed five of its restaurants since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. These include  Phillips Seafood locations, a Phillips Seafood Express, and a Souzai Sushi and Sake in Atlantic City, New Jersey; as well as a Phillips Seafood and Steak and Street Carts in Washington, D.C.

Phillips still owns and operate two locations in Baltimore, along with a host of franchise and licensed partnerships in airports, travel plazas, and casinos.

Since the start of the pandemic, more than 90,000 restaurant and bars have closed, according to the Independent Restaurant Coalition, and 82 percent of independent restaurant operators said they will likely close permanently if U.S. Congress does not quickly replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, which was created to assist the industry in coping with the hardships brought on by the pandemic.

Photo courtesy of Phillips Seafood Restaurants