If you’re looking to revisit that island resort, Caribbean cruise or even spring break, Island Shrimp Company has got you. The third dining concept from the family that brought us the Boathouse and Casa del Barco, Island Shrimp wants to give guests a mini vacation via a full-on immersion into tropical food, decor and music.
“We felt like this space was craving something new,” says Paige Healy, chief creative officer for parent company the Housepitality Family. “We wanted to connect with people who are used to crossing the river to have dining experiences.”
The eye-catching building in Chesterfield Towne Center is a mashup of turquoise shipping containers, glass walls and balconies. Bright murals, ceiling neon and a turquoise-peach-pink-green color scheme immediately set a tropical vibe. Live Caribbean music will invite dancing on the rooftop deck, where a wide bridge will connect to the forthcoming Casa del Barco next door.
As part of the research for Casa del Barco years ago, the Housepitality Family sent the chef to eat his way through Mexico. Similarly, Healy and concept chef TJ Borawski hit food trucks in Hawaii, cookouts in Jamaica and eateries in the Bahamas to develop the Island Shrimp menu.
The food hits the concept home, with island-inspired dishes like four different shrimp options, poke nachos, chicken curry bowl, sofrito shrimp dip, mushroom banh mi and papaya salad. The tiki-tinged bar menu includes house-made pina colada and hurricane mixes, fresh-squeezed juices and hollowed-out pineapples as cups. You can even get your spring-break zombie.
Island Shrimp is clearly here to bring big fun to Chesterfield, and there are many on-trend operational details to ensure guests stay in a chill vacation mindset. For example, each table has a colorful coaster-sized card — place it in a tall wire stand if you need attention. Orders are marked on a bright paper menu, then handed to the server. Getting separate checks? No problem, each paper slip creates an individual bill — easy on both guests and servers.
“We knew we could bring our high level of service to this idea,” Healy says. “I was inspired by other restaurants in not just Hawaii but London, Rome, New York, all over the world.”
Judging by the long-lived success of the beachside bar at the Boathouse at Sunday Park, Richmond diners will probably cruise right into Island Shrimp Company. It opened on Tuesday, Sept 17 at 3:00 p.m. for happy hour.
Island Shrimp Company
11500 Midlothian Turnpike, Chesterfield, VA 23225
Mon – Thu 11:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Fri – Sat 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 a.m.
Sun 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
https://www.islandshrimpco.com/
