The Juicy Crab

What The Juicy Crab does

The Juicy Crab, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned Cajun seafood restaurant chain founded in December 2015 in Duluth, Georgia by the Chen family. The core offering is an authentic Cajun seafood boil built on a proprietary, trade-secret seasoning recipe, served as a hands-on, family-style meal with combos, appetizers, fried baskets, and sides across full-service locations typically sized between 5,500 and 9,000 square feet. As of mid-2025 the chain operated 51+ U.S. units plus a 52nd fast-casual prototype, The Juicy Crab GO, in Covington, Georgia, which adds order-ahead capabilities and self-order kiosks for a more convenience-focused dining occasion.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid corporate/franchise model: company-owned restaurants and franchise-operated restaurants sell directly to consumers via dine-in, takeout, delivery (proprietary storefront, DoorDash, Uber Eats), catering (ezCater), and a Juicy Rewards mobile loyalty program. The franchise arm charges a $50,000 initial fee, ongoing royalties on franchisee sales (with a disclosed per-unit average of $4.17M in annual sales), and grants exclusive territories gated to a 50,000-population trade area, requiring $725,000–$1,433,500 in capital per unit. A complementary retail revenue stream runs through Juicy Sauce, a wholly-owned sub-brand selling Cajun marinades and an extra-hot pepper powder via juicysauce.com and Amazon.

The customer base is overwhelmingly individual consumer end-users—families, large parties, sports fans, and fast-casual diners—with franchise operators as the principal B2B counterparties. Distribution is U.S.-only and executed through the restaurant footprint plus third-party delivery platforms; there is no international or e-commerce-only operation. The company's leadership team consists of CEO Raymond Chen and Managing Partner Dido Angevaleur, with no disclosed external private equity, venture, or strategic ownership.

Name

The Juicy Crab

Legal name

The Juicy Crab Inc.

Website

https://thejuicycrab.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The Juicy Crab is a privately held U.S. Cajun seafood-boil restaurant chain founded in 2015 in Duluth, Georgia, operating 51+ full-service units and a fast-casual GO prototype, generating revenue through company-owned and franchise restaurants, royalties, catering, and a Juicy Sauce seasoning retail line.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casual Dining Restaurants

NAICS

Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets (722514), Mayonnaise, Dressing, and Other Prepared Sauce Manufacturing (311941)

SIC

Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Seafood Fast Casual (THAFABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Frozen Seafood Meals & Value-Added Seafood (CRADADAG)

Keywords

• Cajun seafood boils
• Seafood restaurant chain
• Fast-casual seafood
• Restaurant franchise system
• Cajun seasoning products

Headquarters

HQ city

Duluth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Dine-In and Takeout Sales: Revenue from serving Cajun seafood boils, combos, appetizers, and beverages directly to consumers at restaurant locations with dine-in and takeout options
2. Delivery Services: Third-party delivery partnerships with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and direct website ordering for off-premise consumption
3. Franchise Fees and Royalty Income: Initial franchise fee of $50,000 plus ongoing royalty payments from franchise locations. Capital required: $725,000 to $1,433,500. Average franchise sales of $4,174,364 per year.
4. Merchandise and Seasoning Sales: Sale of proprietary Juicy Sauce products including marinades and seasonings through juicysauce.com e-commerce store and Amazon marketplace
5. Loyalty Program Membership: Juicy Rewards app drives customer retention with points earned on purchases, generating repeat visits and increased basket size

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Juicy Crab operates a Cajun seafood restaurant chain serving signature seafood boil combos with a proprietary secret recipe across 51+ dine-in, takeout, and delivery locations in the United States. The menu centers on seafood boil combos (#1-12) featuring snow crab, shrimp, crawfish, mussels, sausage, corn, and potatoes, complemented by appetizers, fried baskets, sides, and desserts. A new fast-casual format called The Juicy Crab GO launched in July 2025 with order-ahead and self-order kiosks, alongside the Juicy Sauce retail seasoning line sold online and on Amazon.

Product overview

The Juicy Crab is a Cajun seafood restaurant chain operating two distinct service formats: full-service restaurants (5,500-9,000 sq ft) featuring signature seafood boils with an authentic secret recipe, and The Juicy Crab GO, a fast-casual prototype for grab-and-go. The core product portfolio includes seafood combo meals (combos #1-12), appetizers, fried baskets, and sides, complemented by Juicy Sauce retail seasoning products. Supporting services include Juicy Rewards loyalty program, gift cards, catering services, and a franchise program. The company operates 51+ locations across the US as of 2025, having grown from its first Duluth, GA restaurant in December 2015. Online ordering is available through both proprietary storefront ordering and third-party delivery platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Juicy Crab Restaurant (Full-Service Cajun Seafood) Full-service Cajun seafood restaurants serving signature seafood boil combos (#1-12), appetizers, fried baskets, sides, and desserts at 5,500-9,000 square foot dine-in locations with table service for individual consumers, families, and large parties.
• The Juicy Crab GO (Fast-Casual Prototype) Fast-casual Cajun seafood format offering the same menu and flavors as full-service restaurants with order-ahead options, self-order kiosks, and an optimized layout for quicker takeout and delivery. Open daily 11am-9pm at 11162 Hwy 142 N, Covington, GA 30014.
• Juicy Sauce (Retail Seasoning and Marinade Line)

Quantifiable outcome

• Average franchise sales of $4,174,364 per location
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• DoorDashminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery partnership allowing customers to order The Juicy Crab menu items for delivery through the DoorDash platform.
• Uber EatsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery partnership enabling customers to order The Juicy Crab menu items for delivery through the Uber Eats platform.
• AmazonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline marketplace for Juicy Sauce products including Cajun Seafood Marinade Seasoning (12OZ, 26OZ) and Extra Hot Pepper Powder.
• ezCaterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCatering platform partnership for corporate and event catering orders at participating The Juicy Crab locations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Crazy Cajun Seafood Boil: Independent Cajun seafood boil operator with similar sauce-and-seasoning customization model. Provides an emerging-concept benchmark for unit-level economics in the same niche.
• Crab Shack Seafood Restaurant: Regional Cajun/boil-style seafood concept with overlapping menu items (snow crab, shrimp, sausage, corn). Comparable on experience and price point but with smaller footprint and weaker brand recognition.

Broad incumbents

• Red Lobster: Largest US seafood casual-dining chain with broad menu, national footprint, and significant marketing scale. Competes for seafood dining occasions but is full-service only and lacks the boil/seasoning format that defines The Juicy Crab.
• Captain D's: Nation's largest fast-casual seafood chain with a broad fried/seafood menu at value price points. Represents the price-sensitive end of the seafood QSR spectrum and competes for takeout and delivery occasions.
• Joe's Crab Shack: Established seafood casual-dining chain serving crab, shrimp, and other shellfish in a fun, casual atmosphere. Overlaps with The Juicy Crab on seafood occasion but operates a sit-down plated model rather than boil bags.
• Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Theme-driven seafood casual-dining chain focused on shrimp and shellfish in tourist and destination locations. Competes on seafood occasion and experiential dining but with a broader menu and tourist-skewed real estate.

Direct peers

• Hot N Juicy Crawfish: East Coast Cajun seafood boil concept emphasizing hands-on dining, customizable sauces, and shareable seafood platters. Mirrors The Juicy Crab's experiential, family-style approach.
• The Boiling Crab: Original Cajun seafood boil chain founded in 2004 with a near-identical hands-on bag/boil format, proprietary seasoning, and family-style shareable platters. Closest concept comparable to The Juicy Crab in menu, experience, and target customer.
• Crab Du Jour: Cajun-style seafood boil franchise with a similar menu of crab, shrimp, crawfish, and mussels plus signature sauces. Competes head-to-head in many of the same US markets with comparable price points.
• Hook & Reel Cajun Seafood and Bar: Fast-growing Cajun seafood boil and bar concept with a comparable bag-and-eat format, signature seasonings, and franchise-driven expansion into multiple US markets. Directly competes for the same shareable-seafood occasion.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/juicy_crab
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheJuicyCrab
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-juicy-crab-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/thejuicycrabofficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Juicy Crab