Station Square’s Joe’s Crab Shack closes seemingly without warning months after bullet hits building

PITTSBURGH — For the second time in less than two months, a chain restaurant has closed with no prior warning. Landry, the company that owns them will not answer questions.

Sunday, many would-be customers were surprised to find a closed sign on the front door of Joe’s Crab Shack in Station Square.

“I just don’t understand why they’re closed,” said Rich Jones of Mount Washington.

Jones’ wife Dawn agreed.

“I’m shocked,” Dawn Jones said. “What happened that they’re closed?”

The sign said Joe’s Crab Shack “has closed’ without any explanation. It read, “We are grateful for the support of our community and encourage our guests to visit us at another Landry’s location nearby!”

“Shocking, kind of disappointing,” said Dontaya Szafranski of McKees Rocks. “Me and the girls love going there. We like sitting outside, seeing the scenery, and eating.”

Szafranski’s six-year-old daughter Aviana Lee will miss her favorite dish.

“I liked the alfredo...pasta,” Lee said with the help of her big sister, Amiyah Lee, 8.

Regular customer John Harty is taking the news especially hard.

“To be honest about it, I’ve been very distraught about it,” Harty said. “It’s just a lovely place to go and have food, enjoy, see your friends, meet new people. It was sort of a pillar of the community that brought everything together.”

The abrupt closure comes roughly two months after the sudden shutdown of Cadillac Ranch in Robinson. The two chains are owned by the same company.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> ‘It feels really out of nowhere’: Patrons stunned by closure of popular Robinson Township restaurant

“What’s going on with all this closing down,” said Harty. “What’s happened? Is there something behind it?”

No explanation was ever given for Cadillac Ranch’s closure.

Earlier this summer, on July 30, the back window of Joe’s Crab Shack was hit by a bullet in the middle of the afternoon.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Joe’s Crab Shack employees rattled after shots fired incident

Some workers from nearby businesses tell Channel 11, the popular seafood joint brought a lot of people to the area and are afraid this latest closure could hurt them.

“I would say it’s going to be a tremendous impact. It’s a popular spot,” Szafranski said. “Hopefully, maybe they’ll consider reopening.”

Station Square was the only Joe’s Crab Shack location in Pittsburgh.

Channel 11 reached out to Landry’s, the company that runs the chain, but has not heard back.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

©2024 Cox Media Group