Q&A: Shuck Shack owner wants Satellite Beach restaurant to become a gathering place
Life is a beach, literally, for Jeffrey Leggee, owner of Satellite Beach’s newest restaurant, the Shuck Shack. As part of the makeover for the building that once housed the beloved A-Frame restaurant, Leggee created a sand bar in the front parking lot.
Leggee’s goal is to have Shuck Shack become the go-to place in the area for dining a la flip flop, so the truckloads of sand — together with the tiki deck, tin roof, rope railing and custom wooden tables — are well worth it. He also plans to install an outdoor shower, and surfboard and bike racks for folks who come straight from the beach.
Question: What is your history, Jeff?
Answer: I’ve been here since ’98 and in the car business for 30 years.
Q: How did you evolve from selling cars to selling food?
A: Owning a restaurant is something I’ve always wanted to do. I felt we needed a fun place to hang out in Satellite Beach. Satellite Beach is definitely a “Cheers” kind of place, and the community has been very supportive of our restaurant, even though we have been open just a couple of weeks.
The A-Frame was one of the oldest restaurants in the area. It was the place to go, where people met their wives and proposed to them and where their children had their first restaurant meal. I want the Shuck Shack to be that kind of place.
We get a lot of friends and neighbors who come hang out here. It took one of our customers an hour to get from one end of the place to another, because he was stopping to chat with everyone he knew.
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Q: What is special about the place?
A: We do our own batter, so all of our fried food is gluten-free. We use rice flour, buttermilk and spices and guests tell us it is the best.
Q: Please describe the Shuck Shack in 25 words or less.
A: A fun, local beach restaurant and bar with casual dining and friendly atmosphere, the kind of place you can walk off the beach and enjoy.
Q: Signature dish?
A: It’s still too early to tell, but I think it will be our oysters. We will have three different varieties on a consistent basis.
We also do true New England-style steamed clams we get from Massachusetts.
Q: What must first-time visitors try?
A: I would recommend our jambalaya. Our clam chowder is also amazing.
For appetizers, try our homemade Wisconsin cheese curds with our gluten-free batter.
Q: Family?
A: My wife, Kim, works with me at the restaurant. Joshua is 27, and Samantha is 25. She works here part-time when she is not at her day job as an office manager. Her fiancé, Charles Devari, is my manager.
We also have three dogs. Our love for dogs is the reason we created the patio and the sand bar. Both are non-smoking and pet-friend.
Q: Hobbies?
A: Work and the beach.
Q: Three words that describe you?
A: Passionate, driven, dedicated.
Q: What is on your bucket list?
A: To take my wife to Paris.
Q: Famous person you’d love to see at the Shuck Shack?
A: Jimmy Buffett.
Shuck Shack
Where: 1390 State Road A1A. Satellite Beach
Call: 321-622-4977
Web: Check Facebook.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Of note: Shuck Shack offers early bird specials from 4 to 6 p.m. weekdays.
Email toastofthecoastfloridatoday@gmail.com.