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New captain, old ship: Crabby Bill’s founder steers future of JD’s Restaurant

Veronica Brezina

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Separated by only a few blocks from one another, the iconic Crabby Bill’s restaurant and the JD’s Restaurant and Lounge have become amicable rivals at Indian Rocks Beach.

“They’ve been in business for 37 years and we’ve been here for 39 years and we are both family-run,” said Matt Loder Sr., who runs the Crabby Bill’s empire.

He explained that the Downing family, who run JD’s, have been life-long friends. Both families share the same passion and have established staples in the community by bringing people together and serving up local seafood from buckets steaming with crab and fixings to seared mahi-mahi. 

However, the pandemic, among other factors, has created rough waves for the hospitality and restaurant industry, and now the family behind JD’s will be handing over the keys to Loder. 

“Over the course of the pandemic, our ties got closer,” Loder explained. “They could’ve sold this to anyone but they chose us. We like the business for us and it’s right in our market.”

Loder purchased the restaurant at 125 Gulf Blvd. in a $3.2 million deal that closed this month, according to Pinellas County public records. 

An image of JD’s Restaurant.  

The Downing family was not immediately available for comment, but the family (Jackie, Jay, Kip and Leslie) wrote on the restaurant’s website, “We are honored to continue the family business and legacy of JD’s as a Crabby Bill’s Family Brand. Our respect for them as well as what they have built will be evident in our operations of JD’s now, as [we] take the time after all the years to rest and enjoy life from the other side of the table.” 

The family also said the big corporations in the marketplace have absorbed the mom-and-pop businesses across the country and that part of the heart of entrepreneurship has dissipated. 

“The hard work, countless hours, blood, sweat, tears and risk that comes with putting everything you have on the line for the chance of the American dream is not better represented than in a family-operated business,” they wrote. 

The Downing family first bought the restaurant site in 1985 when it was O’Neil’s on the Rocks.

While the Crabby Bill’s founder and his family are in the captain’s seat, taking the reins of the 5,605-square-foot competing business, Loder said the JD’s Restaurant name will remain. Loder may pursue renovations or minor changes to the restaurant, but he very well intends to keep the ingrained character and legacy of JD’s alive. 

“We have a number of team members who have been with us for years and some of JD’s team members have been with them for 20-plus years –  that’s the greatest asset for us,” he said. “We were able to offer tenure to the team members to extend our company’s benefits to them.”

“We are going to be sensitive to the community and steer this ship slowly in the right channel,” he said. “There are many lessons of what to do and what not to do we’ve learned over all these years.”

Decades ago, Crabby Bill’s started in a small 800-square-foot building on Gulf Boulevard and has expanded over time to include several additions to the Loder Family Brands: Crabby Gifts, Jake’s Coastal Cantina, Seabreeze Island Grill, Ready Set Yo!, Crabby Bill’s St. Pete Beach and Crabby Bill’s Fish Camp.

Loder said he hopes his family line will continue to pass the torch to the next generations, maintaining it as a family-run and operated business.  

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    SHIRLEY SHEPARD

    February 11, 2022at9:12 pm

    I have been going to JD’s since the late 80’s. I truly hope that it will remain the same. The best place to go for entertainment (for all ages) and great food. I will miss all the Downing family and hope they will still come in an visit. Enjoy life, Jay, Kip Jackie, Leslie, Rick and Carol Ann, you all deserve it. Love to all.

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