Doc Ford’s expands May 24 National Yucatán Shrimp Day celebration with a 7K fun run in St. Pete, giveaways

Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille is expanding its National Yucatán Shrimp Day celebration in St. Petersburg this year, introducing a new 7k fun run at the Pier on Sunday, May 24, in addition to YETI cooler giveaways.
The national holiday honors Doc Ford’s signature Yucatán shrimp – heralded by The New York Times’ ‘Cooking’ column as a “vacation on a plate.” The national holiday originated in 2020 by parent company HM Restaurant Group and is celebrated annually on May 24.
“We created National Yucatán Shrimp Day to celebrate the dish that has long defined our brand, and it’s grown into something much bigger,” said Joe Harrity, a partner with HM Restaurant Group. “Each year, we’ve expanded the experience and now it’s become a signature event that brings our restaurants and the community together.”
Both Doc Ford’s locations at the St. Petersburg Pier and in Jungle Terrace are jump-starting the holiday. Beginning May 1, customers who purchase a Yucatán menu item or a bottle of Gloria’s Yucatán sauce will be entered for a chance to win a YETI cooler filled with restaurant swag, including T-shirts, koozies, a bottle of Yucatán sauce and a $100 gift card. Both restaurants will draw a winner on May 24.
New this year is the National Yucatán Shrimp Day 7K fun run, hosted in partnership with the St. Pete Run Fest team. Employee volunteers from both Doc Ford’s locations will be assisting with the fun run festivities. The 7K breaks from the traditional 5K format in honor of the seven ingredients in the restaurant’s savory spicy Yucatán sauce – butter, fresh Key lime juice, garlic, cilantro, Colombian chili pepper sambal, salt and pepper paired with peel-and-eat shrimp. The sauce also defines the restaurant’s baked oysters, shrimp tacos and bloody Mary.
Promoting sustainability and community, the fun run is also a fundraiser for Tampa Bay Watch, dedicated to fostering a healthy Tampa Bay Estuary. Donations will be accepted with 100% of all proceeds benefiting the nonprofit organization. Both restaurants participate in Tampa Bay Watch’s Shells for Shorelines program, recycling discarded oyster shells that are repurposed for shell bags and vertical oyster gardens throughout the estuary. Doc Ford’s has contributed 14,267 pounds of shells.
The fun run begins at 7 a.m. and finishes at 10:30 a.m. The fun run is free and open to the public, and donations can be made to benefit Tampa Bay Watch. To learn more or register for the National Yucatan Shrimp Day 7K fun run, visit raceroster.com/docfordsnationalyucatanshrimp7Kgrouprun.