The owners of Boat Drinks are getting ready to expand the business after acquiring a building in St. Augustine at 123 San Marco Ave.
Co-owners Rob Crabtree and Whitney Hobbs recently purchased the $2.3-million building that includes the former home of Mardi Gras Sports Grill and Pelican Landing. The duo opened Boat Drinks on 56 St. George Street over three years ago and have since outgrown the spot with local tourism coming back to life. While the building will be renovated and the restaurant won’t be open until next year, Crabtree tells Jacksonville Business Journal it will be a Boat Drinks concept. Still, it’s unclear if they will operate both locations or not.
The original site in Historical Downtown offers fresh, thoughtfully sourced seafood prepared using recipes developed during the owners’ travels throughout the Caribbean, Florida, and the Gulf Coast. The menu offers plenty of seafood appetizers, shareable options, and ‘captain craving’ entrees, including a blackened fish sandwich, a double cheeseburger, and a captain’s chopped salad. Boat Drinks also offers plenty of plant- and land-based options as well.
If this new restaurant is anything like Boat Drinks, customers can expect plenty of frozen tropical cocktails on the menu, such as a pina colada, dirty banana, and slushy margarita. The restaurant also offers a selection of shots, wine, beer, and large shareable drinks. A handful of these drinks and snacks are available at a discount during happy hour on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
