Stewby's Seafood Shanty keeps it in in the family

FORT WALTON BEACH — For nearly 30 years, Samuel Taylor’s Sam’s Oyster House was a favorite of locals and tourists for great seafood that was easy on the wallet.

Now, 27 years after Taylor’s death and 15 years after the restaurant closed, his son Stewart Taylor hopes to recreate some of that magic with Stewby’s Seafood Shanty.

Stewart Taylor opened Stewby’s Seafood Shanty on Racetrack Road on Nov. 19.

“It’s been in my head forever. I just wanted someplace people could get good seafood at an affordable price,” Taylor said. “The reaction is great. Business is growing daily.”

Taylor believes you don’t need a lot of space to bring people good seafood. His original idea for the restaurant was to operate the business out of a concession stand, sort of like a combination of Pig’s Alley in Sandestin and the original Dewey Destin Seafood.

Taylor started pricing concession trailers, but they averaged between $30,000 and $40,000. Wanting to keep his overhead low, Taylor purchased an old mobile classroom in Panama City for $3,000 and renovated it in his front yard in Freeport.

Stewby’s is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Taylor plans to expand the hours and open on Sundays starting this spring.

Even with Sam’s Oyster House still being a well-known business among longtime residents, Taylor has shied away from using his family connection to promote his business.

Initially, Taylor had signs for Stewby’s made saying it was owned by the son of the original Sam’s Oyster House owner, but he has kept them in storage.

“I wanted to stand on my own feet,” he said.

But he has included some references to Sam’s at Stewby’s Seafood Shanty. Just like his father’s restaurant, Taylor has named all sandwiches on menu “samwiches.”

He also has kept his prices low like his father did. The most expensive item on the menu — the Stewby’s platter with fish, shrimp, oysters, fries, corn muffins and coleslaw — costs $12.

“My overhead is low enough that my menu prices are low,” Taylor said. “So (customers are) saving money on what they’re buying, plus they don’t have to tip. You’re getting high quality fresh seafood, better than what you’re going to get at any restaurant around. A family can come in and eat fresh seafood at $10 a head, easily.”

Sam’s Oyster House was opened in the late 1960s near what is now the Publix shopping center at the Brooks Bridge. The restaurant eventually moved to Okaloosa Island. After Samuel Taylor passed away in 1985, his wife Ruth and Stewart and his older brother Samuel took over business.

The family sold the restaurant in 1996 and the new owner closed it a year later.