Ellis Buckner and his wife Brandy, have turned a near-tragedy into a blessing.

Ellis, 46, was forced to retire from his job as fireman/paramedic for the county after suffering cardiac arrest that left him in a coma for eight days. With this change in circumstances the couple began searching for something they could do together.

Then came a delicious crab lunch in Daytona Beach.

That meal at the main Crab Stop location in Daytona Beach began the discussion that inspired them to open their first franchise location on a busy corner on the north end of 14th Avenue in historic downtown Vero Beach.

They embarked on this new path as entrepreneurs and owners. Their restaurants are two of eight Crab Stops located throughout Florida.

In 2018 they decided to open a second location in Sebastian, FL. This place was larger than Vero and had an outdoor patio right on the river. With an expanded menu, this place was an instant hit with diners!

In late 2019, they decided to move the Vero location to the old Cajun Cove location in Royal Palm Pointe. This would allow them to almost triple the amount of space from the location on 14th Ave to better serve their customers.