Manatee’s Sea Hut Restaurant sticks to Old Florida roots over 50 years after opening
The seas have been a bit rough lately for the Sea Hut Restaurant, an Old Florida-style establishment that opened its doors in 1971.
The COVID-19 pandemic got patrons out of the habit of dining out, and then along came supply chain issues and some of the worst inflation in years.
Owner Donna James, and her son, Jarrett James, won’t sugarcoat it. It’s been tough the past couple of months for the seafood restaurant at 5611 U.S. 19, north of Palmetto.
They have shared Sea Hut’s difficult straits on social media and seen an uptick in business. They hope to see more of the drivers headed for the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, or returning from St. Petersburg, pulling into their parking lot to give them a try.
Sea Hut is hard to miss. It’s one of the first businesses south of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. It has a definite Old Florida vibe with its tin roof, rusting in some places, unpaved parking lot and weathered wooden walls. But that’s just the beginning of the story.
Sea Hut’s roots
Lee Cline, Donna James’ father, opened the original Sea Hut on Snead Island in 1971.
It started out as a bait shop, with a few boat slips and a crab house.
Eventually, Cline decided to start making sandwiches, which anglers could buy before heading out onto the water.
“We really started seeing an increase in sandwich sales, and then my dad began adding more menu items. We were considered a true seafood place. Locals could go all the way to the beach for fresh seafood or they could come here,” Donna James said. “The restaurant made Florida Trend magazine’s top 100 restaurants in the state.”
About 1979, the family sold the original Sea Hut. Lee Cline quickly found a new place in Terra Ceia that became today’s Sea Hut.
Since Cline had sold his old restaurant, along with the Sea Hut name, he called the new restaurant the Crab Trap.
Annie Schevis, whose late mother worked her way up from wait staff to restaurant manager, said when Crab Trap opened in the U.S. 19 address that it was little more than a juke joint, called Fisherman’s Cove.
“It had a pool table, a jukebox and a bar. It was very tiny,” said Schevis, who has worked at the restaurant since 1989.
Donna James describes her father as an idea man and workaholic. He quickly set about enlarging the former juke joint and turning it into a full-service restaurant.
“We had a following right away. People love it,” James said.
Early on, the Crab Trap could seat about 60, but with Cline’s expansion, the restaurant was able to accommodate about 165, including on the floating dock on a canal bordered by thick mangroves.
The restaurant’s back porch offers frequent sightings of wildlife, including birds, fish, manatees, otters and more.
“Twice we have had manatees come in here and give birth,” Donna said.
In 1993, Lee Cline told the Bradenton Herald he selected the U.S. 19 property for its location on the water.
“Water attracts everyone. There’s something about it that’s soothing and relaxing. People always want a window seat so they can look out onto the water,’‘ he said. “It’s a natural Florida setting, and if you’re catering a lot to the tourist trade you want to give them a Florida setting.’‘
His recipe for success?
“It could be the way we feel about the general public and the customers,’‘ he said. “We pay attention to things. If we make a few dollars, we don’t go running off playing golf and forgetting about our customers.’‘
Cline said his motto is “never cut quality or quantity.’‘
The family went on to open a second restaurant, the Crab Trap II in Ellenton.
After his death on July 13, 2006, at age 92, the family decided to rename Crab Trap I the Sea Hut Restaurant in his honor.
“That was his love, the Sea Hut,” James said.
Eventually, the family closed Crab Trap II and converted it into an events venue called Worthington on Lovelee Lake, 4815 17th St. E., Ellenton.
Today’s challenge
At age 80, Donna James is a self-described workaholic, like her father, who believes the concept of retirement is over-rated.
During the pandemic, even when businesses were closed due to the lockdown, she kept her staff on the payroll.
Family friend Shelley Burns says the Sea Hut story is one about perseverance in the face of adversity and the dedication of a widow and mother to preserve a family legacy.
Donna’s son, Jarrett James, has come on board to help right the ship.
“August and September are the most difficult months. Our goal is to embrace the community: families and people passionate about us and our history,” Jarrett said.
“People remember passing through here and having a special meal,” he said.
Family friend Michael McKeever calls Sea Hut a gem, and a perfect place to enjoy a meal and the environment.
“The lockdown really changed the market for restaurants,” McKeever said.
Even so, the family was able to retain its staff and make upgrades to the restaurant in hopes of better days ahead.
Long-time employee Annie Schevis appreciates the family’s concern for restaurant staff.
“I was really close to Mr. Cline. He was like my second grandpa. I just grew up here. My mother went from server to manager. My heart is here in this restaurant. I have a lot of friends here. I only want to see good things for Donna,” she said.
The future
Donna James knows that to survive a restaurant must be creative and able to adapt to changes, including effectively using social media.
“We are going to move into a new phase,” Jarrett James says.
But in the meantime, what Sea Hut has — “Old Florida done right” — has served it well for a half-century.
That and crowd favorites like 3-Crab Soup (claw, backfin and lumpcrab and asparagus topped with diced boiled egg), old Maryland-style crab cakes, the Sea Hut Platter, broiled or fried combos and more.
“It’s always a friendly place. I found it during a pouring rain, stopped in and had a good dinner,” customer Ted DeLeone said.
The Sea Hut is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
For more information, visit seahutrestaurant.com or call 941-722-1622.
