Crabby’s Dockside in downtown Fort Pierce closed almost two weeks ago after being told by the city that they were in default of the lease.
On Feb. 12, Crabby’s gave a statement on their Facebook page which reads, “We’re sharing that Crabby’s Dockside Fort Pierce will be permanently closing its doors this Sunday, February 15, 2026, a decision not within our control. Importantly, we want to acknowledge our deep gratitude for the team members who brought this restaurant to life with their professionalism and dedication as well as for the guests who supported us.”
According to Fort Pierce officials who discussed the Crabby’s situation at length at their Feb. 17 meeting, Crabby’s was five months behind in rent and had not reimbursed the city for required taxes for over three years, leaving the money owed to the city at about $215,000.
“The dichotomy between fact and fiction are extreme,” said City Commissioner Michael Broderick, explaining that he was not a social media person, but that some of the dialogue he was made aware of was out of control.
“I first want to set the issue straight to the consuming public and they can send me all the emails and texts, that is fine. This is not an action taken by the City of Fort Pierce. This is a tenant default. The tenant defaulted on the lease and not the City of Fort Pierce,” said Broderick.
“We noticed the tenant when they were four months in arrears. It’s now five months,” said Broderick. “This default is three years old.”
Broderick, who has 40 years’ experience in the commercial real estate business, also put a portion of the blame on the city for not having good control of its many leases. Discussions ensued between the commissioners and City Manager Richard Chess about remedying the process.
“I find this to be a horribly mismanaged situation. This is not a way to run a real estate company, and the city has broad real estate assets throughout the city,” said Commissioner Curtis Johnson Jr. “I think this calls for an immediate review of all of our leases.
“We put this on the agenda tonight for discussion for us up here,” Johnson said, explaining that the five commissioners cannot talk outside of meetings.
“This is going to warrant some immediate actions,” Johnson continued. “I think this calls for an immediate review of, not only this, but of all our leases. I have to understand, where did this fail?”
Johnson also pointed out that the city has been in a state of change for several years and that lease default was the result of “turbulence” and change.
“We have got to steady the ship. Those that are in position in this city that have been here knew this. Somebody knew this and we need to understand and we need staff to understand that everybody here is a leader. You cannot stick your head in the sand right now because it’s all hands on deck.”
Johnson also pointed out that Chess was not there three years ago.
After the Feb. 17 meeting, Crabby’s owners – Beachside Hospitality Group (BHG) of St. Petersburg – issued a press release outlining their side of the story.
“Our goal throughout this process was to work with the city to find a solution that would allow this location to succeed,” said Greg Powers, CEO of Beachside Hospitality Group.
“We invested heavily in Fort Pierce and made repeated efforts to engage in dialogue before ultimately concluding that no workable path forward had been established.”
The press release issued by BHG outlines a timeline of when the company reached out to the city. Last July, BHG received a notice of ad valorem taxes due for prior years. “This was the first billing BHG had received reflecting those amounts as payable,” the release says.
In September, BHG formally requested a meeting with the city manager to explore solutions, including temporary rent relief “that could allow the restaurant to stabilize and continue operating.”
According to the release, a November meeting took place with the assistant city manager and other representatives. BHG was asked to supply a “detailed turnaround proposal for review.”
An almost 20-page “partnership proposal” was submitted, but on Jan. 30 BHG received a formal notice requiring them to make a payment, and in February it was decided that the “operation was no longer financially sustainable.”