Two Fish Crab Shack expands into frozen food section

Two Fish, owned and operated by Yasmin Curtis, is expanding its brand to offer its seafood boil in a bag in the frozen food section at Mariano’s. Photo courtesy of Yasmin Curtis
Two Fish, owned and operated by Yasmin Curtis, is expanding its brand to offer its seafood boil in a bag in the frozen food section at Mariano’s. Photo courtesy of Yasmin Curtis

Two Fish Crab Shack expands into frozen food section

BY TIA CAROL JONES
     Two Fish Crab Shack, located at 641 E. 47th St., opened more than 4 years ago as a restaurant where people could get their seafood boil in a bag fix.
     People liked the sauce so much that owner Yasmin Curtis made it available online for purchase. Now, people who want Two Fish can get the seafood in a bag, in the frozen food section.
     Curtis said at her core, she is all about economic development and philanthropy. She owned a restaurant and bar, where they did Seafood Fridays. It was where the seafood boil concept was born. There was not a seafood boil restaurant in the Hyde Park/ Kenwood/Oakland/Bronzeville area, so it was a new concept for the area. “The development of the area is rising, so we need more restaurants, we need more places to go,” she said.
     Curtis said they started with crab legs with different seasonings, like Jerk seasoning. She said the jerk became a hit. She said they created their own recipes.  “People just took to it. I grabbed a couple of friends who had travelled all over and told them, ‘just taste it and tell me what you think.’ And, people did, and they loved it,” she said.  People can choose from lobster tails,
whole lobster, snow crab legs, Alaskan crab legs, catfish and perch. They also have chicken.
     Curtis said the most popular item is the seafood boil in a bag. The most popular seasoning is the 3 the Chi Way, which is the house seasoning. People can purchase 3 the Chi Way and it ships nationwide. “People are ordering it online in different geographical areas, like Florida. I’ve had some people ordering
it from as far Portland, Oregon and as far as California that are ordering the seasoning from us,” she said.
     Curtis said she loved ridiculously spicy food, so she likes the shrimp, with 3 the Chi Way I’m on Fire, it’s the hottest level. She said she loves it.
     As a native of the area, Curtis said she chose the location because it is close to where she lives adding, she has never been a fan of travelling far to work. “I like being in a neighborhood that serves the community and that I am serving,” she said. In the last couple of years, there has been more of a push to support more Black women-owned businesses, she continued.
    Curtis said the Two Fish seafood boil in a bag is packaged so that people can have it whenever they are ready. It will be available at Mariano’s. Curtis said she is always trying to figure
something out. During CoVID-19, some customers expressed hesitation about coming to the restaurant or even getting takeout from a restaurant. “We still wanted our customers to be able to enjoy Two Fish. Everybody has to go to the grocery store,” she said. “I have to make sure I am able to reach people. The concept just kind of developed, it developed more during COVID.”
    Curtis said COVID-19 has made it so the human contact has been taken away. She said she loves the restaurant, and she
misses her customers, and that interaction. “COVID has made me appreciate people more because people need more people. It has made me appreciate people more and made us more conscious
of other people,” she said.
    Curtis said small businesses and restaurants are the heart of the community and it is important to support them because they employ people from the community. “It’s one of the most
important things you can do is support a local small business or restaurant. So, they can continue to employ the people in the community. So, that when we are on the other side of this, we will still have some of those businesses,” she said.
     To order food from Two Fish, visit www.twofishcrabshack.com.

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