06/10/2026
🦐✨ A New Chapter Begins at Islamorada Shrimp Shack ✨🦐
For many people in the Florida Keys, Islamorada Shrimp Shack is more than just a restaurant. It's a place where families gather after a day on the water 🚤, where locals run into friends, and where visitors return year after year for familiar faces and delicious shrimp fritters.
Since opening in 2011 under the leadership of Jill Jahn, Islamorada Shrimp Shack has become a favorite for both locals and visitors alike. And for those who have been around a little longer, the story stretches back even further to the days when Jill's parents operated the beloved Squid Row at the same location.
🌴 Now, the restaurant is beginning an exciting new chapter.
After years of building Islamorada Shrimp Shack into one of the Upper Keys' favorite gathering spots, Jill has passed the torch to new local ownership, with "Keys Kids" David and Brian Epstein leading the way as part of the restaurant's management team.
🇺🇸 David and Brian grew up in Islamorada and graduated from Coral Shores High School. After serving in the U.S. Air Force and building a career in emergency management with the Department of Defense, David eventually found his way back home to the Florida Keys.
Today, David is also a Realtor with Coastal Realty of the Florida Keys.
📖 The Epstein family name is one that many locals already know. Their father, Bob Epstein, spent years documenting the history, people, and character of the Florida Keys through his writing and photography. Their mother, Barbara Epstein, dedicated years of service to the Village of Islamorada and the community she loved.
🍋 As a teenager, David made and sold his own Mr. Pete's Famous Key Lime Ice Cream in local stores including Trading Post, Payfair, and Townsite Supermarket. More than 40 years later, he's excited to bring that homemade Keys favorite back from the 1980s and introduce it to a new generation of customers at Islamorada Shrimp Shack.
The history of this location goes back long before the Shrimp Shack name. Jill's parents built a loyal following at Squid Row, creating one of those classic Keys gathering places where you were almost guaranteed to run into somebody you knew. When Jill opened Islamorada Shrimp Shack in 2011, she carried that family tradition forward and built something special of her own.
✨ Now it's David and Brian's turn.
❤️ For Shrimp Shack regulars, the good news is that much of what people love about the place isn't changing. Many of the recipes are staying, and so is the staff. That's important because anyone who's spent time there knows the people are just as much a part of the experience as the food.
Keeping the team together was a priority for both Jill and David during the transition. In a community where finding and keeping local workers can be a challenge, they wanted to make sure the people who helped make Islamorada Shrimp Shack what it is today would continue to be part of its future.
🌅 One of the things that makes the Florida Keys special is watching local stories continue from one generation to the next.
Jill helped build something the community embraced. Now David and Brian will help write the next chapter.
