Fin & Fork abruptly closes downtown Pensacola location 2 months after owners file lawsuit
Fin & Fork has closed its downtown Pensacola location, only two months after owner Matt Shipp filed a lawsuit against the restaurant’s previous owners.
In a direct message from a Fin & Fork social media page, Fin & Fork confirmed to the News Journal that it was the end of the chapter for the downtown location at 601 E. Gregory St.
“Sadly, Fin & Fork closed permanently on Sunday,” the message stated.
Shipp could not be reached for comment after request for an official statement after multiple attempts by the News Journal.
As of Wednesday, there was merely a handwritten “we are closed” sign hanging on the restaurant’s doors with no further details on the restaurant’s website or social media pages, even though the restaurant was slated to open at 11 a.m.
As customers meandered in for lunch around noon, they were told by an employee that the closure was simply "for the holidays" and not permanent. The restaurant’s voicemail echoes the same sentiment. Eventually, the employee locked the doors because of the influx of customers.
However, other employees say the closure is in fact permanent and are now left to search for new job opportunities.
Fin & Fork founders pursue lawsuit
Shipp and his wife, Regina, were the long-time owners and operators of Fin & Fork before they made the decision to sell their company to K&O Patriots LLC, which includes John Mendoza as the manager, and his son, Christian Mendoza, in October 2022 under a lease-to-own model.
However, the Shipps allege the Mendozas stopped making payments a few months into the $216,000 restaurant sale. Additionally, the Shipps claim they saw "a tremendous loss of revenue, goodwill and value” of the restaurant because of the Mendozas’ “poor management during their tenure of operation and ownership,” per the lawsuit.
The Shipps lawsuit, filed on Sept. 29, seeks damages in excess of $50,000, exclusive of attorney fees and court costs.
Matt Shipp said that he and his wife eventually had to take back control of the restaurant themselves and planned to work on restoring the restaurant’s reputation.
“We’re fully back into it,” Shipp told the News Journal in October. “We are building our brand back. We’re committed to the restaurant.”
Find full detail on the lawsuit here: Fin & Fork founders suing new owners for breach of contract, 'poor management'
What kind of food was Fin & Fork known for?
Fin & Fork marketed itself as the place to find fresh Gulf Seafood, privately farmed Black Angus Beef, house-made sushi and a scratch kitchen with locally sourced produce.
The restaurant concept started out as a popular restaurant in Orange Beach, Alabama before Shipp relocated the restaurant to downtown Pensacola in 2020. Employees say that the owners plan to reopen a new location in Orange Beach next year.
Shipp doubled as the restaurant’s operator and head chef, crafting original recipes for the restaurant, including the signature grouper pontchartrain made with fresh Gulf grouper, onions, mushrooms, white win, lemon butter, seasonings, Alabama wild shrimp, bayou blue crab and panko.
"Everything's 100% fresh," Shipp told the News Journal in 2020. "We have steaks and seafood. Steaks are sort of the hidden little secret, we have a reputation for some of the best steaks on the market. I think it's a very successful concept, and the price points are good."
The 6,500-square-foot restaurant seated about 300 inside and also had outdoor seating on the restaurant's patio, serving lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.
More updates and information regarding Fin & Fork’s future can be found on the Fin & Fork Facebook page.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Fin & Fork closes downtown Pensacola location permanently
