Why is it called Pinchers?

Months of trying names

Naming a restaurant sounds easy until you actually have to do it. The name needs to be memorable, it needs to fit the food, and ideally it shouldn’t be something you’ll regret putting on a sign ten years later. Tony and Kathleen spent months considering possibilities.

One name Tony liked was Key West Pinks, inspired by the Florida shrimp. It wasn’t a bad name. It just wasn’t quite right.

What the name had to say

The family knew they wanted fresh grouper on the menu and a restaurant that felt unmistakably Floridian: casual enough for families, and fun enough that people would remember it.

Two ideas on the same day

Here’s the funny part. A designer working with the family had come up with a similar name on the very same day: Pinchers and Crackers. Apparently the universe was trying to tell them something. The family decided Pinchers was the stronger choice, and the original restaurant opened as Pinchers Crab Shack.

From one crab shack to a name people know

Today people across Southwest Florida recognize the Pinchers name. It began with a conversation at home and a family that knew a good name when it heard one. Not bad for a word inspired by a crab.