Cajun eatery Crab du Jour celebrates
grand opening of Ozone Park location
BY GABRIELE HOLTERMANN
Crab du Jour, a Cajun-style
seafood boil restaurant and
bar, celebrated its grand opening
with a ribbon-cutting ceremony
on March 31 in Ozone
Park.
The preparation for the
grand opening didn’t prove to
be too much a hassle because
the pandemic gave the owners
plenty of time to prepare and
become familiar with diners’
desires. However, the pandemic
has taken out the “pomp and
circumstances” that usually
come with a grand opening.
“In a way, the pandemic
actually worked in our favor.
Not financially, of course. But
we were able to fine-tune our
menu and figure out which
dishes were a hit and which
ones we need to work on. The
only difficulty that we encountered
was being able to host the
elected officials,” said Kevin
Zhang, the managing partner.
The eatery, which is part of
a nationwide chain, is located
at 91-02 Atlantic Ave., and
can comfortably seat about 80
guests at 50 percent seating
capacity, ensuring a a COVIDfriendly
distance between diners.
After guests leave, seats
and chairs are thoroughly
sanitized.
One of Crab du Jour’s staples
is the ultimate seafood boil experience.
Seafood enthusiasts
can pick their “catch” from a
variety of sea creatures like
clams, crawfish, lobster tails,
crab legs, shrimp and scallops;
select one of the four different
sauces; and choose their spice
level ranging from mild to hot.
“The pleasure of the sea”
is served in a giant plastic bag
and comes with corn and potatoes.
Plenty of wipes are provided
because guests are likely
to get their hands dirty once
they dig in.
According to general manager
Ezma Samuel, the ultimate
seafood boil experience
is also a hit among the young
guests who celebrate their
birthdays at the eatery.
“Where else are they allowed
to eat with their hands?”
Ezma Samuel joked.
For those who are not too
keen on getting their hands
dirty, the menu offers oysters,
various Po’Boys, soups and
salads, wings and fried calamari,
Crab du Jour celebrated its grand opening in Ozone Park. Photos by Gabriele Holtermann
to name a few.
The restaurant’s fun nautical
themed setting is suited
for children and adults alike.
The kids can marvel at the
sea creatures hanging on
the walls or from the ceiling,
while the adults can indulge
in one (or two) of the eatery’s
handcrafted signature cocktails,
like whisky punch made
with pomegranate and mango
infused vodka with a shot of
whiskey, mojito, or Malibu
sunset.
If guests want to forgo dessert
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.20 COM | APRIL 9-APRIL 15, 2021
because they can’t possibly
eat one more morsel and
the belt has already been loosened,
they can conclude their
meal with the liquid alternative,
a dessert cocktail.
According to Zhang, the
COVID-19 safety guidelines
are easy to follow since the
restaurant industry is wellversed
in hygiene and sanitation
protocol.
“The guidelines just
changed the way of doing
things, with regards to guest
intake, seating arrangements,
overall capacity and hours of
operation,” Zhang said.
He feels that the state could
better assist business owners
and explained that the PPP
loans helped, but that businesses
need further financial
aid to keep operations running
and pay staff.
“Any restaurant owner or
manager you ask will tell you
the same thing. The restrictions
on restaurants need to be
loosened. We feel like we’re operating
with one hand tied behind
our backs. We need to be
able to reopen our bars, as that
not only increases our seating
capacity but there is also added
revenue from the bar patrons,”
Zhang said.
Crab du Jour is open Sunday
through Thursday from
noon to 10 p.m., and Friday
and Saturday from noon to 11
p.m.