THE QUEENS
APRIL 2021
Cajun-style seafood joint celebrates
grand opening of Ozone Park location
BY GABRIELE HOLTERMANN
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
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.
Th e 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 fi nancially, of course. But
we were able to fi ne-tune our menu and
fi gure out which dishes were a hit and
which ones we need to work on. Th e only
diffi culty that we encountered was being
able to host the elected offi cials,” said
Kevin Zhang, the managing partner.
Th e 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 COVID-friendly distance between diners.
Aft er 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, crawfi
sh, lobster tails, crab legs, shrimp and
scallops; select one of the four diff erent
sauces; and choose their spice level ranging
from mild to hot.
“Th e 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 off ers
oysters, various Po’Boys, soups and salads,
wings and fried calamari, to name a few.
Th e restaurant’s fun nautical-themed
setting is suited for children and adults
alike. Th e 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 handcraft -
ed 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 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 well-versed in
hygiene and sanitation protocol.
“Th e guidelines just changed the way of
doing things, with regards to guest intake,
seating arrangements, overall capacity
and hours of operation,” Zhang said.
Photos by Gabriele Holtermann
He feels that the state could better assist
business owners and explained that the
PPP loans helped, but that businesses
need further fi nancial aid to keep operations
running and pay staff .
“Any restaurant owner or manager you
ask will tell you the same thing. Th e
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
Th ursday from noon to 10 p.m., and
Friday and Saturday from noon to 11 p.m.
Crab du Jour celebrated its grand opening in Ozone Park.
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