A popular Gulf Coast seafood chain is bringing its first Alabama restaurant to Mobile. Half Shell Oyster House, based in Gulfport, Mississippi, plans to open its new location on Airport Boulevard on June 30.
A French Quarter-Style Restaurant Near I-65
The new restaurant will be located at 3654 Airport Blvd., at the northwest corner of Interstate 65 and Airport Boulevard, a heavily traveled commercial corridor in Mobile. The building is designed with a French Quarter theme, featuring gas lamps, stained glass, wrought-iron railings, murals from local artists and an exhibition-style oyster grilling bar where diners can watch food prepared in the open.
Half Shell Oyster House is known for its wide range of oyster preparations, including its signature Charbroiled Oysters Orleans, and the Mobile location will serve both lunch and dinner. The chain already operates restaurants in Gulfport, Biloxi and Hattiesburg, Mississippi, along with a location in Sarasota, Florida, giving it a strong reputation along the Gulf Coast before its expansion into Alabama.
More Than 100 New Jobs
The Mobile opening comes with a significant hiring push. More than 75 people have already been brought on to staff the new restaurant, and the company was still looking to fill about 25 additional positions ahead of opening day. Job applications were being accepted in person Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Kevin Fish, a partner in Gulf Coast Restaurant Group, which operates the Half Shell brand, said the Mobile restaurant reflects the company’s broader growth plans along the northern Gulf Coast. Bob Taylor, president of Gulf Coast Restaurant Group and founder of Half Shell Oyster House, said the company’s success on the Mississippi Gulf Coast made Mobile a natural next step. Josh Lord will serve as general manager and part owner of the new Mobile location, helping oversee daily operations as the restaurant establishes itself in a new market.
The addition of a well-established regional seafood brand adds another dining option to Mobile’s Airport Boulevard corridor, an area that has increasingly attracted national and regional restaurant chains in recent years. With its combination of scratch-made oyster dishes, a distinctive French Quarter atmosphere and a sizable new local workforce, the restaurant’s arrival is expected to be one of the more notable dining openings in the Mobile area this summer.