A beloved Memphis seafood restaurant is all set to expand.
According to recent permits and insider leasing information, The Half Shell is planning a third location at 9091 Poplar Ave, Suite 101 in Germantown’s StoneCreek Centre.
This announcement follows the recent transfer of the restaurant from longtime proprietor Danny Sumrall to Forest Hill Partners’ Gene and Rhonda Barzizza, who also operate Forest Hill Grill in Germantown.
The leasing comps reveal that the Barzizzas have signed a 12-month lease for the 4,527-square-foot restaurant space. The duo is committed to continuing the legacy of The Half Shell with their Chief Operating Officer John May, who confirmed this development with What Now Memphis.
In a recent interview with The Daily Memphian, Gene expressed enthusiasm about continuing Sumrall’s legacy. “It’s our honor and pleasure to take on the challenge of setting The Half Shell on the right course for its next 50 years,” he said.
The original Half Shell opened in 1973 on the northwest corner of Poplar Ave and Mendenhall Rd in East Memphis. Ten years later, the restaurant relocated across the street to a larger space, where it remains today.
In 2003, The Half Shell opened a second location, The Half Shell at Southwind, in Southeast Memphis. This location features an open kitchen, an oyster bar, and a spacious patio.
The Half Shell has received numerous accolades, including first-place awards for Best Seafood in 2017 and 2018. The menu offers a variety of seafood-centric and New Orleans-inspired dishes, including étouffée salmon cakes, seafood gumbo, po’boys, and southern fried catfish.
May told What Now Memphis that they’re hoping to open The Half Shell Germantown this fall, around the end of September or the beginning of October 2024.
