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Scooter’s Fish House welcomes John Poates as new owner

In November, John Poates with JD Restaurant Group became the new owner of Scooter’s Fish House. Poates is excited for the opportunity and plans to keep a lot of the restaurant the same.

“I’ve got happy people, why would I change that?” Poates said. “… Scooter’s is always going to be Scooter’s.”

JD Restaurant Group stands for John and Dad.

“The man knows fish better than most people,” Poates said. “Our ultimate goal is to run the restaurant like you’re supposed to – through our general manager Ben Hunnicutt – empower him, support him, guide him, develop him.”

Before Poates bought the restaurant, he visited Scooter’s Fish House a total of 12 times and was blown away with the service, the food and the atmosphere.

“Not often can you go to a place and get excellent service every single time without dropping the ball. With these guys, they have that smile, which I love and live for. You open that front door and people feel it as soon as they walk in. The people that work here have that mindset – I care about you and I’m here to make your day important.”

John says the recipe for restaurant success is happy employees, consistency in food and a nice, clean working environment.

Poates has built and opened 26 restaurants all over the world in his life and has acquired a few, including Scooter’s Fish House.

“This truly is a gem,” Poates said. “It’s a local masterpiece.”

Poates plans to add oysters and ice-cold beer to the menu in the near future, so stay tuned to Scooter’s social media for updates. They also plan to add bottomless mimosas on Sundays.

The restaurant added two new types of seafood to their menu this summer. Scooter’s now serves Grilled Sea Scallops and Fried Langoustine Lobster, also known as Norwegian Lobster. It’s simply delicious and you’ve got to try it. The lobster comes fried with the option to make it Bang Bang Lobster, which has already become a fan favorite. You can get a lobster dinner, lobster “Samwich” or lobster tacos. Take your pick.

The Scooter’s Build-Your-Own menu has options for one to three proteins and customers can chose grilled or fried. Then, they can decide if they want it served in a taco, dinner, combo, platter, Samwich, or kid’s portion. Sides can be ordered individually, as well as drinks and dessert. Every order is completely personalized.

The friendly Scooter’s staff makes customers feel welcome and appreciated.

Scooter’s Fish House is open every day from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. serving the freshest seafood on the Emerald Coast. The shrimp and the fish are always caught fresh from the Gulf of Mexico.

Located on Highway 87 South in Navarre, Scooter’s is a must-try for tourists and locals alike. Customers will find a wide range of tasty menu items, including fresh mullet, swordfish, grouper, mahi and flounder. Amberjack and smoked tuna dip are also popular menu items at Scooter’s. The mullet comes straight out of East Bay or the Santa Rosa Sound.

Colossal and popcorn shrimp are also on the menu. Try it with Scooters’ Bang Bang sauce, made from scratch. The Bang Bang Shrimp, Bang Bang Chicken and now Bang Bang Lobster are to die for.

Their kid’s menu consists of options such as fried fish, fried shrimp or fried chicken. All kid’s meals come with a side of fries and a hush puppy.

There are plenty of delicious sides as well, including barbecue beans, fries and cheese grits. Wedge salad and Caesar salad are also options.

If you want dessert, Scooter’s has that, too. Key lime pie, made in-house, is a staple on the menu.

Scooters has started a cash incentive discount. If customers pay with cash, they pay their normal amount. If using a card, customers will pay a 4% surcharge. The restaurant also accepts all forms of payment including Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay and any mobile wallet or tap pay option.

People can skip the line and order at the self-order kiosk on their porch for ease. Customers can also call in their orders or order online at Navarre-Seafood.com.

Scooter’s Fish House is hiring and always looking for hard-working employees who are motivated. Anyone interested can stop by and ask for an application.

Head on over to Scooter’s today to reel in your perfect seafood meal.

Scooter’s Fish House
1968 Highway 87 Navarre, FL
850-396-5128
scootersfishhouse.com
Open every day 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

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