Nick’s Restaurant...the tradition continues
Here at Nick’s we not only pride ourselves on seafood, but also on TRADITION. In 1956, Frank and Hattie Nick bought property in Basin Bayou, FL from Thomas Godwin for $8,500. At this location, there was an old Fish Camp that dated back to the first of the century. “Old Nick” and “Miss Hattie” ran the Fish Camp, selling bait, beer, and renting boats for a dollar a day.
In 1963, the present building was built and Nick’s Seafood Restaurant was open, selling raw oysters, fried shrimp, hamburgers, and cold beer. Back then, all of our seafood came straight out of the bay, caught by local fishermen. We had our own oyster beds, leased from the state of Florida, for $14.50 a year. Shrimp sold for 25 cents a pound, mullet for 10 cents a pound, and blue crabs for a nickel each (large males only). Back at the restaurant, oysters sold for 55 cents a dozen, fried shrimp dinners for $1.55, hamburgers for 30 cents and beer for a quarter.
In 1968, three people began working at Nick’s: Ernie Perdue, Corrine Perdue, and Betty Schipper. Two years later, Janie Phillips came on board.
Nick’s continued to grow in clientele. Through the years, kids came in with their parents; then later brought their own children to Nick’s. In 1979, Old Nick and Miss Hattie’s son, Frank Jr., and his wife Bonnie, took over the business with the help of their two mop- head ruffians, Trey and Carey. Frank Jr. and Bonnie ran the restaurant until 1989 when they turned it over to Frank Jr.’s sister, Connie. Connie and her husband, Wayne Jones, ran the old block building until 1998.
Although Frank Jr. and Bonnie were no longer running Nick’s in Basin Bayou, they did not retire from the restaurant business! In April of 1989, they opened a second restaurant, Nick’s in Blue Mountain Beach, FL. This popular and successful restaurant was in business until 2004, when it was tragically destroyed in a fire.
Back at our ol’ Fish Camp in Basin Bayou, the family tradition was kept alive when the torch was passed to Frank III (Trey) and his wife Jennifer in 1998. Trey became the third generation of Nicks to manage the restaurant. In 2002, Nick’s began to commercially harvest crabs in the Choctawhatchee Bay. They have since become the largest commercial crabbing operation in the area.
When you’re in the area, Trey, Jennifer, and their daughter Aubree would love to welcome you to dine on the freshest and finest seafood around in a family and friendly atmosphere.
The latest business venture in the Nick’s Seafood family happened in September of 2006 when Trey established Nick’s Seafood Market in Freeport Florida. This growing business, managed by Brad Burnette, is already gaining popularity with both locals and tourists alike.
The entire Nick family would like to thank you for your support and patronage throughout the years.