The Sweetie's Crab Shack Story
Introduction
From my earliest memory I was 4 years old sitting on the counter top to help my mother scramble eggs for our breakfast. She wouldn’t allow me to handle the bacon until I was a bit older, and I had to wear long sleeves so I wouldn’t get burned by the grease. As the years went on I learned more and more about the art of preparing meals. In hindsight, I realize that many of my lessons were to prepare me for life without her one day. She would say “if you can cook you should never starve.” I’ve always took that to heart. I came from a family of really great cooks, and as I grew older my love for cooking grew stronger. I saw that the family was always having a good time but the center of that happiness was the good food. I always told myself that when I became old enough to have my own place I would love to entertain like my mother, Loretta, my grandmother, Carrie B, and her sister, Aunt Kay. Along with these women were other family members who influenced my passion for cooking . My mother’s sisters, Aunt Maxine and Aunt Audrey , along with Aunt Maxine's husband, Uncle Burley have taught me a lot about preparing meals and being in the kitchen. My Uncle Burley is who taught me how to make potato salad, which was a significant skill growing up in our household.
For The Love of Cooking
As the years went on and I joined the military I would always invite soldiers who had no where to go for the holidays to my home to ensure they had a great meal and wouldn’t be alone during the holidays.
During my time in the U.S. Army, I have met many individuals who I have developed life-long friendships with. Two of those co-worker turned family members were Ms. Maddie K Moore, who I met while stationed at Ft. Lee, VA in 2002 and Mr. Frederick Cartwright, who I met in 2019. These two have been such a supportive influence in my life, and enjoyed the meals I prepared for them during our visits. That is when the idea blossomed into a reality of becoming 50/50 co-owners and partners of the Sweetie's Crab Shack restaurant that we know today.
Beginning Sweetie's Crab Shack
When I retired from the Army I previously tried my hand at running a restaurant in Johnstown, PA called Carrie’s Kitchen but had tons of distractions. My mother and her sisters experienced hardships with chronic health conditions, and my great Aunt Kay and I lost two sons to gun violence. As I mourned these losses, I gradually decided to move to Marietta, GA in 2019 for a much needed change of scenery. I continued cooking my holiday meals with family and friends, which helped keep us connected. I also host an annual Seafood Fest every first Saturday in July. It’s a celebration of my birthday and a time for us to bring family, friends and new friends together.
The Sweetie's journey began to create a restaurant that would serve delicious cajun and seafood meals in honor of my grandmother, Carrie B. aka "Sweetie", my mother Loretta, and my Aunt Maxine, and Aunt Audrey. which are represented by the crabs in the business logo. The nickname "Sweetie" was given by my late son, Kyfen M. Jones, and continues to be used within the family.
My goal at Sweetie’s Crab Shack is to continue connecting others with food as the center. I am committed to always place love and passion in every meal that is served. This is Sweetie's Crab Shack!
Sincerely,
Chef G. Maurice, Co-Owner and Head Chef