By Cindy Cummings
Florida has long been known as the “fishing capital of the world”. It’s no wonder then that Apopka is home to a number of popular seafood eateries. Something Fishy and The Conch Queen are two local, small businesses specializing in delicious seafood selections and experiencing well-deserved growth.
Patrice Phillips at Something Fishy, photo from April 2020
Owned by Terence and Patrice Phillips, Something Fishy is a casual New Orleans-style seafood restaurant open since 2016. The menu features various mouthwatering dishes, standouts of which include: seasoned shrimp with cheesy grits, fried swai (breaded Asain catfish), wasabi slaw with raw ahi, crab cakes, and marinated poke tacos.
Something Fishy has gained a host of new repeat customers over the past year when takeout and online ordering options were also made available. In fact, the Phillips have experienced such overwhelming success in Apopka that they also recently opened a flagship restaurant in Altamonte Springs — “with a few, nicer items that will fit well into what will be a levelled-up dining experience from the Apopka store, which will remain fast-casual”, explains Patrice. The new restaurant serves seafood delights such as soft shell crab sandwiches, etouffee, scallops, and pasta.
The Conch Queen out of Paradise Heights is a family-owned food truck serving up a tantalizing array of Caribbean classics. You can find their truck open and ready to serve from 1-8 pm Friday and Saturday at 3780 Ocoee-Apopka Road, Apopka 32703.
Owned by LaRondra Graham, the Conch Queen receives a roster of regular customers — locals as well as folk who drive in from as far as Sanford. But, new customers unfamiliar with conch or seafood can also enjoy the Queen Fries: a taster dish featuring the truck’s most popular options thoughtfully designed by LaRondra. In particular, the conch salad is a customer favorite; it’s made fresh multiple times daily with the option of adding a fruity mango and pineapple topper for flavor enhancement.
To expand her business, LaRondra plans to take the truck to new locations in the area, open a brick-and-mortar store, and start selling some of her most popular products like the Goombay sauce, fish marinade, and frozen fritter batter.
A strong web presence is essential for restaurants and businesses in order to attract customers and maintain a competitive edge. In fact, 97% of customers rely on search engines to find out about their nearest recommended restaurants. Above all, websites should be mobile-friendly. Not only does this allow customers to view sites clearly and easily on any mobile device, but it also means Google will rank the site higher thanks to mobile-first indexing. A mobile-friendly website can include various features to make it easier for visitors to become paying customers, such as, mobile reservations, mobile ordering, and mobile loyalty programs. Moreover, you can also collect mobile customer data in order to offer an improved, personalized customer experience in the future.
Seafood has always been a popular dish in Apopka. Why not pop into Something Fishy or the Conch Queen for your next meal and sample the delectable delights for yourself?
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