Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar’s Lowcountry Boils Will Land Next Year in Illinois | Eater Chicago

"Planned to open its first Illinois location in Geneva, this North Carolina–based seafood chain—founded in 2007 in Carolina Beach and franchising since 2014—will bring oysters, lobster rolls, low country boils, oyster shooters, chicken wing surf-and-turf plates, family-style steam pots, and sides like hushpuppies to a new development on the border of St. Charles and Geneva by late spring or early summer 2022. The brand has expanded to 16 locations across North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Maryland, and Florida, and the Geneva outpost would be only the second in Illinois—after LondonHouse Chicago—to participate in the James Beard Foundation’s Smart Catch Program for sustainably sourced shrimp, oysters, and more (the Shedd Aquarium has organized a similar local effort). Franchisees Angie and Kyle Howard, who spent much of their careers in the corporate world and say they were drawn to the chain’s casual raw-bar vibe reminiscent of vacation seafood spots in Maine, Massachusetts, and Florida, are negotiating the lease and hope to expand to other Chicago-area suburbs if Geneva proves successful." - Naomi Waxman