South Carolina shrimpers identify 25 Charleston restaurants for alleged shrimp fraud

Members of the South Carolina Shrimpers Association held a press conference Wednesday where they publicly named 25 Charleston-area restaurants that they claim have defrauded consumers by allegedly misrepresenting the shrimp they serve as South Carolina-caught product.

Bryan Jones, Vice President of the SCSA, held the conference in front of the Pineapple Fountain in downtown Charleston, detailing a lawsuit, which was filed in federal court.

The lawsuit alleges violations of both the federal Lanham Act and the South Carolina Unfair Trade Practices Act.

"We stand here today at the Pineapple Fountain, an enduring symbol of Charleston's legendary hospitality," Jones stated. "This fountain, with its graceful waters, represents the very essence of what we, as South Carolina shrimpers, strive to embody: a genuine, honest welcome. We believe that when we invite our family, our friends, and our cherished guests to our beautiful Lowcountry, they deserve nothing less than the real, authentic thing – and in this case, that means our delectable and incomparable, wild-caught South Carolina shrimp."

This case stems from an investigation done by SeaD Consulting, a group commissioned by the Southern Shrimp Alliance.

During the investigation, which occurred in May of 2025, the group reportedly performed genetic testing on shrimp dishes from 44 Charleston-area restaurants, which they say revealed that 90% of the tested restaurants were deceiving their customers by selling imported shrimp instead of local wild-caught.

Of these tested restaurants, they identified 25 as being reportedly "outright fraudulent," actively promoting "local" or "Lowcountry heritage" while serving foreign imports.

The following restaurants were identified as those that have or are currently allegedly serving imported shrimp under the guise of local South Carolina-caught shrimp.

HUSHPUPPIES SEAFOOD COMPANY, LLC
HOMEGROWN HOSPITALITY, LLC d/b/a PEARLZ OYSTER BAR
PAGE’S INCREDIBLE KITCHEN, LLC d/b/a PAGE’S OKRA GRILL
SOUTHERN ROOTS BBQ, LLC
CRAB DU JOUR OF CHARLESTON LLC
O’CHARLEY’S LLC d/b/a DOCKSIDE CHARLIE’S
HYMANS SEAFOOD COMPANY, INC.
CCH- MARKET, LLC d/b/a CHARLESTON CRAB HOUSE
CCH-MARKET, LLC d/b/a OYSTER HOUSE AND O-BAR
SALTWATER COWBOYS LLC
BOTTLE CAP MANAGEMENT GROUP, LLC d/b/a SUNSET WATERFRONT DINING
REDWING, LLC D/B/A RED’S ICEHOUSE
TAVERN & TABLE LLC
WATER’S EDGE LLC
CRAVE HOSPITALITY GROUP LLC d/b/a THE MILL STREET TAVERN
RETAIL MOUNT PLEASANT SEAFOOD CO. INC. d/b/a MOUNT PLEASANT SEAFOOD
GHOST KITCHEN, LLC d/b/a TATERS SEA & SOUL
RIVERS 1018 LLC D/B/A FAMILY SEAFOOD MARKET
CARRIGS SEAFOOD, INC.
POSEIDON’S PLAYGROUND LLC
COD TAIL OF CHARLESTON LLC d/b/a COD TAIL SEAFOOD & CHICKEN
CHARLESTON HOSPITALITY, LLC d/b/a WRECKFISH BAR & GRILL
HAPPY CRAB CAJUN SEAFOOD LLC
RESTAURANTE LA COSTA LLC
AVOCET HOSPITALITY GROUP INC. D/B/A PIER 101
and JOHN DOE RESTAURANTS 1–15

The SCSA states that "shrimp fraud" performed by these groups has had a demonstrably negative effect on multiple levels. Some of the provided examples include directly undermining the livelihoods of dedicated shrimpers, misrepresenting the shrimp as locally caught while serving an "inferior" product, and creating an unfair playing field for restaurants that cannot commit to sourcing and serving locally caught shrimp.

"While we fully anticipate robust litigation with several of the named parties, we remain hopeful that some defendants will choose a different path, one of accountability, cooperation, and integrity. Our aim has always been to protect South Carolina’s shrimping industry and to uphold the principle that consumers deserve honesty in advertising. We hope to hear from any defendant who is prepared to work with us to ensure transparency and fairness moving forward," stated Gedney Howe, the attorney in this case.

During the press conference, Jones stated that due to weather conditions in the Charleston Harbor, a display of shrimping boats sailing in support of SCSA had instead navigated back to their home ports. He continues on to acknowledge, however, the individuals who work each day to provide locally caught shrimp.

"But make no mistake, those boats you see responsibly working our pristine waters are a constant reminder of the tireless work that goes into bringing the freshest, highest-quality shrimp our ocean has to offer. They represent generations who have gone out into the dark, challenging waters, just as they often do at 3:30 in the morning, long before the sun even thinks of rising. This issue, this fight, isn't merely economic; it’s about our friends, our families, our heritage, and the very soul of our coastal communities," said Jones.

“We are fighting for what’s right, for fairness, for honesty," concluded Jones. "We are fighting for the future of South Carolina shrimp, for our families, and for every person who comes to our beautiful state seeking the true taste of the Lowcountry.”

News 4 contacted all of the named defendants requesting comment. As of Wednesday afternoon, Hyman's Seafood Company was the only one who had provided a statement which is as follows:

At Hyman’s Seafood, we take great pride in supporting the Lowcountry community, including the hardworking local shrimpers and seafood producers who are an essential part of the Charleston identity. We have always made an effort to incorporate locally sourced products into our operations and highlight those ingredients when appropriate.

Recently, our restaurant was mentioned in connection with an investigation into misleading advertising related to local shrimp. We want to provide some important clarity on the situation.

We have learned that, on more than one occasion, our social media posts implied that we were serving fresh shrimp, when in fact we were serving imported shrimp at those times. This was due to miscommunication with our social media manager and was in no way intended to mislead the public or to show disrespect to our local shrimping community.

In our restaurant, if any guest inquires whether a product is fresh or frozen, we are always honest and forthcoming. Unfortunately, this miscommunication online occurred without our awareness, and it does not reflect the standards of transparency we strive to uphold.

We take responsibility for not reviewing the posts prior to publication. Our understanding with our social media partner was that they would only be sharing photos and menu items — not making additional claims or product descriptions. While this was a genuine mistake, it was our mistake not to catch it.

We’ve since addressed the issue internally, clarified expectations moving forward, and put steps in place to ensure accuracy across all communication channels.

We are committed to earning and maintaining the trust of our guests and community. We regret that this error occurred, and we thank those who brought it to our attention."