PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — After a year of setbacks, Leroy’s Fish Shack is finally taking shape at Fishermen’s Village.
Owners Lee and Jamie Richardson, who also operate Leroy’s Southern Kitchen in downtown Punta Gorda, signed the lease for the waterfront space in April 2024. They originally hoped to be open by that fall.
Watch Fox 4's Alex Orenczuk report on the effort to open Leroy's Fish Shack:
“So, we signed the lease here April 8th of 2024 with the hopes of being opened by late fall of ’24,” Lee Richardson said. “And obviously, we knew we were going to run into some hiccups, but we didn’t expect the amount of hiccups that we did run into.”
Those challenges included mold, asbestos, two hurricanes and more than 50 leaks discovered in the building.
With structural repairs wrapping up, the Richardsons said they are close to beginning the restaurant’s buildout. The vision is for a waterfront spot that connects directly to the region’s fishing heritage.
“We’re filing the paperwork now for having a commercial landing zone,” Richardson said. “We’ll have commercial fishermen pull right up behind the restaurant, unload the catch, and it’ll come straight off the boat, filleted right here, and onto your table.”
The owners said the restaurant’s décor will also honor Fishermen’s Village history as a working fish house and ice house, before the property became a shopping and dining destination.
The Richardsons expect to open Leroy’s Fish Shack in February or March 2026. They said they are determined to deliver the same quality and hometown feel that has made Leroy’s Southern Kitchen a favorite downtown.
“This project is going full force,” Richardson said. “As soon as they are done and we sign off on it with another leak detection, we are going to have all hands on deck to get this place up and running.”
