Say, “Yay!” to National Yucatán Shrimp Day this May at Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille. The award-winning Southwest Florida and St. Petersburg restaurants are celebrating May 24 with great giveaways, a 7-K race in Sanibel and, of course, the savory flavors of the house specialty.

Beginning May 1, customers who purchase a Yucatán menu item or a bottle of the restaurant’s proprietary Yucatán sauce at Doc Ford’s four locations receive an entry to the grand-prize drawing and the chance to win a YETI cooler filled with restaurant swag, including T-shirts, koozies, a bottle of Yucatán sauce and a $100 gift card. Each restaurant will draw a winner on May 24.

“National Yucatán Shrimp Day is our biggest holiday of the year and an opportunity to showcase the sauce,” said Joe Harrity, a partner with HM Restaurant Group, which owns and operates Doc Ford’s. “The dish has been featured in The New York Times ‘Cooking’ column and is our most popular entree.”

The national celebration originated in 2020 after Doc Ford’s applied to National Day Calendar as a unique way to recognize its Yucatán Shrimp entrée. The suggestion was selected from thousands of applications.

A mainstay on the restaurant’s menu for over 20 years, the iconic dish pairs steamed peel-and-eat shrimp with a savory spicy sauce made from butter, fresh Key lime juice, garlic, cilantro, Colombian chili pepper sambal, salt and pepper. It also appears in baked oysters, shrimp tacos, the bloody Mary and the new fried Yucatán chicken sandwich.

The sauce’s seven ingredients were the impetus for the Sanibel location’s May 24 7K race, a first-ever fun run benefiting the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation’s Sea School. The race starts at 7:30 a.m. and finishes at the restaurant and includes live music, food, drinks and a photo booth. The entry fee is $40. Kids, ages 10 and under, race free.

Race packet pickup is available from 3 to 7 p.m. on the following days:

  • Wednesday, May 21, at the Doc Ford’s on Sanibel, 2500 Island Inn Road
  • Thursday, May 22, at the Doc Ford’s on Fort Myers Beach, 708 Fisherman’s Wharf
  • Friday, May 23 at Fleet Feet Fort Myers in Bell Tower Shops, 13499 S. Cleveland Ave., Suite 209.

Asteria Wellness, a Sambal Sponsor of the race, will have a nurse stationed at every location for packet pick-up and will be offering free B12 injections for all registered participants. To guarantee a shirt in the preferred size, runners must be signed up for the race by Monday, May 5. Packets will also be available the morning of the race at 6 a.m. All participants are automatically entered for a chance to win a Doc Ford’s customized YETI cooler.

Awards will be presented to the top finishers in each age group and overall winners. Costumes are encouraged. The winner of the YETI giveaway will be announced at the end of the race.

“As season winds down, this race is a fun and festive way for the local community to reconnect and have a great time,” said Harrity.

For more information or to register for the run, visit runsignup.com/docfordsnationalyucatanshrimpday7k.

Open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Doc Ford’s is renowned for delivering a legendary guest experience. The award-winning restaurant offers food with a unique balance of flavors inspired by the Caribbean Rim. A local favorite, Doc Ford’s offers four locations: Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach, Jungle Terrace in St. Petersburg and the St. Petersburg Pier, and is known for its sauces, spices and passion. Doc Ford’s is beloved by locals and visitors alike as a spectacular seafood restaurant and is a perennial Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice winner. The St. Petersburg Pier was named the No. 1 Best of the Best Restaurants for Everyday Eats in 2023.

Philanthropy and community outreach are engrained in HM Restaurant Group’s company philosophy. Proceeds from specialty cocktails at Doc Ford’s raise money for children’s hospitals and water quality issues. HM Restaurant Group also supports local nonprofits dedicated to conservation, community, education and the environment. The “Ding” Darling Doc Ford’s Tarpon Tournament has raised nearly $1.3 million for Sanibel’s J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge since 2012. The 13th annual tournament is May 9, 2024.