Five local residents and visitors won special restaurant swag YETI coolers, courtesy of Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille and Dixie Fish Company’s weeks-long celebration of National Yucatan Shrimp Day on May 24. The lucky winners were drawn from a pool of 14,000 entries, each representing a signature Yucatan item sold between May 1 and May 23 at and the four Doc Ford’s and Dixie Fish locations in Southwest Florida and St. Petersburg.

“We are grateful for the support of the community and thrilled by the popularity of our Yucatan shrimp menu items,” said Joe Harrity, a partner with HM Restaurant Group, which owns and operates Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille and Dixie Fish Company. “It equates to nearly 600 dishes, drinks and bottles of Yucatan sauce sold every day at our restaurants.”

Customers qualified for the drawing by ordering the restaurants’ Yucatan shrimp tacos, half- and one-pound peel-and-eat shrimp, Yucatan bloody Mary or Yucatan baked oysters, or purchasing the retail Yucatan sauce.

The customized YETI coolers were filled with restaurant swag, including hats and bottles of Doc Ford’s signature sauce, a mouth-watering blend of butter, garlic, fresh cilantro, Key lime juice and mild Colombian chilis.

The winners are:

  • Doc Ford’s, Sanibel: Scott Popp of Winter Haven
  • Doc Ford’s, Fort Myers Beach: Valencia Thomas of Naples
  • Doc Ford’s, St. Petersburg Pier: Isabel Bozarth of Washington
  • Doc Ford’s, Jungle Terrace, St. Petersburg: Tracy Foley of St. Pete
  • Dixie Fish Company, Fort Myers Beach: Kendall Rauk of Fort Myers Beach

Doc Ford’s and Dixie Fish Company are open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and renowned for delivering a legendary guest experience.

Award-winning Doc Ford’s offers food with a unique balance of flavors inspired by the Caribbean Rim. Known for its sauces, spices and passion, Doc Ford’s is beloved by locals and visitors alike as a spectacular seafood restaurant. Established on Sanibel in 2003, the restaurant has expanded from its original location to three others: Fort Myers Beach and two in St. Petersburg, on the St. Petersburg Pier and in Jungle Terrace. A perennial Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice winner, the pier restaurant was named the No. 1 Best of the Best Restaurants for Everyday Eats in 2023.

An original Florida fishhouse and 2023 Yelp Top 100 Florida Restaurant, Dixie Fish Company’s origins date back to 1937 when it was primarily a fish market. Today, it’s an award-winning waterfront restaurant on Fort Myers Beach that serves delicious, fresh food in an ideal location for enjoying the beach atmosphere, complete with live music and picturesque views.

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 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, 2025.