TASTE OF THE TREASURE COAST
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Conchy Joe’s dishes up vacation vibes
with the comfort of home
It was the late ’70s and Fred Ayres found himself captivated
by the laid-back Bahamian lifestyle. Things like
conch, rum, and hermit crab racing were just a few of the
things that created a wonderful vacation vibe. Originally
from Indianapolis and having relocated to Delray Beach, he
thought the combination would be a perfect fit for a restaurant
back in South Florida. So in 1979, he opened Conchy
Joe’s in downtown West Palm Beach.
“It became the place where people would come to try new
things,” said Fritz Ayres, Fred’s son and president of the
company. “He brought back things like conch and rum drinks
and even got a little more adventurous by being one of the
first to serve things like gator tail and frog legs.”
The 1980s brought a high rate of development to the downtown
area and Fred quickly realized that it was no longer a
place for a seafood shack. “Everybody else wanted to have a
high-rise,” Fritz said.
So after a couple of prosperous years and generous offers,
Fred decided to move north and find a new location for his
restaurant. In 1983, Conchy Joe’s opened once again — this
time in Jensen Beach at the former site of Seymour’s Dine
and Dance, which dated back to the 1930s.
The view and ambience are two of the top reasons why
Conchy’s is a local hotspot, but one thing that is pertinent
to this establishment is the ever-present family aura that
truly presents itself to anyone who visits. This carries across
management, staff and customers, with multiple long-term
employees who have become just like family.
And it was employees who ensured the restaurant made it
through Hurricane Irma, according Ayers.
“Thanks to a great staff, Conchy Joe’s was well prepared
for the storm, and with only minor damage the team had its
doors open within a day of Irma’s departure,” he said.
Right on time to welcome back storm survivors, locals and
tourists to the ambience that is all Bahamian.
“It’s a high dose of that vacation feeling and also the comfort
of home that keeps our regulars coming back,” Fritz said.
“We take just as good of care of the tourists that walk through
the door, but overall if you’re into Florida then it’s definitely
the place to be — a place of locals for locals.”
SERVES THE REAL DEAL
In addition to these, Conchy’s Bahamian-inspired dishes
are another reason for its popularity, as well as being one
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Belinda Bowen, Agnes Nicholson (in wheelchair) and Dianne Laing enjoy Conchy Joe’s waterfront dining.