Doc Ford’s commemorates 20th anniversary
Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille is celebrating 20 years of business — a milestone marked by growth and an ongoing commitment to the community.
It marked the occasion at its flagship Sanibel restaurant with live music, complimentary drinks and passed appetizers. Over 500 people gathered to celebrate with Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille.
“It has been a privilege and honor to serve our community over the past 20 years,” HM Restaurant Group partner Joe Harrity, the parent company of Doc Ford’s and the Dixie Fish Company, said. “Doc Ford’s is about connecting people with great food, delivering exceptional hospitality and creating wonderful experiences for our guests.”
Award-winning Doc Ford’s offers food with a unique balance of flavors inspired by the Caribbean Rim. Known by locals and visitors alike, the seafood restaurant serves up its signature Yucatan shrimp daily. It has continuously been top-ranked on Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Restaurants for Everyday Eats list over the years.
The original Doc Ford’s on Sanibel opened in 2003 on Rabbit Road and was inspired by a character in Randy Wayne White’s novels, Doc Ford. After 13 years at the location,it relocated to a brand-new restaurant on Island Inn Road in 2016. The new location increased the size of the kitchen and outdoor dining spaces and offered a more central location on the island.
Since 2003, Doc Ford’s has expanded to three more locations and now employes more than 400 team members. Its Fort Myers Beach location opened in 2009, the St. Pete Pier location opened its doors in 2020, and Jungle Terrace St. Pete opened late 2022.
“Celebrating this anniversary is especially noteworthy for us, just over a year after Hurricane Ian,” Harrity said. “We’ve spent the last year rebuilding and reopening the Southwest Florida Doc Ford’s locations, and we’re extremely grateful to the community for their ongoing support and patronage.”
Community support and involvement has been a hallmark of Doc Ford’s from the beginning. It is an avid supporter of numerous island causes, including F.I.S.H. of Sanibel-Captiva, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation and Sanibel CARES. In 2012, it created the “Ding” Darling Doc Ford’s Tarpon Tournament to raise money for the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge’s conservation efforts. Since its inception, it has help raised nearly $1.2 million.
Over the years, as more locations were added, its philanthropic reach widened. In recent years, the restaurant has donated $1 for each local specialty drink ordered to support the Golisano Children’s Hospital. In 2020, it began donating $1 for each specialty drink ordered at its St. Pete locations to the John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. In total, it has raised $123,084 for both hospitals.