Fifi Bell Clanton and Gwendolyn Niles left careers working with the likes of Sean (Diddy) Combs, Alicia Keys and Wyclef Jean to open The Crabby Shack on Franklin Ave. in Crown Heights
It was incredibly un-shellfish.
Two moms from Fort Greene gave up wildly successful careers working with A-listers to help fellow Brooklynites share in their passion for crustaceans.
Fifi Bell Clanton and Gwendolyn Niles made major career moves to become co-owners of The Crabby Shack, a homey seafood eatery that’s gained a steady following among seafoodies since it opened last summer.
“Both of us were tired of our industries and wanted to do something different,” said Niles, 45, a longtime record company exec who guided the likes of Sean (Diddy) Combs, the Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans and Janelle Monae during 20 years in artists and repertoire at Bad Boy Entertainment.
“There is so much love for lobster in the Northeast and our goal is to bring crab here, which is a staple of people from Philly to New Orleans,” she added. “The idea was to do a small crab-focused takeout restaurant that felt like you were transported to a seaside destination.”
It was Bell, 40, a fashion stylist from Philadelphia whose previous clients include Alicia Keys, Jackie Evancho, The Cheetah Girls and Wyclef Jean, who came up with the idea to pursue the passion project in 2012.
“Fifi came to me with the idea and I jumped on (it) not too long after,” Niles said. “I called her late one night after work and asked her if she was serious and she said, ‘absolutely.’”
The proprietors, who are both married with children, used crowdfunding to help them launch the eatery in Crown Heights, a neighborhood for which they also share a fondness.
“My first apartment was in Crown Heights, in 1994,” Niles said. “Fifi came to Brooklyn a few years after that from Philadelphia. There is an artsy raw grittiness to the neighborhood.”
The Crabby Shack is located at 613 Franklin Ave., in an evolving area that’s bursting out of its shell
“We have been fortunate to have returning customers along with our regulars,” Niles said. “Since the Brooklyn Flea has opened, foot traffic has increased along Franklin Avenue, which in turn has helped us introduce new customers to The Crabby Shack.”
In this corner of the city, that’s claws for celebration.