HM Restaurant Group expands National Yucatán Shrimp Day to four Southwest Florida restaurants

The National Yucatán Shrimp Day celebration is expanding in 2026, with HM Restaurant Group bringing the May 24 festivities to four Southwest Florida restaurants. In addition to Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille on Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach, this year’s event includes Dixie Fish Company and Bonita Fish Company. Festivities include YETI cooler giveaways at each restaurant, a chef-driven “one-bite” tasting competition along Fisherman’s Wharf on Fort Myers Beach and a 7K race on Sanibel.

Honoring the restaurants’ signature Yucatán shrimp – heralded by The New York Times’ ‘Cooking’ column as a “vacation on a plate” – the national holiday originated in 2020 by parent company HM Restaurant Group and is celebrated annually every May 24.

“We created National Yucatán Shrimp Day to celebrate the dish that has long defined our brand, and it’s grown into something much bigger,” said Joe Harrity, a partner with HM Restaurant Group. “Each year, we’ve expanded the experience and now it’s become a signature event that brings our restaurants and the community together.”

Doc Ford’s on Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach and Dixie Fish Company and Bonita Fish Company, both on Fort Myers Beach, are jump-starting the holiday. Beginning May 1, customers who purchase a Yucatán menu item or a bottle of Gloria’s Yucatán sauce will be entered for a 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.

Fisherman’s Wharf on Fort Myers Beach will serve as the hub of a waterfront block party along Matanzas Pass, highlighted by a chef-driven “one-bite” tasting competition. A dedicated event tent will be set up in front of Doc’s House, between Dixie Fish Company and Bonita Fish Company, where chefs from Doc Ford’s, Dixie Fish Company and Bonita Fish Company will each present an original Yucatán shrimp-inspired dish. Guests can visit the tent to sample each bite and vote for their favorite. The competition will take place on Sunday, May 24, from 2 to 5 p.m., and is free and open to the public. Each vote also enters guests into a raffle to win a YETI cooler.    

“We’re excited to see what our chefs prepare; they’re all very talented,” said Harrity. “The winner could become the newest Yucatán item on our menu.”

Yucatán shrimp, Doc Ford’s most popular 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. The Yucatán flavor profile also appears in baked oysters, shrimp tacos and a bloody Mary.

Doc Ford’s on Sanibel is hosting its second annual 7K race at 7 a.m., Saturday, May 23. The 7K format was inspired by the seven ingredients in the sauce. Last year’s inaugural event attracted 350 runners and walkers and raised $7,500 for the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation’s Sea School, an immersive environmental camp for high school students. This year’s goal is to raise $10,000 for the nonprofit J.N. “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society.

Registration and donations are available at runsignup.com/docfordsnationalyucatanshrimpday7k.

Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille two St. Petersburg locations are also celebrating National Yucatán Shrimp Day.

Philanthropy and community outreach are engrained in the company philosophy of HM Restaurant Group, a 2025 Gulfshore Business Best Places to Work. A dollar from specialty cocktail sales at the group’s restaurants raises money for children’s hospitals and water quality issues. HM Restaurant Group also supports local grassroots nonprofits dedicated to conservation, community, education and the environment.

Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille is the title sponsor of the “Ding” Darling Doc Ford’s Tarpon Tournament. Founded in 2012, the competition has raised over $1.57 million for conservation and water-quality research at Sanibel’s J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge. The 14th annual tourney is May 15, 2026.

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 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 nation’s No. 1 Best of the Best Restaurants for Everyday Eats in 2023.

Recognized as a 2023 Yelp Top 100 Florida Restaurant and ranked Tripadvisor’s No. 1 in the Fort Myers area, Dixie Fish Company is revered for delicious fresh seafood in an ideal location. Its beach ambiance is complemented by live music and picturesque waterfront views of Matanzas Pass. An original Florida fish house, the restaurant’s origins date back to 1937 when it was a fish market.

The newest addition to the HM Restaurant Group family, Bonita Fish Company on Fort Myers Beach offers fresh Gulf seafood, casual bites and cold drinks. Featuring daily live entertainment, a central bar, breathtaking sunsets views and dockside dining along Matanzas Pass, the restaurant serves brunch Friday through Sunday from a century-old former fish-packing house and offers Bayside Private Events, an indoor-outdoor waterfront event venue.

Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille, Dixie Fish Company and Bonita Fish Company are open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.