Seafood market being replaced in Port Royal

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seafood market being replaced in port royal

The building that housed CJ Seafood Express in Port Royal since 2006 has been torn down and plans are to replace the building this week and reopen by Friday.

The popular local market next to Alvin Ord’s on Ribaut Road was torn down on Sunday by owner Craig Reaves, who said that the open-air building was aging and in disrepair.

The new building was delivered on Monday and should be open before the weekend arrives, Reaves said.

“We’re getting ready for the spring. The new shrimping season will be coming soon and we’ll be ready for it.”

Plans are to bring in another building, a mobile shed, that will serve the businessas it continues to be an open-air seafood market.

“Folks love to get their fresh local seafood from small markets like CJ Seafood Express because they know what they’re getting,” Reaves said.

The spot is marked by a roadside sign and white model shrimp boat tucked in the grass at the foot of it.

Reaves took video as he pulled down the old building with a chain and his own pickup truck on Sunday.

seafood market being replaced in port royal
CJ Seafood was torn down on Sunday and will be reopening this week. Photos courtesy Craig Reaves

The awning will go back on the new building after it’s in place and the market will go back to selling shrimp, crabs, oysters and other local Beaufort seafood offered by the Reaves family’s Sea Eagle Market.

“Tony does a good job and people love him,” Reaves said. “We’ve been in that spot since 2006 and Tony has been with us there since the beginning. Hopefully this will serve as a nice upgrade for him, from the old 1960s building, and will also create a new vibe for our customers,” he added.

“It’s time to get a new look.”

Here’s some video of the demo from Sunday. Doing it the old-fashioned way.