COCOA BEACH, Fla. – Quinisha “Q” Bredwood took a big risk opening her restaurant, Q’s Crackin Crab & Seafood Kitchen, in Cocoa Beach right at the height of the pandemic.
“We found a building at the end of January (2020) and then we were negotiating our lease from January to February,” Bredwoood said. “And we were watching our friend who was in China as a teacher and talking about this pandemic. I was like, ‘That’s not gonna happen.’”
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Of course, it did happen. The pandemic forced the whole world to shut down and, in Bredwood’s case, kept her from opening at all.
“I was like, ‘What did we just do?’” Bredwood said. “Anthony (Bredwood’s husband) was like, ‘You know what? We got the money already spent. We negotiated four months of free rent. So let’s just watch out and look at everything, but we don’t have to open right away.’”
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Eventually, Q’s Crackin’ Crab was able to open on Fourth of July weekend 2020.
The restaurant has a prime location, nestled between Cocoa Beach Pier and Port Canaveral. The menu also offers more than just run-of-the-mill seafood.
“I call it soulful seafood because it’s like I throw in our soul food, but it’s like our still Florida-style seafood with the garlic butter and the Cajun seasoning and stuff like that,” Bredwood said.
She said the community has embraced her and her business.
“It feels weird living in the dream that you had once you know and now you’re in it. So it’s great,” Bredwood said.
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It’s a community Bredwood grew up in, having lived all over Brevard County.
“I moved a lot growing up,” she said. “So I went to three different high schools. So I have relationships at Cocoa High, Rockledge High and I graduated from Satellite (Beach) High. I know everyone.”
Having grown up in the community, Bredwood now looks to support it, especially the young people she hires as employees.
“A lot of times, they don’t have the experience and they don’t know how to deal with adversity or tough situations,” she said. “So we’re teaching them a lot. My husband played football, and so he has that structure. So we have a lot of football players that work with us. We’re coaching them a lot of time.”
Beyond supporting her young employees, Bredwood is also raising seven girls of her own as well. Her children range in age from nearly 1 year old to 19.
“I stay at home during the week with two of them. Then my 14-year-old is in high school. My 19-year-old is in college. She’s a manager at the restaurant. She works on the weekends. I stay at home during the week with the baby and my 4-year-old because we’re trying to find a new school for her,” she said.
On the latest episode of Florida Foodie, Bredwood talks more about balancing her family with her business. She also shares how her business has changed since it opened and the awards she’s received.
Please follow our Florida Foodie hosts on social media. You can find Candace Campos on Twitter and Facebook. Lisa Bell is also on Facebook and Twitter and you can check out her children’s book, “Norman the Watchful Gnome.”
Florida Foodie is a biweekly podcast from WKMG and Graham Media that takes a closer look at what we eat, how we eat it and the impact that has on us here in Florida and for everyone, everywhere. Find new episodes on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you download your favorite podcasts.