STEPHANIE HERZOG

In a little oceanside town like Vero Beach, nestled within miles of some of the best fishing in the country, it seems there is another seafood vendor popping up every couple of months.

With constant promises of “the best fish around” splashed on television and the radio, it is quite understandable for the people of Vero Beach to ignore the hype completely and stick with what is tried and true.

While seafood restaurants in Vero Beach are plentiful to say the least, there have been surprisingly few resources for fresh caught fish available to buy market style. Especially with the economic downturn over past years and the close of so many businesses, Vero Beach has had precious little to offer seafood aficionados aside from chain style restaurants, grocery store fare, and weekend farmers markets.

Joey Fenyak has been a regular at the Vero Beach and Fort Pierce Farmers Markets since he moved from New York in 2002. Joey spent his childhood digging clams in Long Island, and the next thirty years selling fresh seafood at Fulton Fresh Market in New York City. A lifetime of experience in the seafood industry made Joey’s transition to the southeast Florida coast and our world-renowned seas a natural progression.

After several years working the wholesale side of the industry, Joey slowly started to consider crossing over into retail at the urging of his many weekend customers from the farmers markets. After the close of one of Vero Beach’s local fish vendors in 2009, Joey opened Joey’s Seafood Shack, a New York style fish market offering a huge assortment of fresh caught fish and shellfish, both local and Northern, six days a week.
 The market had an advantage with Joey’s existing customer base and met with immediate success.

After separating from his original associate in the business, Joey found himself in need of another partner in his ever-growing seafood market. He reached out to his longtime friend and customer Kimmy Coveny, and eventually she became his business partner as Joey’s Seafood Shack continued to evolve.

Like Joey, Kimmy grew up on the shores of Long Island learning the seafood industry with her family. Kimmy’s family owned two Italian seafood restaurants in New York and unknowingly bought their seafood from the same Fulton Fresh Market where fourteen-year-old Joey worked.

After moving to Florida, Kimmy managed Park Avenue Grill in Winter Park for nearly ten years, where she learned about artisanal wines as well as restaurant management.

Now decades later, Joey and Kimmy found themselves together again, nurturing their new enterprise with the same love and dedication they learned from their families.

As Joey’s Seafood Shack gained popularity around town, Kimmy utilized her lifetime of culinary experience and the pair introduced a bit of catering on the side, which led to the introduction of a menu and a few tables in the market for customers to enjoy a completely homemade lunch of either fresh seafood, or Kimmy’s classic Italian style dishes.

Joey’s also began offering a full To-Go menu for hungry customers on their lunch break or just in a rush. These seemingly small additions to the market sparked its transformation into the full scale restaurant it is today.

As the tables in Joey’s Seafood Shack multiplied, Joey and Kimmy acquired a large following, and even a piano in case Kimmy or one of the customers is in a musical mood. Patrons are able to choose from a homemade lunch menu of soups, boutique wines and breads, traditional Italian comfort food and, of course, a refined assortment of fresh seafood creations.

In addition to their impressive lunch service, Joey’s is now open for dinner by reservation only on Friday and Saturday evenings, with a comfortably intimate atmosphere as enjoyable as the cuisine, making Joey’s a charming location for private parties and events.

As the market turned restaurant continued to expand, Kimmy and Joey initially did all their own cooking in the first few years, and eventually incorporated a chef to work weekends when they began offering dinner.

Kimmy and Joey made a point to keep building up their business, and after years as friends and later business partners, the pair developed their friendship into romance.
 These days, Kimmy & Joey share their love for fine food, wine, music, and each other with the entire community of Vero Beach Monday through Saturday. The Joey’s Seafood Shack family welcomes customers to stop by for a relaxing meal, grab a handcrafted To Go order, or shop at the fully stocked specialty seafood market, all served with a seaside Italian flare.