A Macon seafood restaurant is under new ownership — but don’t expect any changes

The founder of a legendary Macon restaurant has sold it to a local restaurant group.

But while the owners may have changed, they say Jim Shaw’s Seafood Grill won’t, and intend to maintain the three-decade tradition of great food and quality service.

Jim Shaw’s was sold over the Fourth of July holiday to the restaurant group that owns Downtown Grill, Miramar, Brasserie Circa and Grits Cafe, another recently acquired restaurant.

Chris Barroso, born and raised in Macon, was tabbed as the new general manager. Barroso has been a bartender at Miramar for the last year. He’s cooked and tended bar at various local restaurants, including The Tic Toc Room and Bearfoot Tavern.

Barroso said he grew up going to Jim Shaw’s and has a tremendous amount of respect for the legacy “Skipper” Zimmerman, the man who started the restaurant in 1987, has built.

“The people that come here are lifetime regulars. People love this place and have been coming forever,” Barroso said. “For me to be able to tell my friends and family that I am the general manager is a satisfying weight on my shoulders. This place will be taken really good care of. It is a Macon native running it and Macon natives owning it.”

The ownership group is headed by a trio of Macon businessmen: Brian Adams, Ryan Griffin and Richie Jones. The three have built an impressive portfolio of restaurants but most, like Piedmont, Miramar and Jag’s, are relatively new compared to Jim Shaw’s.

The addition of the iconic seafood restaurant is one they are excited about; they have no plans of changing how things have been done for the past 34 years.

“Our goal from day one was not to change anything. The main thing is this is going to be the same Jim Shaw’s that they come to every week,” Barroso said. “The fish will be just as good. The employees cooking the food will be just as good. The serving staff and bartenders that they have been coming to for years will be the same.”

Side-by-side with Skipper

Skipper has been working alongside Barroso and the new owners to help make the transition as seamless as possible. He had been looking to retire and the right opportunity came along for him and the new group of owners. Barroso said stepping into Skipper’s shoes were the biggest he has ever had to fill in his life but believes that they have what it takes to keep Jim Shaw’s thriving.

“That man took care of this place like it was his baby, and trying to cover all of the roles that he filled is almost impossible,” Barroso said. “I am learning slowly. Skipper has been an extreme asset to us since we opened. He has been doing everything he can to make sure I am on point, make sure that the servers, kitchen and customers are happy. We could not have done any of this without him.”

For those who have never tried Jim Shaw’s before, the restaurant specializes in fried catfish, fried shrimp but Barroso said a crowd favorite is the alligator which is served blackened, fried or grilled.

The catfish and shrimp will continue to come from the same providers as Skipper makes his trip in his refrigerator truck, a small side business, to bring these back for the restaurant.

This is one of the many ways that Barroso and his team are dedicated to bringing the same consistent product and service that has kept this staple at the top of Macon’s food destination for so long.

“We know and appreciate what Skipper has done the last 35 years and we going to do everything in our power to maintain that level of quality and customer service that his team has offered to Macon,” Barroso said. ‘We are going to do everything we can to keep the same Jim Shaw’s they are used to.”

This story was originally published July 28, 2021 at 12:12 PM.