In late 2003, Bryan Miller wandered into a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Jupiter and sat down for lunch. Tired of the local restaurant scene, Miller was on the hunt for something different. He found it at Little Moir’s Food Shack. “Little Moir’s Food Shack looks as if a raucous Key West bar had been uprooted and trucked up north,” wrote Miller—a New York Times food critic—in the newspaper’s January 11, 2004, edition. “Not only is this the coolest place I visited, but it’s also among the best.”
The article launched the then-2-year-old restaurant into nationwide fame; the local surfers’ hangout soon became one of the most sought-after dining experiences in northern Palm Beach County. “It was an unbelievable time,” says owner Michael Moir. “We had lines down the street, 100 people waiting in line. It just took off. It was really fun.”
Now—over two decades later—Moir and his business partner, Drew Shimkus, are still having fun. This month, the duo will open Sweet Fish, the latest restaurant in the growing Little Moir’s portfolio of Jupiter-based businesses, including restaurants Food Shack and Leftovers, live music venue Maxi’s Lineup, and seafood market and catering hub Hibiscus Streatery.
For Moir and Shimkus, who both started working in the restaurant business as teenagers, success is all about keeping it fun and fresh. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Moir was 14 years old when he got his first job at the Duchess of Markham restaurant as part of a school program. “I went in and met the chef. He asked me to pick up a garbage can. I picked it up about one inch off the ground, and he told me I had the job. It was a low bar,” laughs Moir. He was put to work washing dishes and peeling vegetables, and was quickly promoted to salad prep and pasta making. “I fell in love with the business,” he says. “I loved the energy, the team, and the camaraderie.”…