Bring Mister Crab Cakes Home

Marco Island’s Mister Crab Cakes has been selling its homemade Tillman Islands, Maryland crab cakes at the Marco Island and Naples Farmers’ markets and from their storefront on Chalmer Dr. for nearly ten years, to rave reviews from customers.

Now owners Johnny Fusco and Cindy Marotta are undergoing a significant expansion of their crab cakes and catering business with a wide array of prepared homemade foods, full meals, side dishes, and desserts, all sold from their Chalmer Dr. location on the island.

“We do a lot of catering, and everybody’s really happy with our food,” Marotta said. “So, we decided to make it more of a storefront business than just a commercial kitchen.”

Included in the new homemade offerings: parmesan chicken cutlets, crab bisque, penne with vodka sauce, penne with meatballs, mashed potatoes, sausage stuffed mushrooms, pork chops, mixed vegetables, macaroni and cheese, fresh tuna salad, crab stuffed mushrooms, sausage and peppers, key lime pie and parfaits of cannoli cheesecake, pumpkin cheesecake, cherry cheesecake and almond rainbow cookies wrapped in dark chocolate, among other planned meals and items.

“We’re both 100% Italian,” Marotta said. “We really pride ourselves on our Italian dishes,” pointing out that their products include American fare as well.

Fusco said his experience in the food service industry guides his approach to their new menu options and described what sets his chicken cutlets apart.

“I’ve been a meat cutter for over 20 years,” Fusco said. “When I cut chicken cutlets for Parmesan, they’re sliced thick, so they don’t get dry or tough when reheated.”

The grab-and-go foods are well-suited to the active lifestyle of Marco residents, particularly during the holidays, Marotta said. “We serve a lot of single men and women,” she said. “They don’t necessarily want to go out to eat all the time, and it’s hard to cook for one, so they can come in here and get good, quality food.”

As the holiday season ramps up, Marotta said they’ll start offering prepared party platters, shrimp platters, scallop appetizers and the like.

Fusco and Marotta said they are continuing to add new offerings, will have their selection fully built out in the weeks ahead, and are staffing up and expanding their hours to handle the increased sales.

One interesting highlight of their new retail offerings is Old Bay Cheddar popcorn, made for Mister Crabcakes exclusively by Nav’s Popcorn and Donuts on the island. There’s also a new selection of Mister Crabcakes-branded merchandise, including hats, drink koozies, and t-shirts.

Marotta and Fusco, together for more than 15 years, rank among Marco’s busiest couples when it comes to serving the community. In addition to their expanding Mister Crab Cakes business and their established catering business, Marotta is a managing partner at The Speakeasy, and Fusco remains a popular entertainer, singing at restaurants and gatherings on the island.