Customer Spotlight: Coco Shrimp

It all started with lunch.

Around mid-2017 our, VP, Ryan, discovered a food truck around the corner from our old shop in North Fort Worth. Coco Shrimp looked like it had driven straight to Fort Worth from The North Shore in Hawaii and radiated Aloha. Turns out, that was the story.

The Story

Owners Jordan Barrus, originally from San Clemente, CA, and Isaac Hadley of Fort Worth, met on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, in 2009. While attending school, they worked as morning shrimp preppers for one of the most popular shrimp shacks on the island. It was a rough job. Monotonous. But by enlisting friends’ help to get the job done faster and gain a little surf time before class, they began to hone a craft.

Jordan says, ‘That’s where the idea sparked. Daydreaming while flinging shrimp shells in the trash at 4:00 in the morning, we would talk about business ideas and how we were going to make our millions.’ They joked about bringing the Hawaiian shrimp shack idea to the mainland on and off but didn’t give it too much thought until they graduated. After finishing school at BYU in Hawaii and getting office jobs, they decided early that corporate life was not for them. That’s when Jordan and Isaac committed to the shrimp shack idea and bringing it back to God’s own, Fort Worth, Texas. They bought an old 70’s ambulance and spent everything they had, turning it into a food truck. Crossing their fingers, Coco Shrimp opened up shop in February of 2016. Fast forward to 2020, and now they have a brick and mortar location (318 Bryan Ave. Fort Worth TX) right around the corner from Printed Threads new shop here, in downtown.

These guys are definitely cool.

So what was it back in 2017 that caught Printed Threads’ attention and made us want to approach them about printing merch? It wasn’t just the savory coconut shrimp they aptly named themselves after(although that did have a lot to do with it). It was their vibe and culture, something we wanted to help spread the word about.

Jordan tells us, ‘We aim for laid back, Hawaiian vibes at our restaurants. We want our customers to feel the Hawaiian vibes as soon as they walk through the doors. We try and “Spread the Aloha” with every customer that walks through our doors.’ While Printed Threads isn’t necessarily instilling North Shore style (although we do throw some shakas), we share that belief of culture and style with Coco Shrimp. As a customer, you need to feel like you showed up in the right place for what you want and feel good about it. Beyond taking care of clients, we noticed how they treat their team. When we asked Jordan what he likes best about his job, he says, ‘The employees. We have built a team of great people that are as dedicated, if not more dedicated than we are to Coco Shrimp. They’re always happy and excited about work, and it keeps the job fun.’ Coco Shrimp works with various youth groups and business classes outside the kitchen to talk about entrepreneurship and get stoked thinking outside the box.

Jordan and Isaac’s ultimate goal is to keep building a fantastic team to run the restaurants and eventually make it back to Hawaii with their families. In his own words, ‘Our dream is to help others support their families and live out their dreams with careers at Coco Shrimp. We hire smarter, more capable employees to run day-to-day operations and eventually get back out to Hawaii with our families while Coco Shrimp grows and operates on the mainland.’

Coco Shrimp works in comfort and style.

We can’t close out this spotlight without asking Jordan what his favorite shirt is. “Next Level Apparel Cotton/Poly shirts screen printed by hand at Printed Threads! They’re the most comfortable shirt out there, in my opinion. They’ve ruined all other shirts for me.” We’d say that’s a great answer, Jordan!

It’s always a special feeling when a business you have the privilege of serving feels like an extension of your own shop’s family and core values. Check out Coco Shrimp here in the SOMA District of Fort Worth or at their food truck just north of downtown. You can find us there Spreading the Aloha!!

Learn more about how Printed Threads can help your business or clothing line by reaching out to us today.