When the subject of Florida Stone Crab Claws comes up, the name Bill Hershey immediately emerges. Rightly so, as he is a leading entrepreneur in this industry.

When his father, a retiring Army officer, re-located to Miami in 1967, Billy was still in high school. Soon, after graduating, he worked at Joe’s Stone Crab’s commercial fishery in Marathon. With that experience he understands how the boats catch kingfish, black grouper, wild Key West shrimp, lobster, stone crabs and seafood produced in the Keys. Later, Billy was the seafood purchaser for Joe’s and increased their wholesale business before setting out on his own 32 years ago.

Although he had a successful restaurant in Miami Springs, he sold it and opened an even more successful one in North Bay Village, Billy’s on the Bay. He sold that and retired, but only for a few months. The restaurateur said, “I started to get the itch and I had to go back in the business.” Then he opened Billy’s Stone Crab on Hollywood Beach. That was 15 years ago and today still at the same location Billy’s continues to grow and expand.

In 1977 Billy left Joe's to open his own wholesale and retail business and shortly thereafter a restaurant on the same premises.

These operations were successful immediately because of his extensive knowledge and expertise in this field, and his pionneering marketing strategy:
" All you can eat Stone Crabs"

Because of his initial restaurant success, Billy opened a second, much larger, establishment on the 79th Street Causeway, located between Miami and Miami Beach.

A few years ago, the emergence of reliable overnight carriers such as FedEx, opened the doors for Billy's next successful strategy: Fresh Stone Crab Claws, direct from the fisheries to your door, next day delivery.

Today, Billy's is recognized as a premier shipper of
Stone Crabs anywhere in the U.S