Cajun shrimp, fried shrimp, steamed shrimp, stuffed shrimp, coconut shrimp…
It’s all coming to Denver with the opening of the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. slated for Sept. 23. The casual-dining restaurant chain is a spinout from the 1994 film “Forrest Gump.”
In the film, Forrest’s sidekick, Bubba, has an infatuation with the tiny crustacean and the various ways it can be prepared. Forrest and Bubba plan to go into the shrimping business following their military service. However, Bubba is killed during the Vietnam War.
“Forrest kept his commitment, and this is the result,” Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. spokesman Steve Moreau said. “We are the first and only … restaurant chain based on a motion picture.”
This will be the 20th Bubba Gump Shrimp restaurant in the United States. A Breckenridge location opened in 1998.
In addition to the shrimp dishes, fish, chicken and beef are also served.
The New Orleans shrimp- shack decor includes license plates that sit on tables to signal waitstaff. Flip to the “Stop Forrest Stop” plate to get an employee to come by the table. If no service is needed, flip to the “Run Forrest Run” plate. The drink- and-dessert menu is in the shape of a pingpong paddle.
Bubba Gump is currently hiring 210 employees, waitstaff, bartenders, hosts and culinary teams to staff the restaurant, which can seat 450 guests.
The restaurant is located at 14th and California streets, directly across from the Colorado Convention Center and Hyatt Regency Denver hotel.
“California Street has seen a dramatic restoration in the last couple of months,” said Rich Grant, spokesman for the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau. “California Street has gone from being an eyesore to one of the best streets in Denver.”
Staff writer Kimberly S. Johnson can be reached at 303-954-1088 or kjohnson@denverpost.com.
