Amidst their courage and dedication throughout the pandemic, the owner of the award-winning Chelle’s Seafood Kitchen, Michelle Pepping announced that they will be ceasing their business operations according to a CultureMap Dallas article from May 27. They say, 

 

“Pepping, who was a nominee for Best Chef in Dallas at CultureMap’s 2022 annual Tastemaker Awards, said that the closure was due to all of the challenges faced in the aftermath of the pandemic.

 

“With the desire to focus on my other business ventures and in conjunction with all of the challenges presented by COVID, inflation, and staffing issues that have plagued virtually all small businesses, I’ve been recently approached with an opportunity that I simply cannot pass on,” Pepping said. “As such, Chelle’s will serve its last meals (for the time being) this weekend.”

 

Pepping said she had been approached by a buyer who wanted to come in, and selling proved to be “the best business decision.”

 

Pepping expressed her gratitude, stating, “I want to personally thank all of our customers for your support and patronage and, of course, my staff for your loyalty and dedication,” she said. “While the future for Chelle’s remains unclear, what is certain is that is not a goodbye. There are plans in the works for the next iteration of Chelle’s, and I invite you all to stay tuned.”

 

Chelle’s Seafood Kitchen primarily specialized in seafood which many people grew to love and they will surely miss including many specialities according to a Dallas Observer article which reports,

 

“For starters at Chelle’s, try the chick-arrones ($8.99), which are not the chicharrones you’ll find at your local gas station or supermarket. These are highly addictive tender chunks of chicken with crispy fried skin served with a sriracha sauce

 

The Firecracker Shrimp ($10.99) is similar to what you would find at your local Chinese restaurant with a sweet chili sauce — that is, until you dip it in Chelle’s special (and secret) Asian sauce, which gives the crispy wonton-wrapped shrimp an unexpected kick. The sauce alone is worth another order of shrimp.

 

Chelle’s Asian-dressed oysters, available by the half or full dozen, are topped with Thai chili peppers and a fish sauce vinaigrette. Chargrilled and Rockefeller oysters are equally as divine. The oysters are cooked to perfection and come loaded with their respective toppings along with slices of bread for dipping into the savory sauces.

 

Don’t miss out on the East Coast boil options here either. An order comes with head-on boiled shrimp, snow crab legs, blue crab, clams, mussels and lobster. Try the garlic butter to go with, or Chelle’s own house-made seafood sauce. Corn, potatoes and sausage can be added to any order.”

 

The last day of the restaurant will be on May 29 but this will not be the end of Pepping’s adventure in restaurants since Okaeri Cafe is still open. She also encouraged people to try and support local restaurants as these restaurants need them more than ever.