Page 28 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2016

PEOPLE for a good cause
story by Kelsey Sunderman photos courtesy of Ron Ladner
Shaggy’s owners believe charity begins at home
LEFT: ADELYNN COVINGTON catches her rst sh. MIDDLE: Rimmer, Taylor, Laura, Ron on the Cheeseburger. RIGHT: Rimmer and Ron enjoy a great day of shing aboard the Cheeseburger.
ake a cruise down the coast of South Mississippi, and you’re sure to stumble upon one of the three waterfront locations of Shaggy’s restaurant. Known for their creative coastal cuisine and relaxed vacation atmosphere, Shaggy’s and its iconic red exterior have
become a staple of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The first Shaggy’s Harbor Bar & Grill opened its doors nine years ago in Pass Christian, or ‘The Pass’ as locals refer to it. The story of its beginnings is truly inspirational, as are the many amazing stories of how Shaggy’s has given back to the Gulf Coast community.
In June of 2005, Shaggy’s Founder, Ron Ladner, found himself at the Bait Shop located in Pass Harbor where he was fueling his boat. The owner of the shop recognized
Ladner as a local real estate developer in Pass Christian, and mentioned to him that the Bait Shop was for sale. “I immediately thought about how cool it would be to expand the place, add a kitchen and serve fresh seafood, burgers, cocktails, and cold beer — Key West style,” said Ladner.
After six years of traveling between Pass Christian and Atlanta due to his career in the software business, Ladner returned to his roots to start the next chapter of his life. “I was really interested in launching a new career developing small real estate projects, but definitely wasn’t interested in getting into the restaurant business,” Ladner said, “but the whole idea of redeveloping a building in the harbor seemed pretty cool, so I decided to pursue the ‘Bait Shop’ project.
Just two months after his decision to take on the project, tragedy struck the Coast. “On August 29, 2005, Hurricane
28 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • July 2016
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