From the U.S. Coast Guard to Serving Coastal Flavors: How My Wife and I Went From Veterans to Shuckin’ Shack Franchisees

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The only thing that could make serving in the military and becoming a business owner better? Doing it with your best friend.

By Will Willis, U.S. Coast Guard Veteran and Shuckin’ Shack franchisee

When it comes to trying new opportunities and switching careers, it can be nerve-wracking, to say the least. Going from a Coast Guardsman and insurance salesman to a business owner was a big change. Fortunately, I was able to do so with my wife right beside me. That has meant everything.

I grew up in Carteret County, North Carolina and after graduating high school, I realized that professional opportunities in the area were slim. I happened to be driving by the Coast Guard Recruiting Station in Morehead City one morning and decided then and there that I would join.

From there, I was assigned to a construction tender in Charleston, South Carolina as a Seaman. The Cook aboard the tender was outstanding; SS2 Andy Thompson always prepared excellent meals for the crew. In order for a Coast Guard cook to take a vacation at an independent duty station, a replacement is needed to take his place. I volunteered to take on his job for a week and realized how much I enjoyed cooking. Soon after, I put in a request for culinary school.

I worked first in Coast Guard Base Sand Island in Honolulu, Hawaii, where I met my soon-to-become lifelong friend, Shawn Futrell of Swansboro, North Carolina. He would later introduce me to my wife, Kathryn. We always joked that we would name our first kid after him. Five years later, we did.

Will and Kathryn.

I continued to be a cook in the Coast Guard for the next 18 years until I retired in 2013. My father had also reached a point where he was ready to retire, so I began planning my next move. It was in 2015 that I ran across the franchise opportunity with Shuckin’ Shack. Without Kat’s support, I may not have had the courage to pursue a long-standing dream of mine: to have my own restaurant.

Besides the exceptional seafood, Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar was the perfect fit for Kat and I because of the skills I had built during my time in the foodservice industry. While I was only preparing about three meals a day during my time as a cook in the Coast Guard, I learned how to run an efficient kitchen and keep an organized schedule, which are invaluable skills that I use to keep my Shuckin’ Shack business running smoothly. Kat and I are happy to provide a restaurant to our community that serves nothing but the freshest seafood, year-round.

My son, Shawn, is now working at our Shuckin’ Shack in Morehead City, North Carolina. We’re so thankful to have made this new career endeavor one that’s revolved around family.

Will Willis served in the Coast Guard for 26 years and Kat Willis served in the Coast Guard for four years. Will and Kat opened the doors to their Shuckin’ Shack located in Morehead City, North Carolina in 2016. Learn more about Shuckin’ Shack here. 

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