New seafood restaurant in downtown South Bend now open

SOUTH BEND, Ind.-- Many businesses were impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, leaving some to close their doors for good.

One local Michiana woman had a different idea, making her dream a reality by opening a new restaurant amidst the pandemic. The owner of a new seafood restaurant, Tera’s Tasty House of Krabz, located in downtown South Bend said opening a restaurant in the middle of a pandemic wasn’t something she was expecting to do. But, she loves to cook, and she credits her passion to her mom and sisters.

“Pandemic wise like it sucks that we’re going through it, but the Lord showed me that he had graced on my life. So, I floated to the top, and I’m here,” Tera Ellis said.

Tera’s Tasty House of Krabz opened its doors for the first time Saturday, April 24. The owner said she started cooking seafood boils in her home kitchen back in June of 2020.

“I ended up making a lot for my sister’s sons’ birthday, and she was like Tera, you need to post this,” said Ellis. “So, I posted it on Facebook, and I literally was woken up to maybe like 90 inboxes.”

And her business grew from there. But, Ellis wasn’t always cooking full time.

“I was kind of afraid because I have three children, and I have my own house and things like that,’ Ellis said. “So, but, when this took over, it took off. So, I had to resign from the school, South Bend Community School, and I strictly did crab boils, all day every day, ”Ellis said.

Ellis has come a long way from cooking crab legs at home. Now she has a place that customers can come to, and her sisters couldn’t be more proud.

“I was kind of nervous, but then I was like, Tera, you can do that. You can do it. We are behind you 100 percent. I already she had it in her, I already knew,” Teria Ellis said.

Tera said, without her support system, the seafood restaurant wouldn’t have been possible.

The restaurant is open Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from noon to 9:30 p.m. The restaurant will be open Tuesdays for private parties.