Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Douty.
Hi Matthew, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Owners Chris and Matt have known each other since grade school, growing up near the beach in New Jersey. They’ve shared many entrepreneurial endeavors over that time and ultimately found ‘home’ for the first time since leaving their hometown in Charleston. All of which culminating with their passion for seafood and curated experiences with Holy Shuckers.
Matt is a 5 time shucking champion and attributes his seafood roots to his parents who still own and operate a seafood market to this day where he started working at a young age.
Chris, meanwhile, is deeply woven into Charleston’s event scene. As the owner of a local event rental company, he’s built lasting relationships with venues, coordinators, and fellow small businesses throughout the Lowcountry. His connections and experience in event logistics and hospitality bring the behind-the-scenes expertise that ensures every Holy Shuckers event runs flawlessly.
The business truly started from these passions, their desire to create lasting memories for customers and a lack of service offerings in this space in the Lowcountry. Matt, having done raw bars from a young age, knew firsthand the joy these type of catering experiences can bring. They saw a void and wanted to bring together cultural food roots with lasting experiences.
Today, our service portfolio is expanding constantly – as we work to tailer services to meet the needs of our clients. Our offerings are only limited by the imaginations of our team and our clients.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
For the most part yes. Having experience in this space, we had a good starting point. However, there has always been room for improvement and we constantly learn new things and bring those learnings to our clients.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Holy Shuckers is Charleston’s premier mobile oyster and seafood catering experience — where Southern hospitality meets a touch of coastal showmanship. We specialize in roaming oyster shucking, raw bars, and curated seafood experiences that bring the Lowcountry to life.
Our signature offering is our Roaming Shuckers: professional oyster shuckers who mingle through events wearing custom shucking belts, serving oysters right from the shell to your guests.
We also offer fully customizable raw bars featuring oysters, shrimp cocktail, and crab claws with house-made sauces, plus caviar service for those looking to turn the experience up a notch. Raw bars are where we can get truly creative and bring a multitude of food offerings to. Our oyster roasts and Lowcountry boils have enabled us to bring a culinary balance to our services and the communal eating and experience is bar none.
What sets us apart is how we blend education, entertainment, and taste. Our offerings are experiences and we truly put that at the foreground. Yes we provide fantastically tasting food but we also bring the intangibles. Conversation, knowledge, personality. It all culminates in a lasting memory and experience.
We’re proud to represent Charleston’s seafood culture with respect for its roots and a modern twist that makes every event feel like something new.
We want readers to know that when they book Holy Shuckers, they’re not just hiring a caterer, they’re creating a moment that guests will talk about long after the last shell hits the bucket.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
The catering world is evolving fast, and we’re seeing a huge shift toward experiential dining. People don’t just want great food anymore, they want a story, a connection, and something Instagram-worthy. Over the next 5–10 years, we believe the future of catering lies in interactive, hyper-local experiences that celebrate craftsmanship, sustainability, and authenticity.
For us, that means continuing to source responsibly from small oyster farms and fisheries, highlighting regional flavor differences, and creating moments where guests can literally meet their food.
We think the biggest trend won’t just be what’s on the plate, it’ll be how it’s served and the story it tells.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.holyshuckers.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holyshuckers/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550068594589
