Sid Booker, celebrated owner of the Shrimp Corner, Stinger Lounge, and Club La Pointe, has died at 87
He dubbed himself the Colonel of Shrimp and became so popular that city officials renamed the 4600 block of North Broad Street as Sid Booker Way in 2023.
Sid Booker, 87, of Philadelphia, celebrated owner of the Shrimp Corner, Stinger Lounge, and Club La Pointe in North Philadelphia, former general manager and co-owner of the Uptown Theater, onetime local NAACP leader, political activist, and mentor, died Monday, Jan. 27, of age-associated ailments at his home.
Reared in Tacony and Holmesburg, and revered in North Philadelphia for 65 years, Mr. Booker acquired the old Hi-Line Club on the corner of Broad Street and Belfield Avenue in 1966. After a car crashed through one of its walls in the early 1980s, he renovated the triangular three-story building into the Shrimp Corner takeout window, Stinger Lounge on the ground floor, and Club La Pointe on the second and third floors.
He painted the building’s exterior hot pink, dubbed himself the Colonel of Shrimp, and sold shrimp baskets and French fries until 2 a.m. on weekdays and 4 a.m. on weekends. Cash only. Sides of fries, macaroni salad, and coleslaw are extra. Fifty cents for a cup of cocktail sauce.
It became a hit. Shrimp lovers from as far away as Norristown and Delaware routinely make the drive. It doesn’t matter there is no sidewalk seating. Lines are common.
In 2020, Inquirer food critic Craig LaBan said: “These greaseless crustaceans are so sweet and delicately crunchy, they’re best devoured right there, on the dashboard of your car.”
One competitor called his recipe a “benchmark for fried shrimp.” It became so popular that six of his butterfly fried shrimp and a side of fries sold for a menu-high $12 during Eagles games at Lincoln Financial Field in 2003. In a Daily News tasting survey, his shrimp earned an 8 out of 10 rating.
“The service is quick, and the shrimp are tasty,” an online reviewer said in January.
Earlier, from 1959 to 1979, Mr. Booker was general manager and then co-owner of the Uptown Theater on Broad Street. Naturally ambitious and energetic, he collaborated with radio DJ Georgie Woods and other music promoters, and booked emerging superstars Michael Jackson, James Brown, Diana Ross, and Gladys Knight into the Uptown.
After he sold the Uptown, he hosted parties and fundraisers at the Hi-Line, Stinger, and La Pointe for mayors from Frank Rizzo to Cherelle L. Parker. City Council President Kenyatta Johnson said in a tribute: “His bar has been a must visit location for elected officials for decades.”
He cofounded the Next Generation Community Development Corp., was a vice president of the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP, and served as international and national president of the National Licensed Beverage Association. His shrimp, political activism, and community outreach at Broad and Belfield were so impactful that city officials in 2023 renamed that 4600 block of Broad Street as Sid Booker Way.
“Sid has been a community leader and advocate for North Philadelphia,” Gov. Josh Shapiro said then, ”and I commend the generosity and commitment he has displayed for over 50 years.”
Friends said he was kind and funny, and you knew you were somebody if you scored an invite to his memorable pool parties. “It was a pleasure to be in his company,” radio personality Patty Jackson said on Instagram.
He was big on hard work and second chances. Friends called him “real and down to earth” and “a community icon” in tributes.
“If you were genuine, he would give you a chance,” said Chirron Crawford, his longtime general manager. “He was very businesslike but very approachable. He was a self-made standup guy.”
Sidney Lee Booker Jr. was born Oct. 24, 1937, into one of the first Black families in Tacony. He collected cans as a boy to earn money for his mother and left Northeast High School early after he found steady work as a maintenance man at movie theaters around town.
“He seemed to have a natural business acumen about him,” his family said in a tribute.
He lived most recently in Laverock, Montgomery County, was married and divorced three times, and had daughters Darlene, Tanya, Robin, and Latrice, and a son, Sidney Lee III.
As for the Shrimp Corner, his daughter Darlene said it will remain open and one of the longest continually operating Black-owned businesses in Philadelphia. “His legacy will continue,” Crawford said. “How can we not?”
His family said: “That was his heart and soul.” His daughter Darlene said: “He was a living legend, and he passed the torch to me.”
In addition to his children, Mr. Booker is survived by 23 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, a sister, and other relatives. Five brothers and five sisters died earlier.
Services were held Feb. 6 and 7.