A beloved restaurant in Sanford, celebrated for its soul food, strong community bonds, and significant presence in the biker community, is set to close its doors for the last time.
Shantell’s Just Until is wrapping up operations after 13 years as owner Shantell Williams continues to recover from injuries sustained in a Bike Week accident in March.
Williams shared the news of the closure on social media, reassuring patrons that the restaurant will not disappear entirely but will re-emerge in a new form with a fresh partnership.
“It’s not the end,” Williams clarified. “It’s just the end of Shantell’s Just Until as we currently know it.”
Loyal customers gathered at the downtown Sanford location to savor what they consider their final meal at the restaurant in its current incarnation.
“It’s a bittersweet moment,” remarked Old Soul, a biker community member who preferred to use his nickname. “Shantell’s was the go-to spot on weekends. It will certainly be missed.”
Tony Smith, a Sanford resident, said the restaurant meant a lot to many in the community.
“It’s Black-owned, so it definitely meant a lot to have something of your own to show and have a community built around you,” Smith said.
Old Soul said the restaurant has long been a gathering place for bikers.
“With Shantell being a part of the biker community, we come and support her,” Old Soul said.
Williams said she made the decision to close the restaurant days before leaving the hospital this weekend. She said she wants to step back to focus on her recovery and spend more time with family.
Williams is recovering from a shattered pelvis, a broken breastbone and fractures in both arms, injuries she said she suffered when a suspected drunk driver hit her in Daytona Beach during Bike Week.
She said she will continue to be involved with the business as it transitions, but in a more limited role.
“I don’t have to be here. He has that,” Williams said of her new partner. “I can just be like Ronald McDonald and come around for charitable events.”
Friday, May 15 will be the restaurant’s last day as Shantell’s Just Until. Williams said it will reopen as “Redd’s Litt Cafe Home of Shantell’s Famous Fried Chicken.”
Williams said she still owns the property and will receive 20% of the proceeds from the new restaurant. She said some menu items customers know and love will remain and that the new concept could open as early as next month.
There will also be a “Welcome Home Party” on Saturday at the Blend & Barrel Cigar Bar, Williams revealed.
