In a recent video posted to the Instagram account @crabnclaw, Andrew Min, FOX ’18, can be seen dabbing, dancing with crab legs and just gregariously celebrating that his business, Crab & Claw Seafood Inc., had just reached 100,000 social media followers. 

While the video is intended to be celebratory, it is also a benchmark and illustration of just how far Min—and Crab & Claw, at 7801 Ogontz Ave. in Philadelphia—has come. When Min took over the business in January of 2021, it was already the largest seafood retail business in Philadelphia. However, under Min, Crab & Claw’s revenue has grown by more than 50%, something he attributes significantly to the company’s ever-expanding social media presence. 

“As far as social media goes, there was never this goal to reach 100,000 followers. I was really grateful even when we hit 5,000 and 10,000 followers, but it just snowballed from there. We noticed that people were really taking an interest in our business, and human nature is that once you hit 20,000 followers, you want to reach 30,000 and then 50,000 and so on,” Min said.  

Becoming a social media influencer may be one of the more unexpected results that has come for Min since taking over the business. Some of his other responsibilities are a bit less glamourous. For instance, on any given day, he can be found literally separating hundreds of bushels of crabs to make sure that they are ready to be purchased by customers. 

All in all, it’s a far cry from what Min, who graduated from Temple University’s Fox School of Business in 2018 with a degree in management information systems, expected of himself, but now, he would not have it any other way. A second-generation owner, Min is carrying on the legacy of his father Nam Hee Min, a Korean immigrant who opened Crab & Claw in 2007.   

Answering the call 

It was in January 2021 when Min received the fateful news.  

“This was when we were still in the COVID-19 pandemic, and my father, unfortunately, passed away as a result of the virus,” Min recalled. “It was just a very difficult and stressful time. There was a lot to process, and beyond grieving, we then had to work through handling my father’s estate. It was just a lot.” 

It also came at a time when Min was beginning to rise through the early stages of his career. 

“This was during my corporate career, and I had been at KPMG, one of the ‘Big Four’ accounting firms, for one and a half years and was on the path to becoming a senior associate,” Min said. “I was really enjoying the corporate lifestyle, and I was having success, too. I was really scared about potentially leaving corporate America forever and taking over this family business because if I went down this path of entrepreneurship and it did not work out, would I be able to go back five years later?” 

Min’s decision was further clouded by the fact that he was not overly familiar with the operations at Crab & Claw. While he worked there part time in high school and during college, he was not involved with the business beyond that. 

“Eventually, I just decided I’m going to do this and I’m going to do it well. In honor of my father’s legacy for building this business, I wanted to take it over and not just be complacent with how it is, I wanted to revamp it and make it bigger and better than ever before to honor him,” Min said. 

So far, that mission has been accomplished. As previously noted, revenue and profits at the business have risen significantly, and Crab & Claw is seen as one the quintessential seafood establishments in the region. Folks come from near and far to enjoy the restaurant, and this was arguably most evident during the recent Fourth of July, when Crab & Claw sold a record 120 bushels of crabs in one week. The business’ success was recently recognized by Business Rate, which named it the No. 1 seafood restaurant in Philadelphia for 2025. 

Continuous improvement 

While social media has helped put a spotlight on Min’s business, it also has forced him to raise his game regarding every other aspect of the business. More eyes are on the business than ever before, meaning he must deliver. 

Min is always looking to improve, and as he has grown as a business owner, he has continued to invest in a high-quality product. He also has started to further invest in his people. 

“Finding good people is very hard and it costs a lot more money, too, but I have found that it’s an investment because if you find the right high-quality people that are compensated well and are proud to work here, then they come here giving 100% and the customers are a lot more pleased, too,” Min said. “It just creates this upward cycle movement in the business, and I have found that it even inspires me as the business owner." 

As the business continues to grow, he will continue investing in his people. 

“I’m all about just team building. I don’t want a high turnover for low labor costs. I want people who are going to stick with it for a long time and continue to keep getting raises as we grow the business,” Min said. “My social media gets a lot of coverage, but this has really been a team effort. And that is what I want it to continue to be. I want this to be a beautiful journey for all who work at Crab & Claw.” 

Prior to taking over as owner of Crab & Claw, Andrew Min was using the skills he learned at Temple's Fox School of Business to pursue a career at KPMG. (Photography by Joseph V. Labolito)

Reflecting on Temple and what’s next 

During a recent visit back to Temple, Min stopped by Alter Hall, the building where the Fox School of Business resides. While there, he passes by a framed photo of himself as an undergraduate in which he touts his experience as an intern. 

“Wow, I wondered if that was still here,” Min said as he paused to stare at the photo. 

For Min, the photo is a reflection of what could have been, but it is also a reminder of how far he has come. His career trajectory has been unconventional, as he is no longer working his way up the ranks at one of America’s top accounting firms. However, the Fox School prides itself on preparing business leaders, professionals and entrepreneurs for successful careers, and by every measurable metric, that is what Min has accomplished. 

“There is so much that I learned at Temple that I still take with me every day,” he said. “Because what is business without people? Business is all about people, whether it’s through consumers, whether it’s people that work for you or work with you. Everything I learned here—accounting, finance and statistics—those all play a big role in how I run this business every single day.” 

While Min does not have a specific new goal in mind for Crab & Claw, whether it be from a business growth or social media standpoint, he knows he has already accomplished his most important goal, which is building a legacy his father would be proud of. 

“During the Fourth of July, people lined up from out of town to come here, and I think he would be very proud of that,” Min said. “And that’s just kind of one of my motivating factors to just keep going. I hope, one day when we meet again, he will say, ‘You did well.’”