MONTEREY >> The Monterey County Hospitality Association awarded the 2024 Hospitality Professional of the Year to Sabu “Jr.” Shake at the association’s annual awards gala event earlier this month.

“I am incredibly honored to have received the Hospitality Professional of the Year Award from my peers at the highly respected Monterey County Hospitality Association,” said Shake in a press release. “I am so grateful for the opportunity to contribute to our vibrant hospitality community in Monterey County and I remain deeply committed to delivering exceptional experiences for visitors and locals alike.”

Shake was born and raised in Monterey, the fourth son of Isabella Shake and the late Sabu Shake, Sr. He attended Monterey and Carmel schools and was a graduate of Monterey High School, class of 1978.

Shake began working in the kitchen at the family restaurant, Old Fisherman’s Grotto on Monterey’s Fisherman’s Wharf, at 14 alongside his father and brothers. He worked his way up to maitre’d, cashier, manager and learned all aspects of the restaurant business, marketing, financial management and is currently the chief financial officer of the Restaurant Pacific Group, Fish Hopper Monterey and Fish Hopper Kona, Hawaii.

Growing up in the family business, Shake has accumulated more than 50 years of experience in the hospitality industry.

In 1995, Shake and his brother Chris opened The Fish Hopper restaurant on the Cannery Row and on the heels of its success, in 2006 they purchased an oceanfront property in Kona, Hawaii, opening another Fish Hopper restaurant there, along with other commercial and rental properties. In November, Restaurant Business Magazine ranked Fish Hopper number 85 of the top 100 independent restaurants in the nation in revenue.

In 2007, he organized “Sabu’s Safari” a dinner and live auction event to raise additional funds to benefit The Salvation Army — Monterey Peninsula Corps in conjunction with the annual Christmas fundraiser done in memory of Sabu Shake Sr. The annual event has raised more than $7 million since its inception and as a result of the efforts by him and his brother Chris, the Salvation Army renamed its Sand City Good Samaritan Center the Sabu Shake Sr. Good Samaritan Center. The city of Sand City further honored the family by renaming the street where the Center is located, Shake Avenue.

In 2012, Shake initiated a Salvation Army Turkey Drive Challenge, reaching out to friends, business colleagues and vendors for donations to purchase turkeys or hams for people in need during the holidays. Now an annual event, the “Turkey Drive” provides the funds to purchase nearly 2,000 turkeys and hams each year. To date, $400,000 has been raised.

Shake has also hosted an annual Holiday Toy Drive at his home that has generated thousands of toys for families and children during Christmas and has volunteered to provide and organize food and beverages for firefighters and crews working wildfires when they strike in the area.

In 2014, Shake initiated and hosted the first Red Kettle Kickoff for The Salvation Army at the Fish Hopper Restaurant in Kona, which continues to this day bringing in necessary funds to benefit the Kona homeless community.

During the COVID pandemic when businesses were ordered to close, Shake along with his brother Chris were concerned about their employees’ health and financial welfare and decided to feed their employees and their family one meal each day along with groceries throughout the entire time the restaurants were closed. In addition, they fed the waterfront homeless community, as well as those who reside in the transitional housing units at The Salvation Army.

In 2023, Shake along with his brother Chris became Co-Chairs of The Salvation Army’s annual Red Kettle Kickoff held at the Inn at Spanish Bay raising over $220,000 last year.

Shake is a current member of of the Compari Club, the Paisano Club, the Sheriff’s Advisory Council, and a past member of the Chaines des Rotisseurs, past Board Member of the Boys & Girls Club, the California Restaurant Association, the Monterey Commercial Properties Association and Fisherman’s Wharf Association.

He was awarded the M. Temple Elliott Award from The Salvation Army — Monterey Peninsula Corps and The Others Award — the highest national award given to a civilian by The Salvation Army. In 2015, the Paisano Club named Shake the “Paisano of the Year” and he was also inducted into the Junior Achievement Hall of Fame and the Italian Heritage Society.

Shake has served as a volunteer in many local fundraisers and charitable events along with supporting, through the Fish Hopper Restaurants in Monterey and Kona, Hawaii, to more than 300 non-profits each year, as well as charities and events by donations, sponsorships and financial support that directly benefit the homeless community.

Shabu Shake’s brothers include Benji, Chris, Angelo, Tene, and his late brother David.