Jim Has Fish Tanks Located in 35 Plus Cities in 8 Different Countries.

By Rudy Socha 

Houston, TX - Jim Prappas has the title of Director of Biology for Landry’s. A functional title would be Vice President of Aquarium Operations for Landry’s Restaurants. Landry’s, in addition to owning three destination public aquariums, owns and operates a number of theme seafood restaurant chains around the world. Jim has responsibility for the 35 plus facilities that contain live marine and animal displays.

Two of the public aquariums, the Downtown Aquarium Houston and Downtown Aquarium Denver are both world class facilities accredited by the AZA. These two aquariums combined have 1.5 million gallons of water with marine life on display and a combined total of just under 1 million visitors.

Jim oversees the operations at the public aquariums and works to insure that the requirements for accreditation including staff training, facility and tank maintenance, and the health and care of marine life are observed. Jim also evaluates special promotions and attractions at each facility. He also serves to coordinate the exchange of information to help his people work smarter, improve public education during visits, and increase the number of visitors 

One noticeable difference in Landry’s Downtown public aquariums is the hours of operation. Since these facilities are housing full service restaurants and entertainment venues they have evening hours to accommodate dinner guests. For weddings, public aquariums are fast becoming popular venues for both the ceremony and the reception. Landry’s public aquariums are available to meet this growing demand and can be booked for weddings, birthdays, and other special events.

In addition to education programs designed for school field trips, Landry’s aquariums have educational programs geared toward scouting troops in their geographic areas. There are plenty of fun family educational experiences as well, including family sleepovers and private behind the scenes tours.

With the restaurants, Jim’s responsibilities start months and sometimes years before the public ever gets to view Landry’s restaurant exhibit. Jim gets involved in the construction phase for new facilities. It is important that each new facility is designed to accommodate each individual tank. After all, in a public restaurant or aquarium you can not have exposed extension cord tangles scattered throughout the facility.

Once the design to accommodate the new tank is complete, the delivery schedule and bringing life into the tank becomes critical. Jim has to make sure the air is not full of drywall dust while the top of the tank is opened and the interior is built or water is added. Once an aquarium contains water, the tank’s life support system needs to be tested. The water quality levels monitored and adjusted before the fish can be added.

Problem prevention is engineered into the tank design. Landry’s tanks are designed to prevent any harm to visitors, waiters/food staff, and the fish. Electrical and life support systems are hidden, and access to the tank’s water is protected. Jim does not want people sharing their meals with what may appear to be a hungry fish.

Jim has over one hundred curators and aquarists who are responsible for the tanks, fish and birds. These employees become the protectors of the tanks and educators of the curious public. They feed the fish, monitor and adjust water quality and temperatures for the tanks, and keep them in pristine condition for viewing.

Having public aquariums in a restaurant environment presents some unique situations for Jim and his staff. Unlike major public aquariums where the majority of the employees in each facility are aquarium oriented, in a restaurant the majority of the employees are food service oriented. The primary draw for visitors is food. The tanks, fish and in a few facilities - birds become part of the ambiance supporting the restaurant’s theme.

Tank surfaces in a restaurant environment require a lot of continuous attention. From adults tapping the glass with their car keys to children touching the glass with remnants of dinner still on their hands, viewing surfaces need maintenance throughout the day.

While Jim approves purchases, he gives each on-site team autonomy to choose the fish for their tanks. They are provided with a list of fish based on the hardiness of the species and difficulty of keeping. The more experienced teams have the ability to pick more exotic and less hardy species. The public, as they travel around the country and visit different Rainforest Cafes, will not find any two tanks stocked exactly alike.

Jim was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and earned his M.S. in Biological Oceanography at Florida Tech. He currently resides in Houston, Texas with his wife Jennifer, and three sons Wyatt 7, Radek 4, and Theo 6 months.

You can find Jim’s aquariums and fish at:

Aquariums:
Denver Downtown Aquarium, Denver, CO
Downtown Aquarium, Houston, TX
Kemah, TX
Nashville, TN

Las Vegas Golden Nugget:
The Shark Tank
Charthouse Restaurant

T-Rex Restaurants
Lake Buena Vista, FL (Disney World Marketplace)
Kansas City, KS

Rainforest Cafes
Tempe, AZ
Anaheim, CA (Disneyland)
Costa Mesa, CA (South Coast Plaza)
San Francisco, CA (Fisherman’s Wharf)
Farmington, CT (Westfarms Mall)
Lake Buena Vista, FL (Disney Animal Kingdom)
Lake Buena Vista, FL (Disney World Marketplace)
Sunrise, FL (Sawgrass Mills)
Chicago, IL (Downtown)
Gurnee, IL
Schaumburg, IL (Woodfield Mall)
Burlington, MA
Auburn Hills, MI
Atlantic City, NJ
Galveston, TX
Grapevine, TX
Katy, TX (Katy Mills Mall)
San Antonio, TX (River walk)
Seattle, WA (Southcenter Mall)

Niagara Falls, Canada
Cairo, Egypt
London, England
Paris, France
Tokyo, Japan
Cancun, Mexico
Mexico City, Mexico
Istanbul, Turkey