The Lobster Trap

They say every man has his price. But they clearly never met the Hooks, who almost single-handedly have maintained Boston’s reputation as a lobster town. Open since 1925, family-owned James Hook & Co. has sold lobsters to local gastro-luminaries such as Julia Child and served as the main source for wholesalers around the country: On any given day, it sells up to 20,000 pounds of lobster, a total of more than 4 million pounds annually.

Gourmets love visiting Hook’s rustic storefront to inhale a whiff of salty air or pick up one of the 10- to 25-pounders in the display tank. But in recent years, real estate developers have been sniffing around, too. The Hook property, at the corner of Atlantic and Northern avenues, is next door to ritzy Rowes Wharf. Ever since the Big Dig began, Hook siblings Ed, James, Al, and Nancy have been receiving offers, some reportedly as high as $40 million, to turn the plot into hotels, condos, or offices. Some proposals offered to relocate the Hooks; others suggested incorporating a small retail area for the business as a living historical plaque—and, no doubt, an alluring perk for new tenants. But the family has refused to budge. “We’ve defended our position on the waterfront,” says Ed. “We’re the third generation. We can afford to stay. And I’d like to give the kids an opportunity to work here.”