The Lobster Trap

Sell out for millions? No, thanks. The Hooks want to keep Boston a lobstah town.

Posted on 7/16/06  
Text Size: A | A | A
 
LOBSTERPALOOZA!
For more of our special report on New Englands favorite summertime dish, click on:

Tails of the City: One womans quest for the perfect lobster roll

Boiling Point: Find out whos taking aim at your lobster dinner.

Red Alert: Test your crustacean IQ.
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.”
Originally published in Boston magazine, July 2006
 

User Comments:

No users have posted comments on this article.
 
Boston Buzzworthy

Boston Magazine Daily

Follow Boston Magazine tweets on twitter.com/bostonmagazine
 
 

Travel Club Newsletter

Sign-up for our Travel Club email to receive special New England getaway packages.
 
 

Boston magazine Readers' Choice Awards

It's our first annual Readers' Choice Awards, presented by JetBlue, and we want to hear from you! We've selected ten categories - now it's up to you to cast a...
 
 

Great Seasonal Drinks.

Hit the town and check out some of these amazing cocktails!