Just after noon on August 10, The Lobster Pound, a fixture at Manomet point since 1963, reopened its doors for the first time since 2023.
Owned and operated by the Collins family for 60 years, a family illness forced the 2023 closure.
Two young local entrepreneurs, Tim Mahoney, 34, and Ryan Belval, 27, are the new operators. Mahoney hails from Duxbury, and Belval from Needham. Both are veterans of Duxbury’s Island Creek Oysters. Mahoney was the first manager of the Island Creek Raw Bar and Belval was shucking oysters when they met. When Mahoney left, Belval became the manager of the Raw Bar, where he still works. The two became friends and often talked about opening some kind of business together.
Several months ago, Belval, who now lives just a few doors down from The Lobster Pound, approached Tom Collins, son of the founder Francis (Frank) Collins, Sr., about how they might reopen the popular establishment. The Collins family still owns the building and the adjacent property on the northerly side of Manomet Point Road. The family, says Mahoney, was very receptive and cooperative, and are leasing the building to Belval and Mahoney on a year-to-year basis for now.
The plan is to stay open seven days a week through mid to late October and then adjust store hours based on business. For now, the restaurant at 252 Manomet Point Rd. will open at noon on weekdays, 11 a.m. on weekends and stay open until 8 p.m. seven days a week.
The picnic tables at the point now sport colorful umbrellas and offer expansive, stunning views of the bay all the way from Sandwich to Provincetown and north to Duxbury. There are three designated parking spaces for pick up, and lobster pots are strategically placed at the edge of the bluff to discourage people from wandering too close to the edge. If you bring toddlers here, keep a watchful eye.
Michael Brown of Onset, the very first customer, is the owner of Maritime Physical Therapy in Manomet.
“When I first heard the buzz, some of my patients were saying it was going to reopen, I didn’t believe it,” said Brown as he waited for his lobster rolls at the pick-up spot around back. When they came, the first bite did not disappoint.
Various Plymouth-related social media sites, such as the White Horse Beach Appreciation page, were alive with excitement about the reopening as well.
“Love this!” said one comment.
“So exciting! Can’t wait to walk back in!” said another. “Wonderful.”
“Thank you for keeping this gem alive,” was another.
A couple of people wandered in asking if fresh fish was for sale. Mahoney explained they’ll be specializing only in fresh lobster and shellfish. The full take away menu is still a work in progress but will be simple: lobster rolls, of course, crab rolls, hot dogs, shucked oysters, clam chowder, and lobster bisque will be staples. An ice cream window features offerings from Cape Cod Dairy in Hyannis.
The Lobster Pound was founded by Frank Collins and Bill Callahan after they purchased what was then the Bay View Fish Market. The building has been there since 1937. Callahan and Collins initially called it the Cal-Col Lobster Pound. The name was changed to The Lobster Pound in the 1970s. After Callahan died in 1975, Collins continued to operate the business until 2006 when day-to-day operations were passed along to the next generation of the Collins family.
Contacted Tuesday, Frank Collins said he supports the new management.
“The family is very happy to see the building open and hopefully providing a value to the community,” he said in an email to the Independent. “We are extremely grateful for the continued support over many years and excited about the new management team and their vision that both embraces and honors the history of the building and location.”
One secret of The Lobster Pound’s success was an innovative seawater holding system that pumped water directly from the bay up to the building and into large tanks capable of holding up to 30,000 pounds of lobster. The constantly refreshed seawater meant the lobsters remained in the waters that nurtured them and ensured the freshest possible product. With new pumps, the system is still operating today, constantly recirculating ocean water into the tanks.
Early in the evening on opening day, the place was busy and most of the picnic tables were occupied.
“It’s been steady all day,” Mahoney said.
Asked how their Manomet neighbors are reacting to the increased traffic sure to accompany the re-opening, Mahoney said, “The neighbors have been nothing but supportive.”
Mahoney and Belval have something else going for them as they start their new venture: nostalgia. Generations of locals and visitors have frequented the place. As one soon to be customer wrote on Facebook: “Happy memories of that place many many years ago! Wishing them all the best!!”
Ashley Hutchinson who lives at nearby White Horse Beach, was carrying take out to her pick-up truck.
“I used to come here all the time as a teenager in the late 1990s and early 2000s,” she said. “I’m so excited they’re open again!”
Peter Zheutlin can be reached at pzheutlin@gmail.com.