It’s Official: Nantucket Bucket is Open For Business!

Rest easy, Harborites: The moment so many people have been waiting for has finally arrived. 

As of Thursday night at five o’clock, Nantucket Bucket was officially open for business, ending a months-long process that involved permits, planning, construction and plenty of anticipation. 

“We did a walk-through for friends and family Wednesday night, and it went well,” assistant manager Amanda Atteniese said. “We wanted to make sure we had all the employees on the same page before we opened.” 

With the finishing touches being applied to the sprawling establishment Thursday afternoon, owner Russ Latimer said everything was in place for the newest edition to the downtown dining scene. 

“We’re bringing a unique concept to the area, in that people will be able to order a basic bucket of seafood and then they can to add to it from there,” he said. 

“The main thing is we’re really bringing seafood to Safety Harbor.”

The restaurant, which has a seating capacity of 200, is broken up into different sections, with each spot catering to a different customer and carrying a different atmosphere. 

On the inside there is a small dining are called the Harbor Room, which is adorned with classic photos of the town and has a quaint and cozy vibe. 

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The Boathouse Bar has a nautical theme and is designed so patrons can talk across the room to one another; it offers high-end cocktails with fresh ingredients as well as “exceptionally cold” craft beers on tap. 

Outside there are a number of seating areas, each with a more wide open, family friendly aspect in mind, including a large space with picnic tables, a separate smoking section, and a front deck that is also pet friendly.

But what will tie the whole place together is the food. 

The buckets will be the backbone of the business, with a separate kitchen cranking out the single and two-person servings that come with vegetables, corn on the cob and a variety of seafood items such as clams, shrimp, mussels, crab and lobster. 

In addition they offer appetizers, seafood dinners, salads, chowders, pasta and sandwiches, as well as a classic Nantucket favorite, steamers. All the seafood will be brought in fresh daily.

Atteniese said right now the plan is to start serving lunch next week between 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. The Boathouse Bar will open at 4 for the after-work crowd. A grand opening is being planned for sometime in November.

Latimer hopes the anticipation for the opening results in a terrific turnout, and the place becomes a hotspot for people who love seafood and love to have a good time. 

“There’s nothing being done like this in the area,” he said. “We believe it’s going to pull people in from all over, not just from Safety Harbor.”

The Nantucket Bucket

Address: 519 2nd St. S.

Phone: 727-487-500