Bob's Clamhut Opens Second Eatery at Sugarloaf

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Apres ski will never be the same!  Bob’s Clam Hut, a Maine institution since 1956, renowned for having the best fried clams in New England, is opening a second location at iconic Maine ski resort Sugarloaf.

For the first time in its nearly 57 year history, Bob’s will be serving customers in a location other than the classic clam shack in Kittery, Maine. Sugarloaf will play host to Bob’s second location starting the last week of December.  Hungry skiers will be able to enjoy some of Bob’s signature dishes – lobster stew, fried haddock, lobster rolls, Bob’s original tartar sauce and of course fried clams – mountain side.

The decision to open a second location after so many years of continued success with one original location was not taken lightly by Bob’s owner Michael Landgarten.

“For all these years I felt Bob’s should not try to repeat its success somewhere else – that it would be too hard to recreate the special qualities of Bob’s in Kittery,” he said. “However, something felt so natural when (Sugarloaf Food and Beverage Director) Jon Rollins invited us to be there. Sugarloaf being such a respected and beloved place, Jon being such a fan of Bob’s and the staff at Bob’s being off-the-charts enthusiastic about the opportunity made it a clear choice.”

Bob’s will take a crack team of handpicked employees up to Sugarloaf for the season to bring classic Bob’s food to the mountain.  They’re busy hauling up some of the classic Bob’s décor to outfit the new location and looking for ski gear along the way.  Bob’s General Manager Pat Barrigar says she isn’t a skier yet, but "I hope I have time to learn!"

For Landgarten, pairing with Sugarloaf for Bob’s first foray into operating a second locale just made sense.

“It’s our off-season and their in-season. Where else in Maine is this the case?” he said. “When I saw the location they had in mind for us – as central a spot as Bob’s in Kittery has – it fell into place. We’ll be in the middle of everything – in the Base Lodge and highly visible as skiers come down from their runs.”

Sugarloaf is located in Carrabassett Valley, ME and with 1,153 acres of skiable inbounds terrain, is the largest ski area in the East.

Bob’s was founded by Robert “Bob” Kraft Sr. of Kittery ME who passed away in 2003. Bob opened the business in 1956 after his mother allowed him to use a piece of the family’s back yard as the restaurant site. A love of clamming as a child led him to perfect his secret fried-clam recipe which attracts thousands of loyal customers year after year.

Landgarten bought the family-run business from Bob on May 23, 1986 and has since made numerous updates to the property, making Bob’s Clam Hut what it is today.  Landgarten chose to continue using all of the same recipes created by Bob but also introduced some of his own menu items. Bob’s has been recognized for its progressive management practices and contributions to the community – specifically Fairtides, Footprints in Kittery and Share our Strength’s Taste of the Nation in Portsmouth NH. Bob’s won the State of Maine’s Volunteerism Award for Small Businesses.

Bob’s Clam Hut has received validation for their high quality food in the press – Esquire Magazine, Best Clams in the Clammy Universe, Yankee Magazine made them an Editor’s Pick as a reason to come to Maine.  Forbes Magazine selected Bob’s as one of their 40 favorite restaurants in the United States and referred to Bob’s as a “seaside, roadside Nirvana”. Bob’s has been featured on the Food Network television show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” and is a two time winner of the NECN Baby You’re the Best contest for best fried clams in New England. DownEast Magazine also named Bob’s fried clams the best in Maine.

Submitted by Barbara MacLeod, Cross Currents Communications, Portsmouth

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