CAPE COD – Market price. Two words on a menu that strike fear into the wallets of customers.
And here on Cape Cod, those words are frequently associated with fried clams, the must-have menu item for a certain type of Cape Cod restaurant. In fact, clams have become so expensive in the past couple of years that some restaurant owners fear the iconic tourist meal is becoming a luxury item.
“You know how you buy oysters by the piece?” asked John Ohman, owner of Liam’s at Nauset Beach. “I am envisioning a day when people are buying fried clams by the piece.”
“It’s not imminent,” said Ohman. “But directionality means a lot. It’s like, tick, tick, tick. I’ve noticed it for three years.” And as prices continue to go up, Ohman said, “What do you do, charge someone $35 for a clam dinner? It’s almost embarrassing.”
Mike Lewis, owner of Seafood Sam’s in Falmouth, said fried clams by the piece “wouldn’t surprise me.”
“You know how you buy oysters by the piece? I am envisioning a day when people are buying fried clams by the piece.” – John Ohman, owner of Liam’s at Nauset Beach
“I don’t know if they would get that expensive,” said Aaron Brochu, owner of Big Rock Oyster Company of Harwich. “But restaurants are going to have to start putting them at market price. The price does fluctuate a lot between now and the height of summer.”
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