The Red Hook Lobster Pound Is Closing for Major Renovations
The Red Hook Lobster Pound is gearing up for an extended crustacean vacation, but not to worry shellfish lovers—they plan to come back bigger and better than ever before.
For the second time since Hurricane Sandy deluged their eatery with six feet of water, the beloved Van Brunt seafood shack is undergoing some serious renovations. But in this case, instead of being forced to rip their building down to the studs, owners Susan Povich and Ralph Gorham are voluntarily taking advantage of the winter lobster lull, in order to fix some longstanding holes in their business model.
Per customer request, they’re finally applying for a liquor license, and intend to construct a cocktail bar in the dining area. They’re also zhushing up the ultra-casual space (currently outfitted in traditional Maine style, with wooden picnic tables), by installing plush banquettes, and hiring servers to create a more refined restaurant environment. Although if you’d still prefer to fetch your lobster yourself, they’re actually erecting a doorway (!) between the takeout and sit-down sections, which will effectively eliminate the need to shuffle outside, awkwardly balancing unwieldy trays of seafood. Oh, and did we mention they’re getting oysters?
The Red Hook location will stay open throughout the holiday rush, with renovations scheduled between January 4th and sometime in mid-March. But crustacean obsessives aren’t entirely at a loss; it will remain business as usual at the Pound’s stand at Brooklyn Flea, their new Manhattan outpost on Extra Place, and of course, their award-winning food truck, Big Red, which will continue making its regular rounds throughout the borough.
And thank goodness for that—two months is entirely too long to go without lobster rolls, lobster fries, lobster bisque and lobster mac and cheese.