Ask an Expert: What Is It Like to Work at a Clam Shack?
Bob’s Clam Hut in Kittery, ME, does a strong hustle every summer, feeding Route 1 travelers all the fried goods they’ve driven so far for. The Hut is staffed mainly by students riding high on the spirit of summer break and lobster rolls. We spoke to Parker Sikora, Colby College student and model employee, on what life is like behind the counter.
What were you looking for in a summer job?
I joined the team in May 2015. I reached out to a friend who was working at Bob’s already. She was actually my prom date her senior year. I said, “Why do you go back to this place every summer?” And she was like, “Come find out.”
How do you deal with the seafood smell?
There’s a tradition we have when an employee leaves the Hut for the last time: We take a video of them tossing their shoes in the dumpster, because the floor gets so clammy with juice and flour for breading.
Any daily strategies for dealing with the funk?
It’s tough. It’s fresh seafood; you can smell it. We change our gloves often. But in my experience, I find flour everywhere. In my socks, on my back, in my hair. That was something I didn’t expect. You never know where you’re going to find flour.
What do you eat on the job?
There’s a joke: No one eats seafood on break. We go for a chicken salad, we go for a grilled cheese, we go for a burger.
Favorite seafood prep task?
Portioning! Going through and separating lobster meat. It feels good to make sure every lobster roll has a claw and tail. Having eaten a fair share of lobster rolls myself, I know that’s what I like to see. There are some tasks that are more hands-on. Cutting the calamari is really unpopular with people who don’t like calamari.
What do you do with all the clamshells?
We get them without the shells. We do reuse the clam buckets. You never know what’s going to be in a clam bucket, so we label it all. Forks. Knives. Carrot sticks.
