Dining Out: A movement or a mistake?

DINING OUT | BRUCE NEWBURY

A movement or a mistake?

A GROUNDSWELL OR GRASSROOTS movement, in most cases, must happen of its own accord. But what if the organizers tried to start a grassroots movement and nobody showed up? Or if the “common people” tried to talk the organizers out of the movement?

That might be how things turn out at Flo’s Clam Shack in Middletown and Portsmouth. On July 21, the proprietor took a bold step and removed the restaurant’s namesake dish from the menu, at least in part.

In his social media post, owner Komes Rozes laid out his case for taking a stand. As he put it, he is facing “the absolute highest price for frying clams anyone in this business has ever seen.” As one observer who is a longtime acquaintance of Rozes said, he was taking out his frustration on the high prices he and other restaurateurs were facing. The immediate reaction was, who isn’t frustrated and outright angry with the crushing burden of exorbitant costs from every corner on every single item in the world? Of course, anger is only a click away for denizens of social media.

The question that should be asked is: when were we not at least a little miffed at the price of clams? For that matter, when were we ever content with the “market price” of shellfish, lobster and even tuna? We seem to have forgotten the annual summer tradition of “sticker shock” when we would open our menus or walk up to our favorite seafood place and get our first look at the season’s prices for steamers, littlenecks, fried clams, lobster rolls, fisherman’s platters and the like. There is always a reason – the weather here or somewhere else, the economy, exports, imports. This year, everything can be blamed on the pandemic.

It was probably always the same. In the book, “Lost Restaurants of Providence,” downtown Providence eateries in the 1940s and 1950s charged about $1 for “Ipswich clams.” A restaurant called Armand’s, which served from the 1950s through the 1980s, would do what many places did at that time – cross out the printed menu price and handwrite the increased price. Armand’s increased its price for clams – assumedly fried although not specified on the menu – to 90 cents. A fried seafood platter fetched 95 cents. It is easy to speculate that our grandparents shook their heads at those prices, given a newspaper at the time cost a penny and a gallon of gasoline a dime.

My radio listeners had a different perspective. No one was happy at the news from Flo’s, but the point of view of those who called in was that the decision to yank the clams from the menu may have been too hasty. One caller, who disclosed that he was an acquaintance of the proprietor, called it a “marketing mistake” and mused, “What is he going to call [the restaurant], Flo’s Grilled Cheese?” The next caller said he would be willing to pay a little extra and to let the customer make the call. Hardly the shouting found on social media.

It turns out things are not as dire out at Flo’s as they appear. Other clam dishes are still on the menu – clam strips, chowder and stuffies. The owner acknowledges that scallops and fried oysters are still being served. The proprietor and his pet plastic shark out front may stand alone in their single-minded quest. Flo’s actual customers appear to be willing to show their support by doing a little clam digging of their own – deeper in their pockets to enjoy one of the treats of a Rhode Island summer. n

The decision to yank the clams from the menu may have been too hasty.

MENU CHANGE: Flo’s Clam Shack owner Komes Rozes has temporarily stopped selling fried clams in protest of the high prices for clams.

COURTESY FLO’S CLAM SHACK

Bruce Newbury’s radio show and podcast, “Dining Out with Bruce Newbury,” is broadcast on WADK 1540 AM and several radio stations throughout New England. Email him at Bruce@ BruceNewbury.com.

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