Lobster Treat

241 Post Road

Antigonish, Nova Scotia

B2G 2K6

Coming back for the Lobster Treat

After bringing pizza to the Antigonish area, the Lerikos brothers decided to try their hand at seafood. The year was 1974. Their restaurant offered mostly lobster and was strictly seasonal. They christened it Lobster Treat. Now thirty-six years later, the restaurant is a community institution, catering to locals, the university crowd, and visitors.

Located in an old schoolhouse on the outskirts of Antigonish near the business park, Lobster Treat still specializes in seafood, but also has a great selection of pastas, vegetarian dishes, and curries. The restaurant is open for lunch and supper, and can easily rustle up a kid’s plate, and offers a choice of steaks for the heartier eater.

"We're packed to the rafters in the month of May," says now sole-owner, George Lerikos, whose brother retired from the business in 1990. "Between the St. FX graduation and Mother's Day, the place is just hopping." Lerikos isn't kidding. Ask anyone locally; come springtime, the restaurant door revolves with satisfied customers. They're all itching to get a taste of their favourite dishes after the winter closure. Lobster Treat closes just after Thanksgiving and re-opens in April, although Lerikos continues to do catering in the local area up until Christmas.

"We have tremendous customer loyalty in this town," he says. "Antigonish has been very good to us." Volunteering his time with local organizations such as the local Regional Development Authority, the Tourism Association, and the Chamber of Commerce is one way Lerikos gives back to the community where he and his wife have raised four children and called home for the last 40 years.

You don't establish that kind of loyal clientele without doing something right. A good location and excellent service are important ingredients in the mix, but Lerikos sums it up simply. "It's the quality and consistency of our food that keeps people coming back."

This seasoned business owner doesn't mind paying extra for fresh ingredients and the labour to make quality dishes. "We do everything from scratch – all our soups, sauces, and even our desserts." In an age when some restaurants fly cheesecake in from a food conglomerate out west, this attitude is refreshing. A little prodding reveals that Lerikos himself is responsible for all the baking on offer at his restaurant.

On site by 8 a.m. and rarely sitting down all day, 61-year-old Lerikos still puts in a 10-hour day and that's down from the 16-hour days he kept in previous years. In the restaurant business, he believes this kind of commitment is necessary and he endeavours to find staff who share his passion. "I have incredibly dedicated staff, some who have been with me for 33 or 34 years. I don’t have a lot of turnover."

Lerikos has assembled a team that has been together so long they’re like a family. "They don’t mind helping each other. Everybody has their defined role but there’s a lot of overlap and I encourage that," he says. "If the dishpit needs help, then I'm going down there and so is the cook and everyone else. We all help each other."

For their extra effort, Lerikos pays his employees well, and he also goes the extra mile to ensure they feel appreciated. "You have to treat people well and keep them happy. You’re only as good as who you hire. I can’t do it alone. And as I get older, I really can’t do it alone!"

After growing up in restaurants (his grandfather and father were also in the business) Lerikos says that the biggest joy has been the people - both the individuals he's worked with and the repeat customers. "I've seen the same faces over and over for 36 years," he says, adding if he had to replace his staff every year, he'd be pulling his hair out. "When you don't have to worry about every plate that goes out, that's a relief. My senior staff enjoy what they're doing and take it seriously. And they’re good at it."

Although Lobster Treat is a success, Lerikos has had his fair share of lean years and when he looks back over his career, it's never been the money that has kept him in it. "I really like the creative element. You bring the raw material in and you come up with ideas of what you’re going to do with it," he says. "And then your creation gets immediately tested and hopefully enjoyed by the customer. That's direct feedback. And I love it."

Coming back for the Lobster Treat

Charter Members

Geographically, the Municipality of Clare sits in the lower half of Digby County and most of the area's 52 communities dot the 30-mile stretch of St. Mary's Bay.

Largely known for its fishing, lumber, and shipbuilding industries, the area of approximately 9,000 people also employs local artisans and those working within e-business and tourism. Recently the topic of renewable energy has been on everyone's lips.

Clare was the first municipality in Nova Scotia to undertake an energy audit. Twenty-eight potential renewable energy projects have been identified with eight regarded as financially feasible.

Becoming a national green star may also help draw in more tourists, although reports show that tourism numbers are not suffering now. The Festival acadien de Clare alone brings in over 40,000 people while the oldest wooden church in North America - L'Eglise Sainte-Marie - registers 10,000 visitors per year.

A recent re-organization of Nova Scotia's scenic travelways by the provincial government has provided the region with more exposure. The entire southwest region, encompassing the Municipalities of Clare, Argyle, Yarmouth, and the Town of Yarmouth, is now named "Yarmouth and Acadian Shores." This change has allowed the region to market itself more effectively in the global market and the use of the word Acadian gives far more visibility to the culture.

But what sets Clare apart is the warmth, friendliness, and the joie de vivre of the people who live there. That's something worth coming back for - again and again.

Municipality of Clare