Restaurant Life

For as long as I can remember, my family has been in the restaurant business.

In 1939 my grandparents opened a fish market in the city of Brockton, Massachusetts. My grandfather bought the freshest of fish and ran the fish market while my grandmother would fry the fish. They worked side by side and eventually their business grew. Two years later they opened their first restaurant across the street from their fish market. They named it Lou McMenamy’s Fish Shanty and my grandpa’s slogan was “The fish you eat today…swam last night in Buzzard’s Bay” and that is where the story begins.

Lou and Lorraine McMenamy had nine children – five boys and four girls and there was a job for all of them. As they got older, the five boys all started their own seafood restaurants. My Dad and Mom started their restaurant in West Bridgewater in 1984 and my first recollection of the restaurant was when I was around 4 years old and my brother Dennis was 6.

Helen Dennis / 20071117.10D.46197 / SML

English: Crab cakes, sweet potato french fries, co...

2010-09-03: Dennis Hassell and Cookie Boudreaux pa...

My parents had us out in the back room making take-out bags. Dennis would put in a knife and a fork and I would add one salt, one pepper and a packet of ketchup. We each got 5¢ per bag and although we never got rich, it kept us busy while my Dad was cooking and my Mom was the hostess.

We progressed from take-out bags to putting cole slaw into three ounce containers. Dennis would fill the cup and I would put the lid on it. Once again, 5 cents per cup. We then advanced to tartar sauce – a little more finesse was needed here. We only had a one ounce cup and of course, the lid followed. By the time we were 10 and 12 respectfully...