Remodel prompts temporary layoffs at Tacoma's Lobster Shop

Jul 26, 2023

The Lobster Shop, a popular lobster and Pacific Northwest seafood restaurant on Ruston Way in Tacoma, will temporarily lay off 70 employees during a four-month closure for renovations.

The layoffs will begin Jan. 15, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notice filed Monday with the state Employment Security Department. The restaurant is set to be closed from Jan. 2 through April 30.

The $1.6 million remodel will include renovations to the bar, kitchen and restrooms. Interior finish improvements and new lighting are among the planned changes. A new oyster bar will also be installed.Wilcox Construction of Edmonds is the contractor, according the city of Tacoma records.

Seattle's E3 Restaurant Group, which operates the Metropolitan Grill, Elliott's Oyster House and Wing Dome, purchased the restaurant a year ago. The former owners and founders, Denny and Katie Driscoll, decided to sell the 41-year-old restaurant so they could retire.

The 5,700-square-foot waterfront building, at 4015 Ruston Way, is owned by a Tacoma-based family. The Lobster Shop is one of several long-time restaurants that line Ruston Way on Tacoma's Commencement Bay.

Representatives for The Lobster Shop and the E3 Restaurant Group did not return calls for comment.

"We are excited about investing in the Lobster Shop this winter and making some much needed physical improvements to this beautiful restaurant," Jim Rowe, CEO and owner of the E3 Restaurant Group, said on the restaurant's website. "Our guests can rest assured that while the restaurant and bar areas will see some changes to improve the look, feel and flow of the space, they will enjoy the same great dining experience they’ve come to expect from our committed team of professionals."

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