Buoy Shack to serve lobster rolls, waterfront views in Kittery. Here's what to expect. - Seacoastonline.com

KITTERY, Maine — Memorial Bridge pedestrians and drivers entering Maine's oldest town from Portsmouth this summer won't need to travel far to order a lobster roll.

Partnering with local restaurateur Joel Harris, husband-and-wife team Will and Liza Banfield are opening up the Buoy Shack, a tiny Badger's Island seafood hut overlooking the Piscataqua River and the region's working port. Specializing in lobster, the Buoy Shack is currently under construction but is slated for a summer opening.

Liza Banfield, who works for an environmental services company, said she and her husband's venture could officially make their eatery the very first lobster roll found in the state for those entering from New Hampshire. 

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The Banfields, who have never previously owned a restaurant or food and drink establishment, own the land at 1 Badger's Island West, where the Buoy Shack will be located. 

"We've got a working waterfront. It's really important to Maine that working waterfronts stay viable," Liza Banfield said. "That's our intention with the property and owning the property and giving… the fishermen that are on the wharf the opportunity to sell their lobsters right to the restaurant."

Will Banfield works in real estate development and property management. He said he's had the vision of opening a seafood hut in Kittery for several years since the couple purchased the property.

"I just thought to myself, it would be cool to see if we can open up a little lobster roll shack," he said.

Matt Junkin, part-owner of the Buoy Shack, introduced the Banfields to Harris a few years ago. The couple met with Harris at nearby Badger's Island restaurant Ore Nell's Barbecue, where they laid out their pitch.

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Once Harris saw their property and its proximity to the river, he was all in.

"The opportunity to bring a mid-coast Maine-style lobster shack to the Seacoast was very exciting," said Harris, who will oversee the business' food and beverage operations. "I think there's nothing more quintessential than the New England lobster roll, and there's really not a restaurant in Portsmouth or the Seacoast area that can marry the view and the experience that we will have with that type of food."

The Buoy Shack will be Harris' first dive into the seafood industry. The longtime Portsmouth resident is best known for opening the flagship Dos Amigos Burritos in Portsmouth in 2003, which closed last summer due to staffing challenges, and several other locations of the business. 

"To be on the water and to see the boats coming in while you're having an adult beverage and a lobster roll I think is going to be an experience unlike anything else," Harris said. 

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The Banfields, Harris and Junkin have worked with Kittery's Winter Holben architecture firm on designing a concept for the Buoy Shack. Winter Holben project architect Zachary Smith said the seasonal business will have 12 seats and a small bar inside, with picnic tables and Adirondack chairs set up on the lawn.

"I've lived in Portsmouth for 20-plus years now, and I've seen the town change a lot and a lot of the restaurants are moving towards catering toward the high-end tourist traffic," Harris said. "We really want to make sure that we stay casual and accessible to everybody."

The culinary focus for the Buoy Shack menu is undoubtedly lobster. Harris said there will be the traditional New England style lobster roll — cold with mayonnaise - and the Connecticut-style version, which is warm with melted butter on a bun.

The lobster offerings don't end there. Harris said the Buoy Shack, along with a local fish sandwich and grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, will offer "modern takes" such as a lobster taco or lobster empanadas. 

"But primarily the classics is what we're going for," he said.

The Buoy Shack will likely serve state-based beer brands and a rum-intensive cocktail menu. One alcoholic beverage idea being thrown around is a classic Maine mix: Moxie with coffee brandy.

"We're really going to try and do some educational things, too. Teaching people about where their food comes from and economic impacts, environmental impacts. We really want to be a mouthpiece for the lobstering community," Harris said. 

Liza Banfield believes the business will appeal to all types of clientele. Whether it's people arriving from a boat, just finishing a run or showing up on a date, she sees the small business attracting a big following. 

"We want it to be a comfortable, easy place to have a great meal, have a great view, have great company and have it be super accessible," she said.

Anyone interested in working for the Buoy Shack can contact the business at info@buoyshack.com.