Author: Ryan Bell, BSU student
The Cape Cod Stuffed Quahog Company was founded in 2003 by Brian Robinson. Cape Cod Stuffed Quahogs cooks, prepares, and delivers a plethora of common seafood favorites throughout the South Shore including but not limited to: Stuffed quahogs (both premium and original flavor), Stuffed scallops with shrimp, Seafood risotto, lobster bisque, and clam chowder.
In 2003, Mr. Robinson was working for a restaurant in Boston, when he decided to start the business. In an interview with Brian, he mentioned that he originally broke ties with his previous place of employment in order to spend more time with his children. Shortly before the companies founding, Brian was spending most of his time at work, leaving at 5AM before anyone in his house woke up and returning lat at night when everyone had gone to bed.
Though he was able to provide for his family he felt as if he was losing precious family time and decided to act. Shortly after, he rented an office/ production facility close to home and patented both the company name and recipes that are used to this day.
When asked what he may have done in hindsight, Brian stated that he wished he had more contingency plans set in place in order to mitigate any losses. He admits that there were more external forces causing the company issues than he initial anticipated. At the time of the company’s creation the biggest stress was caused by the financial fallout of the September 11th attacks. Though Brian understood the risks that were associated with the loss in tourism, he admits that he was caught off guard by the lasting effects. In addition, he noted there was a red tide the following year which severely damaged his supply chain. This caused him to look elsewhere for the majority of his ingredients. He was able to keep the company afloat by procuring his ingredients from Connecticut and other local states, a practice that he has continues to this day.
Brian attributes the company’s success during this time to his ability act quickly in procuring his resources and reducing any redundancies. When asked about his marketing strategies Brian admits that it is mostly by word of mouth. Both he and his wife keep up with local events, reach out to new restaurants, and go grocery stores in order to supply them with samples. He noted that this has been fairly successful and has found that he is able to pick up new clients easily by having a physical presence.
Though he relies on more conventional marketing tactics, the company has a digital presence as well. There is a Facebook page that is updated regularly with new partnerships and promotions. Brian admits he does not track any of the pages analytics, but has noticed an increase in foot traffic to their main facility since its implementation.
In reflection on the year so far, Brian mentioned that he actually saw an increase in business. Though it was slow when the lockdown began, demand for his products shot up around May, a demand that has continued to grow throughout the season. He has been growing the company at a steady 5% each year and expects to close out this year with a 6-7% increase in profit. In addition to the increased business, Cape Cod Stuffed Quahog Company has been nominated for an award by Yankee magazine, which was introduced to his product through a customer in Boston. Brian hopes that this nomination will only increase the value of his brand and provide the business with more marketing opportunities.
Cape Cod Stuffed Quahog Company is located at:
18 Beach Street in Bourne (Monument Beach), MA.
You can contact them via:
Phone: 508-759-5820
Website: www.ccsq.com
Facebook: Cape Cod Stuffed Quahog Company