Lobsterman's Wharf in East Boothbay is under new ownership this summer.

Dan and Eileen Miller bought the business from Bill Murphy in April, and have been running it, with help from their six children, since May 21. They said Murphy had been operating the restaurant for seven or eight years after he bought it from Hilary and Kathy Heaton.

“Bill has been a great help in getting us started,” Dan Miller said. “He has given us a lot of time and answered a lot of questions, and we’re really thankful for that.”

“I tell people I don’t think he’s ever worked as hard for himself as he has for us. It was a very short window from when we finalized the sale until we wanted to open. The people at the town office went out of their way to help us.”

Also owners of Ocean Point Marina for 14 years, the Millers like the idea of having a restaurant within walking distance.

“It always made sense to us to have this restaurant next door to the marina,” Dan Miller said. “There was limited dock space here, and now we tell people they can dock or park next door at the marina.”

Eileen Miller said they are excited about their new endeavor. “We were looking for a new adventure, and it has been a blast.”

But the couple said they may not have taken it on without their children's prodding.

“Our kids are the ones who encouraged us,” Eileen Miller said. “We were on the fence, and it was their enthusiasm that pushed us over. Without them, we couldn’t have opened.”

The Millers said the staff is made up of around 10 employees at this point, and they plan on expanding to a few more soon.

“We’ve had a lot of return employees, and they are great,” Dan said. “It’s a good mix and they all seem happy to be back.” 

Some of the Miller children are working full-time, and some part time. Son Zach, who has worked as a cook in the area, has been “doing the lion's share of managerial duties,” according to his father.

The couple’s other three sons, Killian, Cormac and Danny, all help out in some capacity at the restaurant.

One of their daughters, Kelsea, who is in Boston attending college, tends bar when she is here, they said.

Upon hearing that her parents would be taking over the restaurant, Kelsea attended bartender school and obtained her bartending certificate.

Another daughter, Sinead, who recently graduated from Boothbay Region High School as salutatorian, waits on tables.

The chef, Rick Page, has been working for over 15 years at Lobsterman’s. “He has been a great asset,” Eileen Miller said.

There have been a few small changes made to the menu since taking over, Dan Miller said. “But we don't want to tamper with it too much until we get to know the business and the clientèle.”

A customer favorite, according to the Millers, is the “seafood nage,” a bowl full of scallops, mussels, large shrimp and a whole split lobster tail, stewed in natural juices and topped with a lobster sauce.

“People love it. They say it’s incredible,” Eileen Miller said.

Other favorites are the twin lobster special, for $23.99, and the prime rib, served on Fridays and Saturdays.

“Everybody takes home almost more than they eat. It’s a healthy portion,” she said.

The Millers will be bringing back “Jazz on Sundays” starting in July.

“It is one of the things that customers have asked for, and we’re trying to be accommodating to our customers' wishes, wherever possible.”

There is also a new happy hour schedule at Lobsterman's: Monday through Friday, 3:30-5:30 p.m. Appetizers are available.

Eileen Miller said that this is a learning experience.

“We have family members who are in the business, but this is our first time.”

The restaurant is located at 244 Ocean Point Road (Route 96) in East Boothbay. The kitchen is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, except Tuesdays, and will be open until sometime in October. The phone number is 207-633-3443.