The Story of the Atlantic Cafe

Like many places of business on Nantucket Island, the Atlantic Cafe has an interesting history. The building started out as a home, and then for some years in the 1920s and '30s, Eugene Perry ran a pool hall there. Perry's grandson, islander Charlie Flanagan, recalls that there were three pool tables and three card tables, with tobacco sold on one side of the establishment, candy on the other. In 1937 the building was sold again, and for some years the original Hardy's Hardware Store was housed there, alongside a saloon called Cy's Green Coffee Pot.

Cy's, while it served fried foods, was primarily a tavern. Rumor has it that one of its owners tested his employees' scrupulousness in the nightly cleanup by leaning a number of coins against chairs; if the coins were still there in the morning, he knew sweeping and washing up hadn't been complete. The establishment was a popular watering hole for islanders year-round.

In 1978 the building was again sold and both halves were joined to create a saloon called the Atlantic Cafe. In 1986 a young man by the name of John O'Connor joined the staff, and in 1990 he bought the business. He and his wife Kate have substantially changed the atmosphere of the place islanders know as "the AC," all while they were surviving the vicissitudes of island weather, including going under water in the No Name Storm of 1991 and the hurricane of the following August.

Kate and John have air-conditioned the building, introducing a grille and instituting a healthier menu which includes children's specials. The decor often features local artisans and maintains a nautical theme, appropriate for a business that is not only near the harbor but that caters to local and visiting boaters, fishermen, and sailors, as well as to people who live and work year-round on Nantucket Island. In fact, the AC has changed emphasis in a major way; today good food is primary and family-oriented, and the bar business, while lively and popular, is secondary to the restaurant. If you haven't attended Prime Rib Night, for which a huge slice of rib roast with all the trimmings is still served for only $11.95, or the immensely popular Wing Night-all the buffalo wings you can eat, 15 cents each-you've missed great food and great company in a great place.

Those special nights and the family-oriented menu and pricing are a big thing for Nantucketers in the long winter months, when Town is quiet and people yearn for a bit of social contact in a warm and jolly atmosphere. Friendly service is stressed year-round, and everyone from age 2 to 92 is made welcome. Young people find it a good place to meet and eat and hang out; single diners are treated with uncommon hospitality, and families find the surroundings and food excellent fare all year round. To maintain a place that is "fun and affordable" is the aim of John and Kate O'Connor.