Clam Shack in Attleboro a Happy Accident

Bert Buckley opened the Clam Shack in Attleboro with his wife Stacie last May, and said though it's his first foray into the food business, he doesn't regret it for a second.

Buckley, who owns Citywide Disposal Services and does public relations for Brewster Ambulance, said when the property became available, it was a no- brainer to purchase it for a restaurant.

"We've always talked about opening something," he said. "We thought maybe we can make something work here, it's a perfect spot."

Buckley said he and Stacie spent months thinking about what they could do as they were reworking and repairing the shack.

"We were kind of limited," he said. "This building is literally 340 square feet. You could do an ice cream parlor or a burger and fries takeout."

Buckley said he and his wife came up with the seafood shop because there really wasn't much in the way of seafood in Attleboro.

"We always went to Rhode Island for seafood," he said. "We thought it would be kind of cool to have an old shack takeout joint like they have at the Cape or Newport. That's what made the most sense."

Buckley said the shop, though small, lends itself to the takeout business.

"We have fresh seafood because there is no room to store or have refrigerators and freezers," he said.

Stacie Buckley added they pride themselves on fresh seafood.

"Nothing's frozen, everything's fresh,” she said.

Stacie Buckley works as a local attorney, and she said her favorite dish in the restaurant is the red clam chowder. She said it took lots of work to get it right.

"We spent months and months testing all kinds of recipes before we opened," she said. "We actually took from many different ideas and put them together. After a few months, my family was like 'no more clam chowder, please!'"

The Buckleys donate every month to many different charities in town, including the Attleboro Council on Aging, Attleboro Energy Fund, youth football and baseball teams, the Miles Owen Brastow Memorial Fund, the Attleboro Animal Shelter and the Hebron Food Pantry.

The Clam shack is located at 226 Pleasant St. and is open Wednesday and Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.