The Oak Bluffs harborfront comes to life every summer when businesses open their doors to serve year-round Islanders, returning seasonal residents, and flocks of tourists. But after four decades, a longtime waterfront favorite is set to shutter.
The Oak Bluffs Association announced a “bittersweet goodbye” Sunday to Coop de Ville, the open-air eatery that houses the Shuck Shack raw bar on 12 Circuit Ave. Extension and has served countless chicken wings and lobsters over the years. Carroll (“Petey”) Berndt, owner of Coop de Ville, also familiarly called “Coop” or “Coops,” said the record in a single day for chicken wings sold was 650 pounds; 256 lobsters were once sold during a weekly lobster fest.
“After more than 40 years of lobster fests, wings, and countless good times, Coop de Ville has been part of what makes the [O.B.] waterfront so special. You’ll certainly be missed!” the post reads.
It’s the latest in a number of changes among shops and eateries in Oak Bluffs this year, which now also includes the upcoming December goodbye to Basics Clothing Store, a 46-year staple on Circuit Avenue, and the closure of the Island’s Murdick’s Fudge stores last month.
Berndt told The Times that the issue came down to money. The restaurant lost its awning in the February blizzard, which dumped around two feet of snow and blew hurricane-force winds. He said this was “disastrous” and contributed to lost revenue in the early summer; August was “too hot” for outdoor seating, he added. According to Berndt, the restaurant lost $300,000 in revenue because of the unforeseen consequences of the blizzard.
“We basically got crippled,” Berndt said. He said he is now “fighting tooth and nail” to have his insurance company pay for the damages. Additionally, Berndt said there are other payments like payroll and taxes that remain, so he currently faces $100,000 in bills.
Coop de Ville was originally opened by Jeff Casara and began with a “local following of painters, construction workers, and people stopping by for chicken wings and oysters on their way home from the beach,” as previously reported by The Times. Berndt purchased Coop de Ville in 1984 from Jeff Casara with a $10,000 loan from his father, and throughout the decades, was surrounded by a core crew that pushed Coop de Ville forward, including chefs Lawrence Jackson, Claudia Ray, and Shamel Abraham.
The property is owned by the McCarthy family, and Berndt, who’s rented from them for years, said they have been “wonderful,” but the business’s financial strife could cost him his chance of continuing as a tenant. Berndt said he has “another year or two” in him, but the landlords have already spoken with other prospective businesses. Berndt also said some members of the Coop de Ville team, like longtime server Brendan O’Neil, are contemplating retirement.
Many people have reached out to Berndt after the Facebook posts about Coop’s closure, and he said there’s a possibility the restaurant may live on in another location. He said some people have reached out about potential financing, and he has been offered a couple of possible locations, including Anderson’s Bike Rentals, which permanently closed in 2025 after 52 years.
Berndt just turned 65 and hopes to be able to eventually hand over Coop’s keys to his head chefs.
“It’s up to God, really,” Berndt said.
And if Coop de Ville does close forever on the Island, Berndt is looking north. He said he may open up a baseball card shop in New Hampshire.
