After 25 years of serving pizza, submarines and seafood, a mainstay Gloucester restaurant will close its doors.
Captain Hook’s Restaurant will be closing down operations at 406 Washington St., adjacent to the Annisquam River and Mill Pond, according to a posting on its Facebook earlier this week.
Over the years, thousands of pizzas, hot and cold subs, pasta, salads and arancini have gone out the doors, but the last meals are slated to be cooked and delivered to customers on Friday, March 10.
“The rumors circulating are true, we will be closing our doors,” reads the Facebook posting. The Delisi family has run the establishment since it opened 25 years ago.
On Wednesday, customer Laurie Horne had just left the restaurant after picking up a $100 order for her 18-year-old daughter’s birthday party. She said she and her family have been coming to Captain Hook’s for many years.
“It’s good Italian food and good seafood,” said Horne while loading her SUV with the food. “Plus, they’re nice in there. They’re first in line to donate to a fundraiser, like at the (O’Malley Innovation) Middle School.”
Responding to the question of why she believed Captain Hook’s is so special, she pointed to the people waiting to get inside.
“Look at the line,” Horne said. “People are devastated. It’s supposed to be a pizza place, but it’s an institution.”
Gloucester firefighter Doug Sherman was one of those waiting in line.
“I’m heartbroken,” he said about Captain Hook’s closing. “This has been a staple in Gloucester. It’s so sad to see it go.”
Working the kitchen Wednesday were at least three members of the Delisi family — father Vito, mother Antonella, and one of their four boys, Alessandro.
Alessandro Delisi said with a smile that he was too busy to talk.
“I’m slammed,” he said just moments before the lunch rush.
For her part, Antonella Delisi said she has given about 27 years of her life to the restaurant. During that time, she and husband raised their four sons and put them through college.
Antonella Delisi hails from Sicily.
“I’ve been here a long time,” she said. “I cook the pizza. It’s working 15 hours a day, seven days a week.”
For now, changes are in store for each of the Delisi family members.
“After much deliberation, this is the best decision for our family at this time,” they said in their Facebook posting. “We can’t express our gratitude enough for the strangers that turned into customers that turned into friends.”
“It has been a pleasure and honor to serve you for the past 25 years,” reads the posting. “We look forward to seeing you all around town. To our employees, past and present, we truly couldn’t have done it without you. Thanks for joining our crew and becoming our family.
“We love you all and are proud to have had you represent us.”
Stephen Hagan can be reached at 978-675-2708 or at shagan@northofboston.com.
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