Atlantic City in the 1920s and 30s was a magical place. On its streets, the preposterous and the mundane walked side by side, with neither seeming out of place on the island resort. In this kind of atmosphere, no one was surprised when a restaurant that started out as a tiny Boardwalk clam bar ended up one of the largest restaurants in the country. Looking back, the success of Hackney’s seems incredible. But it’s true.

Harry Watson Hackney was born in 1873 in the town of Smith’s Landing (which was later absorbed by Pleasantville). He first staked his claim on the Boardwalk in the summer of 1912 when he opened up a tiny, 30-seat eatery on Maine Avenue and Melrose near the Inlet.

Hackney wanted more for his customers than a small seafood place—he wanted to give them a unique experience. So he bought the Keen Sea Breeze House and enlarged it, then built a pier across the Boardwalk from his shop, inviting patrons to fish—to catch their own lunch, so to speak.

It was an instant success. Hackney’s became a must-stop for gourmets visiting Atlantic City. The restaurant was particularly renowned for its lobster, a fact that Hackney was never shy about publicizing. In later years he christened himself the “Lobster King” and dressed his waitresses in full-size lobster costumes for a promotional photo shoot. Today, such a ploy would be considered the height of kitsch; at the time it was a fun, innovative press stunt. He also gave away scores of lobster ink blotters, spreading the word that Hackney’s was the place for fine seafood.

In the 1920s, Hackney played host to some of the biggest celebrities of the day, from Jack Dempsey to Douglas Fairbanks. Al Smith, the famous governor of New York, coined what became Hackney’s catch phrase: “Eat them where they’re caught.” To capitalize on the fresh-seafood theme, Hackney built an open pool from which diners could select their own lobsters.

After 1926, business was steady enough that Hackney’s stayed open year-round. In fact, throughout the decade, the Lobster King was steadily expanding his restaurant, sometimes to the brink of disaster. In April 1924, a wall in a building adjoining the restaurant suddenly collapsed; a sudden rain shower plus the stress of construction caused the wall to buckle.

Hackney himself shouted a quick warning. There were no serious injuries, but hundreds of diners scrambled for safety, and several women were reported to have fainted. Plenty of expensive crockery and fixtures were broken.

Despite the setback, expansion continued, and by 1929 Hackney’s laid fair claim to the title of “America’s largest seafood restaurant.” By this time, it took up an entire city block and seated 3,200 diners.

Hackney rose in stature in both the restaurant world and the broader community. In 1933 he joined the New Jersey Racing Commission and in the following year, the Atlantic City Press Club voted him Man of the Year. He also served as president of the New Jersey Restaurant Association and National Restaurant Association.

The famous restaurateur died in 1945 after a brief illness. He was 73. His son Edward took over the seafood restaurant. When Edward died, grandson Ralph was president of the Atlantic City Restaurant Association. The restaurant had become a true family business.

Edward only ran Hackney’s for seven years before passing away in 1952 at 60. His son Ralph then took over, but he was dogged by bad fortune. In 1963, a late-night blaze completely destroyed the restaurant. No one was inside at the time, but it was a tragedy nevertheless. By then, Atlantic City was in decline. The loss of Hackney’s was yet another reminder of the happy past that seemed to have disappeared.

Then Ralph rebuilt the restaurant, opening again in 1965. He remained a staunch Atlantic City advocate until his death four years later.

Like the rest of the city, Hackney’s languished in the 1970s, and the influx of visitors brought by casino gaming did not help: the restaurant closed for good in the early 1980s. Though Hackney’s is no more, for over a half-century it was one of the best-known restaurants in the United States.

What a fitting role model for today’s generation of Atlantic City eateries.

By David Schwartz

David G. Schwartz (www.dieiscast.com), an Atlantic City native, is the Director of the Center for Gaming Research at UNLV and the author of several books, including Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling.