Cotuit Oyster Company, Inc. produces a high quality oyster that has a unique briny flavor unlike any other. The purity of the water and especial chemical make-up account for the flavor of the "Cotuit " which is known and demanded in many parts of the world.

Fresh water streams, marshes and estuaries combined with the clean water from Nantucket Sound entering Cotuit bay through the Wianno Cut and Cotuit Channel provide the oysters & quahogs a rich food supply.

Dating back to 1857, The Cotuit Oyster Company has produced one of the oldest brand name of oysters in the United States. Our trademark, "Cotuits-R-Superior" has been registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (#2901726) since 1932.

Shellfish cultivation was practiced by the Native Americans and later by the colonist on Cape Cod. The Cotuit Oyster Company has origins dating back to the mid 1800’s. In 1857, Capt. William Childs returned from a life at sea to the life of an oysterman. His business became one of the biggest on Cape Cod. Oysters then were packed into barrels and carts across the Cape in large wagons to the railroad depot in West Barnstable. From there, they were shipped by rail to Boston, New York and other cities in the northeast.

By 1870, six other oyster companies worked the bottom of Cotuit Bay. In 1894, Childs’ son Samuel decided to go into the business himself. He established his shanty at the present location of the Cotuit Oyster Company.

In 1912, Harry Height, an executive at the Eastman Kodak CO. bought out most of the independent oysterman and formed the Cotuit Oyster Company. In 1923, he sold his right to the Seacoast Oyster Company of New Haven, Conn.

The industry thrived until WWII, when the Army erected Camp Can Do-It above the narrows in North Bay. Landing Craft training for the invasion of France caused havoc with the delicate oyster beds, churning up the bottom and fouling the water with silt. This and the hurricane of 1944 proved disastrous to the industry.

The Seacoast Oyster Company rebuilt their shanties and had the beds producing again by 1955. In 1960, the company turned over the grants to their manager Andy Post. Three Cotuit residents bought the company and incorporated it, renting the property and the name along with the trademark: Cotuits-R-Superior ™ from the Seacoast Oyster Company. Andy post operated the business up until 1973 when Richard Nelson expressed interest in buying the company. Mr. Nelson ran the business up until 2004 when Chris Gargiulo took over and is currently the President and owner of Cotuit Oyster Company, Inc.