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Boston's Morning Newsletter
Why lobster roll prices in Boston have gotten so high
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
It’s the first day of summer, and we’re going to feel it. Today will be the hottest of this week’s heat wave, with temperatures expected to reach 98 in Boston (and feel like 102). Be sure to stay cool by hydrating and staying indoors in air conditioning (if you can). Also keep an extra close eye on your back seats and pets. And if you want heat safety tips from a real expert, NPR spoke with Jane Gilbert, who’s considered the world’s first ever chief heat officer.
Now, to other important summer discussions and, of course, news:
Shelling out: Massachusetts’ lobster roll game is strong. But if you want to indulge, you’ll need to pay even more this year for the summer seafood staple. For example, at The Barking Crab in Boston’s Seaport, a cold lobster roll will cost you $38, a hot one $39. Alex Morris, the restaurant’s director of operations, told WBUR’s Amy Sokolow those prices are up $7 from two years ago.
- Lobster rolls have never been a cheap eat, but why the higher-than-usual price tag? Local lobstermen say the lobster haul is lower than usual due to climate change and restrictions on where they can catch them. The costs of other ingredients (inflation!) and labor are also up.
- Is sticker shock affecting demand at restaurants? Not yet, for the Barking Crab, at least. According to Morris, the restaurant sold more than 6,000 lobster rolls last month. “I think the demand is high because it’s not just the lobster rolls that are expensive,” Morris said. “Going out to eat is just getting more expensive and I think the consumer understands that.”
- News you can use: The prices around Boston seem to range from $35-$40, according to Boston.com, which also put together a helpful list of how much lobster rolls cost right now, organized by price point.
On Beacon Hill: Gov. Maura Healey is expected to sign a bill into law today that outlaws sharing explicit images and videos without the subject’s consent. Massachusetts is currently one of just two states (the other being South Carolina) without a ban on “revenge porn,” or what advocacy groups call “image-based sexual assault.”
- What they’re saying: Nithya Badrinath, the policy director at Jane Doe Inc., an advocacy group against sexual assault and domestic violence, told Amy that the ban is a long-time coming, but the group is “really happy” with the “stronger bill” Healey is signing. You can read more about the details here.
Campus layoffs: Emerson College is planning to cut staff and faculty positions due to an enrollment decline leaders say is linked to campus protests over the war in Gaza this spring. In a letter obtained by The Boston Globe, Emerson President Jay Bernhardt wrote the one-year enrollment slump was partially caused by “student protests targeting our yield events and campus tours, and negative press and social media generated from the demonstrations and arrests.” The letter did not mention the specific number of positions being affected.
- Bernhardt also said this year’s FAFSA disruptions and national trends away from small schools may have added to the decline.
PSA: Allston Yards will open today with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The new development includes housing, office and lab space, a community green space and retail stores, including a fancy new Stop & Shop. (The grocery store chain owned the site of the now-Allston Yards and has operated a store there for more than 20 years.) The new Stop & Shop will open its doors to shoppers tomorrow.
School’s out: Students at four Boston Public Schools are getting a bonus perk from the Celtics’ NBA championship. BPS officials say Snowden International High School, Josiah Quincy Upper School, Josiah Quincy Elementary School and The Eliot will all be closed tomorrow due to “logistical headaches” caused by the Celtics parade. That means the last day of classes for those schools is today. Happy summer break!
P.S.— If you loved WBUR’s “Beyond All Repair,” you really don’t want to miss tonight’s CitySpace conversation at 7 p.m. with host Amory Sivertson and Meghna Chakrabarti. They’ll chat about how the podcast about a woman trying to shed herself of a 22-year-old murder accusation was made and you’ll hear all the inside deets. Buy your tickets — for in person or livestream — here.
