Keeping things simple to showcase some of the world’s best seafood, Water Prince Corner Shop on Prince Edward Island traces back over four decades. Owned by the Campbell family, they began in the seafood business with a small lobster pound and, over time, expanded operations to include wholesale, retail and food service. Now owned by the second generation, the Campbells continue to grow slowly and steadily, making sure more visitors and locals get a taste of the island’s seafood.

First catch

The beginning of the family seafood business dates back to 1984 when Shane Campbell and his brother-in-law, David MacIntyre, opened a small lobster pound in Pinette, P.E.I. It started as a side hustle. Campbell was a bricklayer, and MacIntyre ran a funeral home; despite having no experience in seafood, they slowly built a business from the ground up. By 1987, they opened a second location at the Charlottetown Airport, which Campbell ran while MacIntyre managed the original.

In 1991, after MacIntyre sold the lobster pound in Pinette, Campbell decided to move his business from the airport to downtown Charlottetown. He purchased a building on the corner of Water and Prince Streets and fittingly renamed his business Water Prince Corner Shop.

Meeting quotas

Initially, Campbell kept the business much the same. His shop carried a wide selection of seafood, and he operated a wholesale business to customers across Canada, the U.S. and Japan. But in 1993, he tried something new and set up a lunch counter.

He started small with 16 stools around two countertops and four menu items—a lobster roll, steamed clams, steamed mussels and seafood chowder. After a positive response, he slowly expanded operations. The following year, he added tables and chairs, and eventually outdoor seating and picnic tables.

In true family business fashion, Campbell’s daughters and son were involved in the business growing up. And in 2017, his son Coady left his job as a teacher to join operations full-time and took over ownership in 2021. After years of seeing their small kitchen working beyond its capacity, Coady had the idea of building another kitchen on the building’s second floor. The project was completed last winter and has allowed them to maintain offering takeout orders, which weren’t available before the pandemic.

Family proud

Today, Water Prince Corner Shop continues to operate a restaurant, retail shop and wholesale business to customers across Canada. The restaurant’s menu has grown from its four staples to include other classics like fish and chips, creative options like a scallop burger and non-seafood items. And like they always have, Coady says they keep things simple to showcase the seafood.

Speaking of his decision to join the business full time, Campbell commented: “This place is a part of my family. I was eight when I started working at the old lobster pound, and I’ve been here all along. Teaching was secure, but it’d be hard to wonder what would have been if I hadn’t taken a leap of faith.”

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