BATH—Captain Angus McGregor Crosby was a lobsterman since he was 14 on Georgetown Island before he died unexpectedly in 2021. His daughters, Lauren Crosby, 29, and Sadia Crosby, 28, each had her own vocation at the time: Lauren worked as a  traveling musician and teacher, and Sadia owned an oyster farm called OysHERS Sea Farm.

After he died, the sisters felt drawn even closer together and wanted to open a business that had been a long-held dream —a raw bar with sparkling wines and beverages to honor their father and all of the fishermen and oyster farmers whom they’d grown up around.

“He was definitely a classic Maine fisherman, very hard-working, very stubborn and smart; a classic Scotsman and he never let us forget it,” said Lauren, laughing, while she recalled. “He played a massive role in our lives to become entrepreneurs and to do things your own way. Sadia asked me a couple of months ago, ‘Do you think Dad would be proud that we started this business?’ And I answered ‘I don’t care what Dad would think–we’re doing it anyway!’”

The sisters opened Oysters Raw Bar & Bubbly June 17.  

“With the passing of our dad so suddenly, it put a lot of things into perspective,” said Lauren. “One of my callings is to promote Maine seafood and the cultural heritage of Midcoast Maine and a great way to do that is by opening our own raw bar. We feel very passionate about promoting lobstermen and how important it is to working waterfront families of Maine today.”

Indeed, the business’s two main offerings: champagne and locally harvested raw oysters scream “luxury” to the rest of the world, but to the Crosby sisters, it’s meant to be reframed into what is and should be accessible to everyone, not just wealthy tourists.

“Historically, oysters and champagne have been perceived as this elite food, and it’s so funny because there seems to be this disconnect in the general public between these foods– including lobster–as being out of everyone’s price range, but we who have worked on boats, filling the bait bags, know there is nothing elitist about it,” she said. “The high stress and dangers that come with working on the water are our reality. The working families who provide us with lobster, oysters, and crabmeat are being supported when you come here.  The food we bring in shouldn’t just be accessible to people with a lot of money. That’s why Sadia and I really wanted to create a space in downtown Bath that is fun, and welcoming to all—families, people with dogs—just come hang out and enjoy life’s simple pleasures.”

The most popular items on the menu are the charcuterie board, the lobster, and crab sliders. The place boasts a massive sparkling wine and bubbly list as well with Mimosa flights being the top sellers. They also sell wine, beer, cider, hard seltzer, distilled cocktails, and non-alcoholic bubbly drinks

The Crosby sisters have not only parlayed Sadia’s aquaculture skills into the business, but also have a vision to support more female-run businesses (including oyster farms, wineries, and farmers) as well as host local artists, songwriters, book clubs, and educational opportunities at the space. The sisters also plan on providing an annual scholarship to a deserving student at Morse High School–a school where both they, their mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother are alumni.

Given how seasonal the offering on the menu is, Oysthers will only be open from Memorial Day to December 31. Most lobstermen in the Midcoast have wrapped their season at that point and oyster stocks need to rest and grow over the winter.

To learn more about the sisters and the new raw bar visit: www.oysthers.com

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com