Swinomish-owned oyster food truck opens in La Conner

LA CONNER - A food truck featuring fresh oysters held its grand opening Thursday along the La Conner waterfront.

The Shuck Shack, at 706 1st Street in La Conner, is owned by the Swinomish Shellfish Company and features outdoor seating with a waterfront view.

The menu includes raw shucked oysters served with lemon and/or seasonal accoutrements, take-home oysters, clam chowder, sourdough chowder bowls and salads. Drinks include beer, wine, ciders and sodas.

The Shuck Shack will be open through September from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.

Last year, the location featured a pop-up tent with only take-home oysters.

Tim Ballew, director of retail operations for the Swinomish Development Authority, said most people stopping by wanted fresh oysters to enjoy on-site, so his team hustled to complete a menu and get the permits needed to open the Shuck Shack.

If the venture is successful, Ballew said his team would like to expand to serving other kinds of traditional seafood.

At the grand opening, the Swinomish Canoe Family shared a blessing song and community leaders made remarks.

The Shuck Shack and the land it's on is steeped in the tribe's culture and history.

Ballew is a first cousin of J.J. Wilbur, a member of the Swinomish Tribal Senate and chair of the Swinomish Development Committee.

Ballew and Wilbur's grandfather was a master fish cook and passed along his skills to them.

The idea to share oysters with the community was pushed forward by a tribal elder.

In about 2017, Lorraine Loomis was the fisheries director for the tribe and chairwoman of the Northwest Indian Fish Commission.

Loomis pushed to have the tribe buy the shellfish farm that became the Swinomish Shellfish Company.

Ballew said Loomis' vision was to increase shellfish production for ceremonial and commercial uses.

"Our elders would say, 'When the tide is out, the table is set,' and I think this new venture embodies that teaching of the importance of shellfish to the local communities. We're happy to share this product with everybody," Ballew said.

The Swinomish tribe got the land the Shuck Shack is on during World War II.

At the time, Ballew and Wilbur's grandparents were members of the Swinomish Tribal Senate.

When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, there were Japanese-Americans living in La Conner.

The man who owned the property that the Shuck Shack is now on knew that he and his family would be taken to an internment camp.

Because he knew the government would take his property, he spoke to Wilbur's grandfather, Andy, and gave the property to the Swinomish tribe.

The first formal Swinomish tribal office was on the land that the Shuck Shack is now on, and Wilbur's grandparents were the first employees of the Swinomish tribe.

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