Formerly 9 Ryder Seaside Dining | Previously Townsend Lobster and Seafood Market; Dancing Lobster
As Townsend Lobster and Seafood Market [2008, Dunlap]
Francis “Frank” Iacono, cofounder and chef at 9 Ryder. [2024, Dunlap]
In 1995, Nils “Pepe” Berg — the namesake of Pepe’s Wharf — opened the Dancing Lobster restaurant in a shack at the foot of the pier that had been painted coral pink. Writing in The New York Times that summer, Molly O’Neill said, “The Dancing Lobster celebrates local ingredients, pays homage to the Latin flavors that have always permeated Provincetown cooking, and has a simple, contagious joy about it.” It was succeeded by Townsend Lobster and Seafood Market, which festooned the shack with lobster pot buoys.
Townsend was succeeded in 2012 by 9 Ryder Seaside Dining, run by Fred “Freddy” Hemley and Francis “Frank” Iacono, which served southern Italian and Ischian dishes. The sad duty fell to Hemley’s daughter Helen to announce in a Facebook post on 1 May 2025 that the restaurant was closing after 12 seasons.
“Across these seasons, Francis and Freddy were joined every summer by their children, by spouses, by siblings, and by coworkers (more like a seasonal extended family) from around the world. Freddy passed away in the summer of 2022 and Francis passed just this past winter of 2025. Continuing a restaurant run by these two powerhouses of Provincetown food, history and art would be a hard-fought battle, so it is time to end this story. …
“My father and Francis were Provincetown treasures, although I know neither would have touted themselves as such. They never put their names on the restaurants, galleries, and other town contributions that they provided over the years, but their mark was distinct. They were influenced and taught in the town’s history and lore by the people who molded its presence in the 20th century – Sal Del Deo, Ciro Cozzi, and Flyer Santos just to name a few. This was evident in everything from the art they created themselves, to their personal style, to their cooking. Their love, respect and admiration for everything Provincetown has to offer was reflected in 9 Ryder. …
“9 Ryder is a point in time, and time is endlessly changing around us like sand brought in and out by the tides.” — Helen Hemley
“9 Ryder is a point in time, and time is endlessly changing around us like sand brought in and out by the tides. What a wonderful gift they gave us, to experience these merging places in time with 9 Ryder in Provincetown.”