Jean-Georges and celeb fave Mark Hotel accused of knocking off famed Montauk Clam Bar
The similarities of a ritzy new seafood spot on the Upper East Side to a beloved, decades-old Montauk clam shack has shellfish lovers crying foul — and lawyers sending cease-and-desist letters.Situated on a calm stretch of Old Montauk Highway between Montauk and Amagansett, the Clam Bar in Napeague has been an icon in the Hamptons for 44 years.It’s instantly recognizable with its red exterior, trimmed in white; rectangular signage with CLAM BAR spelled out in bold, white capital letters; and the names of menu items, such as “lobster roll” painted along the roof line.A few weeks ago, The Mark Clam Bar by Jean-Georges and Caviar Kaspia opened on the Upper East Side in the celeb-fave Mark Hotel.
It has a color scheme and signage similar to the Clam Bar near Montauk, and the likeness has left some customers confused and outraged.Liz Hopkins, a 35-year-old who works in advertising and divides her time between Montauk and NYC, was stoked to try The Mark Clam Bar and assumed it was a pop-up from one of her favorite spots out east.“I was so excited that a Montauk brand I love was coming to New York City,” she told The Post.
“I thought it was the same because of the white capital letters of Clam Bar looked just like the Napeague one.”But when her lobster roll, lobster cobb, fries and corn came, it wasn’t what she was expecting.“It wasn’t Clam Bar food,” said Hopkins.“The portions were small, and everything came with caviar.” Her suspicions were confirmed when she tagged a photo of her experience with the Clam Bar in Napeague and received a message back saying they weren’t affiliated with The Mark.“I have a bad taste in my mouth,” she said.
“People are seeing how well these small family-owned businesses are doing in Montauk and they are trying to rip them off.” Kelly Piccinnini, whose family has owned Clam Bar since it opened in 1981, said Hopkins is hardly the only one confused on social media“We had people messaging us saying h...