About

Cape Tip Seafoods has always been an entity whose business model has had to continually change through the years to adapt to the ever-changing fisheries and tourism climate.

To create a sustainable seafood business, Our leader, Chris King, recognized a need to become vertically integrated and begin marketing his own fresh product. In July of 1995, Cape Tip Fisheries was born. He engaged the owners of Fishermen’s Wharf and secured a deal to lease the building at the end of the pier to unload the daily catch from not only our own F/V Second Effort but also servicing dozens of local and transient groundfish draggers and scallopers as well as a small fleet of lobster boats. As an executive director of the Whaling City Seafood Display Auction, Cape Tip Fisheries was established as an unloading branch for the auction.

In the late 1990’s, the regulations for the northeast groundfish fleet fisheries became much more stringent and began to force many fishermen out of the industry. Provincetown’s groundfish fleet was reduced by 80 percent between 1990 and 2005. In 1999, Cape Tip Fisheries left Fisherman’s pier and again the company’s business model and name was changed to Cape Tip Seafoods. CTS mission was to provide the freshest local seafood to Cape restaurants and fish markets. Boat unloading operations now took place on Macmillan pier and wholesale distribution operation was relocated to a facility on Court Street right in Provincetown.

Since 1999, Cape Tip Seafoods has distributed a full line of fresh and frozen seafood products to customers from Provincetown to Boston. During the summer season you will see our trucks delivering daily on Cape Cod and to our customers in Boston. In 2005, Cape Tip Seafood Market was opened at Truro Central Village and was staffed for the first 3 years by 4 retired Provincetown fishing boat Captains. This retail seafood location has become a seasonal staple on the Outer Cape. Most restaurants on the Outer Cape receive seafood from Cape Tip Seafoods.

Operating in an extremely volatile business climate with constant changes in fisheries regulations, tourism needs, seafood sourcing, and competition Cape Tip Seafoods has always been a business constantly adjusting and evolving with the times. During the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, Cape Tip did not shut down but instead, Cape Tip developed a home delivery arm and offered this service to residents of the Outer Cape during the pandemic as many people flocked from the cities to occupy their seasonal homes during this troubling time.

Cape Tip Seafoods mission has always been to continue to adjust their business model and marketing practices to provide its retail and wholesale with the highest quality seafood with stellar customer service and this has been evident over its 30 years of existence.

(First Reading: Sirach 18: 7-10 by Chris King)