17 North Beach Street
Nantucket, MA 02554
(508) 228-1515
The 75th Anniversary of The Chicken Box
Rocky Fox, Packy Norton and John Jordin reflect on the 75th anniversary of The Chicken Box.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
story by Antonia DePace
photography by Kit Noble
On an island that has evolved into a destination for the wealthy, time has continued to stand still at 16 Dave Street. Celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, The Chicken Box remains one of the few places on the island where you can see people of all social, ethnic and economic status, together. It’s where the late Jimmy Buffett played a multitude of impromptu concerts, during which locals and visitors alike sang along to top hits. It’s where people have met their soulmates, gotten married or simply socialized after a day of hard work.
But when it comes to whom to thank for all of these memories on Nantucket, it’s not necessarily the establishment itself, but the faces behind the scenes: Rocky Fox, Packy Norton and John Jordin. This month marks their 25th anniversary of owning what has become so lovingly known as “The Box.”
Harry Truman was president in 1949, when The Chicken Box was originally founded by Willie House, a young Black man from Kentucky: who came to the island with his employer during the summers. During their leisure hours on Thursdays and half-Sundays, he found little to do. After remodeling a vacant shack in what was then considered a remote part of town, The Box was opened. And the rest is history.
For Fox, Norton and Jordin, their own story with The Box starts in 1992, when the trio all worked there under the ownership of Robert “Cap’n Seaweed” R. Reed. Somewhere between scrubbing floors, cleaning bathrooms, barbacking, working as doormen and bartending, the guys decided to buy their beloved Box after hearing that Reed was ready to move on. At the time, Norton had moved on to managing the bar at Straight Wharf. “At that point, it became public knowledge that The Chicken Box was for sale. That’s when Joe Pantorno and Jimmy Buffett threw their hats into the ring to buy The Box, and we were naturally pitting against those two guys,” explains Fox, whose mother often frequented the restaurant during its time under House. “But Seaweed took less money from the three of us because of the relationship that we had with him over the years.”
At the time of purchase, they were in their late twenties and early thirties. “It wouldn’t happen in today’s world. When Rocky, John and I started talking, we had zero money. We were young,” says Norton. “There were a lot of dominoes lined up that wouldn’t line up today, and we got lucky.”
Old regulars at The Box include Adam Weldy, who has felt at home there for decades. And he’s not the only one. Newer island generations flock to the live music destination, which books both local and off-island talents to its stage. “There are two things I always make time for in the midst of a busy summer work schedule—the beach and The Chicken Box shows,” adds year-round resident Sheryl Aquiler. “Live music always soothes the soul. The caliber of talent that they bring to The Box each year always amazes me. We are so lucky to see so many great artists in a small, intimate venue. It’s a forever summer memory that never disappoints!”
Even upon purchasing The Box, the ambivalent owners knew that they wanted to keep the establishment pretty much the same, with a continuing emphasis on being a large footprint within the community. “There’s a saying that goes, ‘If it’s not broken, don’t fix it,’” Jordin jokes. In all, they made minor cosmetic updates to bring The Box up to the 21st century but kept the shell the same.
In regards to their favorite memories, the owners claim that there are too many to count, but even then, there are some that stand out more than others. In fact, both Jordin and Fox met their wives at The Box prior to ownership. But through famous faces on stage and late-night laughs, it’s thinking outside of the box (pun, intended) and expanding into community efforts that the men are most proud of.
In addition to popular events like the “See You Later Alligator”
party previously hosted at the end of the summer, they’ve held
countless fundraisers and formed partnerships with the Boys and Girls Club, Meals on Wheels, Big Brothers Big Sisters and more. “We’re always giving back to the community,” Fox says. “We raised a substantial amount of dollars out of that place.”
Of course, 25 years of ownership hasn’t come without its challenges, including the recent COVID-19 pandemic, but even then, they surpassed expectations by running a food truck and giving locals a place to be outdoors. “Even though we weren’t open at night and didn’t have music, people were just excited to have a place to go outside and sit and have a couple of drinks and still be in The Box,” Norton says. In a world of
uncertainty, The Box was a place of familiarity and comfort that the island needed.
And just as they supported the community, the community supported them. “I only have one other thing to say that I
would be remiss if I didn’t,” Fox says. “Thank you to all of our
customers, because they have options where they really can go.”
Looking forward, Fox, Norton and Jordin plan on keeping The Box the same, with some celebrations on the horizon for the
anniversaries. “We need places like The Box with the direction the island’s going,” Norton concludes. “We’re not going to make anything fancy or different. It’s going to be the same place it’s always been.” Three cheers to that!
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