A Massachusetts oyster farm that owns oyster bars in Massachusetts and New Hampshire will open a retail store and fast casual eatery on Portland’s Washington Avenue this year.

Island Creek Oysters, based in Duxbury, Massachusetts, plans to open a retail shop and restaurant at 123 Washington Ave., just a couple of doors away from Roustabout and Oxbow Brewing, the company announced Monday. The new business is expected to open sometime between April and June.

The company plans to sell both Massachusetts and Maine oysters, said spokeswoman Nicole Kanner. Island Creek already sells Maine oysters, she said, and this outpost in Maine will allow the company to work with smaller Maine oyster farms that don’t have the ability to distribute their product.

Skip Bennett, the founder and owner of Island Creek Oysters, is also a partner in Island Creek Oyster Bar in Boston’s Kenmore Square and Burlington, Massachusetts, as well as Row 34, an oyster and beer bar with locations in Boston’s Fort Point and Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Island Creek Oysters supplies fresh oysters and clams year-round to more than 600 chefs across the country, and sells 9 million oysters annually around the world. The company also runs a direct-to-consumer online store where shellfish can be purchased.

Meredith Goad can be contacted at 791-6332 or at:

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