Our Story

With a history dating back to 1971, Crabtowne’s building has remained under the Coulbourn family’s ownership since 1956.

 

In 1955, I met my future husband, Donald Coulbourn, at his family’s restaurant on Delaware Avenue in Glen Burnie. The restaurant was a regular lunch destination for me. The Coulbourn family had extensive land holdings, including 27 acres now home to Crabtowne, 34 horses,  a horse academy . Following our marriage in 1956, my husband and my husbands brother son James Coulbourn Jr and his father James Coulbourn Sr.  undertook the construction of a standalone restaurant. Coulbourn’s opened its doors in April 1956, maintaining a 24-hour operation schedule. Initially, Route 301, the main route connecting Vermont to Florida, was situated along Crain Highway in front of the restaurant. However, the route was later relocated to the Eastern Shore. Coulbourn’s eventually closed in 1961 due to decreased business stemming from the loss of traffic on Route 301.

After Coulbourn’s closed , my husband tried several different businesses to provide for his family . First,  Hit and Miss Billiards, Than hit and Miss Used cars, Than North Arundel Motors, a car dealership who had the franchise to sell NSU cars imported from Germany and used vehicles. The franchise was closed in 1970 so my husband had to look for another way to provide for our family . He always had  the entrepreneurial spirit . So, we began again .

The year 1971 marked our transformation into Crabtowne. My husband commended my cooking skills, and we launched our business in March 1972. Initially, we were open 24 hours daily, serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and food catering to the after-hours crowd.

During the mid-1970s, my husband purchased his first video game, Pong, for our restaurant. He predicted its success, noting that his wife invested in it, which was unprecedented. With the profits from Pong, we acquired additional games, including Space Invaders and Pac-Man. This marked the beginning of a thriving business. The initial investment’s success led to the purchase of more machines, ultimately resulting in the launch of Space Vending. While maintaining Crabtowne, he concurrently developed a successful vending machine business across the county, capitalizing on the peak popularity of arcade games and vending machines. The 1983 expansion of Crabtowne enabled the inclusion of the current arcade and Crabtowne Too. Space Vending was closed in the late 1980’s.

 

The year 1999 marked a significant turning point in my life with the loss of my husband. Currently, at 87 years old, I continue to be actively involved in our family business, residing in close proximity to the restaurant. My late husband and I were blessed with a large family, including five children: Donale, Donnie, Babette, Patty, and Darlene, as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Throughout the years, my children and their children have played an integral role in assisting me with our family business, which is reflected in the phrase “I know the owner”. As a truly family-run business, each member of my family contributes their ideas to help celebrate 55 years as Crabtowne.

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced uncertainty regarding our reopening, a concern shared by many family-owned businesses. Nonetheless, my resolve to reopen remained unshakeable. We currently employ 48 staff members at our restaurant. Our decision to reopen was driven by our dedication to our employees, customers, and family. We are pleased to be operational again and thankful for the community’s sustained support of our family business.

Should you choose to dine at our restaurant, chances are that one of us will be present. Although this is a lengthy narrative, I take pride in sharing with you our family’s journey. We have worked diligently to achieve the American Dream, persevering through challenging times.

Kind Regards

Barbara Coulbourn