Rudder’s Seafood Restaurant & Brewery

June 2026

This article is part of the From the Industry series, by the Retaurant Association of Nova Scotia. By highlighting the stories of food & beverage businesses around the province, we hope to hightlihght the talent and dedication that exists in the industry, and the people who keep it running each and everyday, despite the many challenges. This article highlights Rudder’s Seafood Restaurant & Brewery. It can be easy to assume that running a restaurant is all about serving food & drink. But at the core – this is hospitality. And when you’re running a busy restaurant, in a rural, and tourism driven destination, understanding people is a central skill.  

Rudder’s Seafood Restaurant and Brewery is a long standing, Yarmouth fixture. Three years ago, it changed ownership, day to day operations are now overseen by Tina D’Entrement & her partner, Clifton Armsworthy. Tina works as the General Manager, and has a floor manager, and a prep kitchen manager to support the large restaurant.  Before they took over the business, Clifton had already worked there as a brewer, and a server, so it was a natural transition for him.  Tina was new to the industry, though she helped paint the space when the restaurant originally opened 25 ago, and it felt like a full circle moment for her.  

Tina worked as a social worker, and a professional counselor for most of her life. Other than stories from Clifton, she was new to the industry when they took over operations of Rudder’s. “I didn’t know what I didn’t know” Tina says, reflecting on that transition. Though she was new to the industry, her background has helped substantially when it comes to management. Working in a restaurant is challenging, and having a manager with a good understanding of people is helpful, especially for a large property like Rudders, which employs approximately 39 staff in the winter, and 50 in the summer. For Tina, it’s more personal than transferable skills. She sees her previous career as the path that led her to this role.   

Understanding what it takes to work in a restaurant is important. And this is something Tina has worked hard to learn. She trained as a host when she first arrived, to give herself some experience. She noted how challenging it was to, “maintain that rotation and the fairness” when it comes to table distribution. The same goes for serving. Tina discussed the appreciation she has for the professional servers, who have been in the business for a long time. “I watch those who have experience and, boy, they are skilled and invaluable.” One example is how they deal with escalating customer situations. In hospitality, that skill is really gained through experience. 

Rudder’s is in the town of Yarmouth and experiences some of the challenges shared by rural restaurants across the province, however it’s also a tourist destination. Tina notes that when much of your annual business relies on visitors, you are really working with 100 substantial days, and even then, you are at the mercy of the flux of tourism. Even the weather can be impactful.  

The CAT ferry port is helpful for boosting business in town, but the tourism landscape has changed in recent years. Though many tourists are still arriving in port, fewer Canadian residents are traveling through the province to cross over to Maine on the ferry. And those numbers make a difference. For that reason, Tina believes that Canadian visitor numbers are lower overall, however they did see an increase in visitors from Quebec.  

Changes to the industry require adaptation. “I do believe that for a town and community to be vibrant, it has to have multiple businesses, including restaurants”. Yarmouth, like some other rural regions, is seeing growth in the number of businesses, which is great for the town, and for attracting visitors. But that brings challenges too. Staffing is difficult in the industry across the province, and in a smaller town the pool to draw from is smaller too.  

Recruitment and retention of staff is a challenge across the industry, particularly when a business has such fluctuating staffing needs throughout the year. “You can be overstaffed and understaffed all in the same week”, Tina notes.  Rudder’s has found help ways to support staff retention, such as increasing the tip distribution, and offering health benefits. 

Running a restaurant is not easy, even a long-standing successful business. It takes strength, and a lot of work to thrive in an industry with so many moving parts. The folks at Rudders are committed, and work to create a space where people feel happy to come to work, and a space where visitors and locals can feel welcome. 

About Author

Heather Boucher

Membership & Marketing Coordinator, Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia

Heather has an extensive background in restaurants, tourism, and hospitality. She has worked in a wide range of hospitality positions in three different provinces: Alberta, Ontario and Nova Scotia. She is passionate about sharing stories from this unique, and exciting industry. 

From The Industry articles are an opportunity for our members to highlight the skills, talent and hardwork that goes into this industry. We work with a network of trusted guest writers and collaborators to tell stories from the industry. For more information about RANS membership, contact heather@rans.ca.

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