With tourist season about to begin and clam flats closed due to red tide, lovers of the steamed or fried bivalves will likely be paying more for their dinners.

Currently, the price of a gallon of clams is $85 – $10 more than this time last year, according to David Wilcox, owner of Ken’s Place Seafood Restaurant in Scarborough. Wilcox said he expects that with Monday’s closure of the Scarborough River to clamming, there will be a price hike by the end of the week.

And Wilcox, who has owned Ken’s Place since 2000, said he’s seen the price of clams go up to $135 per gallon during previous red ride episodes.

He also predicted a drop in business as a result of the red ride.

“I’ve already noticed (a decrease in business),” Wilcox said. “Any time there’s red tide people get nervous that all seafood is effected.”

However, this is not the case, Wilcox said. The majority of seafood – including lobster and haddock – is fine to eat.

Meghan Nannery, who has been a waitress at Good Table Restaurant in Cape Elizabeth for three years, agreed that the presence of red tide makes people nervous about eating clams.

“It effects how many people order clams,” she said.

Wilcox said if he cannot get his clams from clammers in Scarborough, he will most likely get his clams from the Ellsworth area. Nannery said the Good Table’s clams come from Canada.