Here’s Why the Iconic Black Whale Chair in New Bedford is No Longer Blue

In the summertime, downtown New Bedford comes alive with locals and tourists strolling in and out of shops and restaurants as they soak up seaside living. Memories are cemented with photo ops all over downtown and a popular stopping point is by the waterfront at The Black Whale, where a giant lawn chair waits to be the backdrop.

While it may go over a tourist’s head, locals have noticed something different about the iconic Black Whale chair. It has a new, bright yellow paint job, and one of the restaurant’s managers explained why.

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Cynthia Lawrence has been one of the managers at The Black Whale for five years and has seen countless groups of people gather around the giant lawn chair for a fun photo.

“It’s a whimsical chair and no one has seen a chair that big before, so people just love it,” she said.

Installed by the restaurant's original owners, the chair has been blue for years, but this year, the restaurant switched it to a sunshine yellow.

In all honesty, it was an update to better match the restaurant.

“It was just a little refresh,” Lawrence said. “The interior of our restaurant is a lot of navy, grey and beige with pops of yellow, so we went with yellow to match the interior. It’s a cheerful color.”

Lawrence loves how The Black Whale chair has become a landmark for so many friends and families looking to grab a pic of their time downtown.

“It’s pretty fun and amazing to have so many visitors,” she said. “We see lots of different people from all over the world, and even people that aren’t dining with us will hop in the chair. It’s a fun, unique thing.”

If you take the time to take a photo by the giant chair, do your tastebuds a favor and try out the menu.

“You have to have the scallops, and if you’re a sushi lover, it’s the best in the area," Lawrence said.

If you only have a picture with the blue chair, it's time to photograph some new memories with the new color.