"What?" Dawn asked.

"Moving here," Sari replied.

The decision, made in the spring of 2000, was inevitable, say Dawn and Mitch Weiss. Their daughter's approval just sealed the deal. Mitch, a network engineer in East Hampton, and Dawn, a human resources manager, both wanted careers that would allow more time with Sari and her then 10-year-old brother, Max. When Mitch started at his growing company, he knew everyone there. But by the time he left, he was seeing employees terminated that he'd never met. "We wanted to work for ourselves and get out of the corporate environment," Mitch says.

The couple, both Connecticut natives, had vacationed on the Maine coast for 15 years and decided they wanted to move there. "We've camped and rented cottages all the way from Kittery to Mount Desert Island," Dawn says. "But we decided to look at Maine in the off-season, not when it was pretty and warm." So on a rainy April weekend, the family headed north. Without a clear plan, Mitch and Dawn did an Internet search on their laptop for available commercial properties. "Up popped the Lobster Dock," Mitch says. Dawn was entranced with the idea: Mitch had done restaurant work and she had the personnel experience. "It's everything we know," she told him. He replied, "What are you, nuts?" But they decided to look.

Two months of number crunching, negotiations, multiple bank loans,and sleepless nights later—and in the peak of summer rush—they owned a walk-up lobster eatery. "The whole first season is a blur," Mitch says. Luckily, with a solid reputation of serving tasty food in a terrific location, the restaurant was in good shape. "I've taken good things and made them better," Mitch says. "It's not typical lobster shack fare."

Now about to start their fifth season, the Weisses have no regrets. They've settled into the house next to the restaurant and into their new roles, as well. Mitch manages the kitchen, menu, vendors, and customers. Dawn handles the books, banking, payroll and personnel. After four years, they've managed to make the restaurant's summer income support them for the entire year, they've bought a sleek speedboat that's tied up nearby, and they're preparing to send the kids to college.

Because the business is seasonal, they're able to take several months off to spend with the children and travel. Their new lifestyle is just what they imagined. "We greet the kids every day when they get off the school bus," Dawn says. The corporate grind seems like ages ago. Living by the water is freeing, she says. "I never take the view for granted. I just needed to live here."

Changing times

Dawn and Mitch studied their seasonal business before deciding to buy it. "We were confident that the business was successful and would continue to be," Mitch says. And they've learned a few lessons since.

• Create a plan to get through "the first few lean years," Mitch says. "In a seasonal Maine business, you're very dependent on the weather, customers, and the economy."

• Think of ways to save money for the off-season. Ask for rebates or refund programs from vendors, shop for the best phone plan. If you buy a certain company's cleaning and paper products in bulk, they may well give you a rebate. Dawn says, "All you have to do is ask."

• Keep a great Web site. "We get so many hits, it's unbelievable," Mitch says. "Link to as many sites as you can."

• Uphold relationships with vendors. "Pay bills on time," Dawn says. "Our vendors will go out of their way for us."

• Tap into your customer base to boost sales. "They're an invaluable marketing tool," Mitch says. "If they love your place, they're your best asset."