Originally Posted by ALadyNCal
Forgive me -- I live on the West Coast 
Why are they called 'pounds' instead of restaurants?
Hey, I live in CA too. You have to get out of the state more often.
Lobster pounds are where large amounts of trapped lobsters are kept alive to either sell in bulk to other dealers, to ship to restaurants or to sell to consumers for a meal/carryout. A lobster pound is not primarily a restaurant although most do have indoor or outdoor dining facilities.
Here's a little blurb on lobster pounds:
The first lobster pound appeared on Vinalhaven in 1875 and others quickly followed. Lobster pounds work in the same manner as the smack boats. The lobsters are kept in tanks with water passing freely through them. The first lobster pound was in a deep tidal creek, but today they are more common on docks floating in the harbor. Using the pound, dealers can wait for the price of lobster to increase or allow a newly-molted lobster time to harden its shell.