Meals & Beverage
Cousins Maine Lobster co-founders Jim Tselikis and Sabin Lomac focus on how this model has hit large success with meals vans and genuine elements.
Picture: Cousins Maine Lobster
August 11, 2025 by Bradley Cooper — Editor, ATM Market & Meals Truck Operator
Cousins Maine Lobster is rapidly turning into probably the most well-known meals truck chain within the U.S. Since its founding in 2012, it has quickly expanded to incorporate 85 places consisting of each meals vans and brick-and-mortar eating places. It additionally has made large bucks, because it not too long ago surpassed $1 billion in gross sales.
The model has grow to be so widespread {that a} truck merely arriving in a city is sufficient to carry important native information protection. However what’s fueling the expansion of this chain? To study extra concerning the secret to its success, Meals Truck Operator spoke with co-founders Jim Tselikis and Sabin Lomac of Cousins Maine Lobster in an e mail interview.
Q. What’s the historical past of Cousins Maine Lobster?
Tselikis and Lomac: Cousins Maine Lobster was based in 2012 by real-life cousins and Mainers, Jim Tselikis and Sabin Lomac. It began with two issues: a meals truck and a shared imaginative and prescient to increase the highest-quality Maine lobster to the lobster-starved plenty by making it inexpensive and accessible for on a regular basis customers. After showing on Shark Tank, Jim and Sabin partnered with Barbara Corcoran and commenced franchising in 2014, partnering with entrepreneurs to carry Maine lobster coast to coast with in-house provide chain capabilities and logistics, positioning them to enter new markets effectively and successfully. Since then, Cousins Maine Lobster has grown into one in every of Shark Tank’s most profitable manufacturers, now working greater than 85 items throughout 35 states with their sights set on reaching 100 items by the tip of 2025.
Q. What’s on the menu?
Tselikis and Lomac: Our menu brings the flavors of New England coast-to-coast, anchored by our signature lobster rolls made with wild-caught Maine lobster. The Maine Roll is served chilled with a contact of mayo, whereas the Connecticut Roll comes heat with butter and lemon — easy, traditional, unforgettable. This yr, we launched a daring new favourite: the Garlic Butter Roll, served heat with butter, garlic, parmesan and herbs.
Friends can get pleasure from different specialty lobster entrées like lobster tacos, lobster grilled cheese, lobster tots and our lobster quesadilla, in addition to our two soups, Lobster Bisque and New England Clam Chowder. The menu is additional rounded out with sides like tots, chips and combos, traditional Maine whoopie pies for dessert and a number of beverage choices together with craft bottled soda from Maine. What units our meals aside is authenticity, a dedication to serving the very best high quality Maine lobster, and a enterprise mannequin that helps hundreds of hard-working Mainers and an iconic fishery.
Q. What has fueled its progress?
Tselikis and Lomac: Cousins Maine Lobster’s success is rooted within the energy of its product — wild-caught Maine lobster served in a fast-casual format that is each approachable and unforgettable. Our meals vans spark pleasure wherever they roll, delivering an genuine style of the coast to communities the place high-quality seafood is usually out of attain. For franchisees, it is a streamlined, comparatively low-overhead idea that launches rapidly and builds actual connections on the bottom. A lot of our franchisees have scaled their success, rising into multi-unit operators throughout their markets.
Q. What kind of franchising mannequin does Cousins Maine Lobster use?
Tselikis and Lomac:We provide a versatile franchise mannequin that includes meals vans and eating places, creating a versatile resolution to accessing various markets. This multi-format method permits the model to deploy new items usually in as little as 90 days. From website choice and launch, to coaching, advertising and day-to-day operations, our franchisees are supported each step of the way in which. Most of our franchisees grow to be multi-unit operators, a real testomony to the power and endurance of our confirmed mannequin.
Q. How has it maintained consistency throughout so many places?
Tselikis and Lomac: Consistency begins with a mannequin that works. Our centralized provide chain ensures each franchisee receives the identical wild-caught, premium lobster, satisfying our stringent specs. Whether or not you are working a truck or restaurant, success is pushed by simplicity: restricted SKUs, quick-ticket instances and a streamlined labor mannequin that does not require prior culinary expertise. We have constructed techniques that help velocity of service and operational ease, making it straightforward to execute and scale your enterprise. From immersive coaching and outlined working requirements to real-time help from our company staff, our hands-on method protects the integrity of our model and ensures each buyer enjoys the identical distinctive expertise, irrespective of the place they discover us.
Q. What makes its advertising so impactful?
Tselikis and Lomac: Our advertising works as a result of it is rooted in authenticity and expertise. The founders’ story, our connection to Maine and our high-quality product all resonate with our clients. We mix robust nationwide branding with hyper-local activation, empowering franchisees to construct buzz of their communities by way of highway exhibits, native partnerships with breweries and wineries and thru social media. Visually, our meals and vans are showstoppers, with spectacular digital signage, a state-of-the-art loyalty and ordering app, all making Cousins Maine Lobster extremely shareable and interesting on-line. The flexibility to expertise genuine Maine lobster in various markets exterior Maine makes a visit to Cousins Maine Lobster not only a journey to seize dinner, however a enjoyable and thrilling expertise you wish to share with household and mates.
Q. Plans for the longer term?
Tselikis and Lomac: We’re on tempo to succeed in 100 items by the tip of 2025, fueled by thrilling launches in markets like Oklahoma Metropolis, Grand Rapids, Albany, Minneapolis and Milwaukee. Momentum is constructing as we proceed to signal franchisees in new territories all through the nation. On the similar time, we’re evolving our menu and investing within the techniques that energy long-term success, guaranteeing our franchisees are set as much as develop with us for years to come back.
Q. Anything you want to add?
Tselikis and Lomac:Cousins Maine Lobster is greater than a meals model. It is a household enterprise constructed on high quality, belief and group. As we develop, we stay dedicated to our mission: to share the genuine Maine expertise by serving premium lobster with unmatched hospitality. Whether or not it is somebody’s first lobster roll or their hundredth, we purpose to make each expertise memorable.
About Bradley Cooper
