Cousins Maine Lobster expands in franchising frenzy
File Photo / Courtesy, Cousins Maine Lobster
Cousins Maine Lobster founders Sabin Lomac, left, and Jim Tselikis started with a single food truck in Los Angeles in April 2012.
Cousins Maine Lobster, a far-flung franchiser of food trucks and restaurants featuring the state’s favorite crustacean, is adding six locations nationwide.
The openings are planned by the end of June, the company said Wednesday, and would bring the total number of Cousins franchises to 49.
Since its launch a decade ago in Los Angeles, Cousins has expanded into 35 major U.S. cities in 18 states with 36 food trucks and seven brick-and-mortar restaurants.
During the first quarter of this year, franchised food trucks have added territories in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, and franchises have opened in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Tampa, Fla. You'll find Cousins Maine Lobster for sale from Tennessee to Tempe, Ariz.
Cousins co-founder Jim Tselikis said in a news release, "Since 2012, our mission at Cousins Maine Lobster has been driven by a unique business model and the determination of every franchisee to succeed while bringing an authentic taste of Maine to their local market. We are proud of what we have already achieved in 2022 and look forward to continuing to build momentum with our current franchise partners."
The company did not specify locations of the planned openings, but said it is looking to expand in markets nationwide, including Chicago; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Mo.; Minnesota; Orlando, Fla; St. Louis; Virginia Beach, Va.; and the Pacific Northwest.
In addition, Cousins said its first-quarter sales increased 37% over the same period last year, but did not disclose sales amounts.
Tselikis and his real-life cousin, Sabin Lomac, are native Mainers who say they founded Cousins Maine Lobster to serve “the lobster-starved masses.” The business began slow, with a single food truck in L.A., but then the cousins appeared on “Shark Tank,” the network TV show in which entrepreneurs pitch business moguls in hopes of getting financing.
Real estate magnate Barbara Corcoran offered Tselikis and Lomac $55,000 for a 15% stake in the business. Two months after opening, the duo had recovered their $90,000 startup investment, posting $150,000 in revenue.
The company’s lobster is sourced from Maine waters, including Casco Bay, Cundy's Harbor, Boothbay Harbor, South Bristol, Port Clyde, Tenants Harbor and Vinalhaven.
The company continues to be headquartered in L.A. Ironically, Cousins Maine Lobster did not have a Maine presence until 2017, when a food truck began doing business in Portland.
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