Cousins Maine Lobster

What Cousins Maine Lobster does

Cousins Maine Lobster is a privately held fast-casual seafood franchise operator founded in 2012 by cousins Jim Tselikis and Sabin Lomac. The company sells lobster-based menu items — most prominently three signature lobster roll styles (Maine, Connecticut, and Garlic Butter), lobster bisque, clam chowder, lobster tacos, lobster grilled cheese, and a Vacationland Family Meal package — through a network of food trucks and brick-and-mortar restaurants owned and operated by franchisees. As of 2023 the system comprised 50+ units generating over $50 million in annual sales, and the company has set a stated target of nearly 100 locations across 35 states by mid-2026.

The business is run on a franchise-driven GTM motion: prospective franchisees go through Discovery Day events and an immersive training program that includes time at the company's Los Angeles headquarters and at a Portland, Maine training facility where operators ride aboard lobster boats and meet lobstermen. Initial franchise investment ranges from $194,000-$644,700 for food trucks and $266,700-$968,900 for restaurants, with minimum liquidity of $250,000 and net worth of $500,000 required. The technology stack is modest but functional: a proprietary mobile app enables location finding, mobile ordering, and loyalty rewards redemption; an e-commerce storefront supports overnight direct-to-consumer shipping of fresh Maine lobster nationwide; and a digital bundle of marketing materials and operational playbooks standardizes execution across franchisees.

Revenue is generated through five primary streams: food truck and brick-and-mortar restaurant sales (franchisee-level), initial franchise fees and ongoing royalties (franchisor-level), direct-to-consumer e-commerce shipping, catering services for events, and licensing-related brand revenues. End customers are individual consumers in metropolitan markets seeking authentic Maine lobster experiences outside New England; the B2B customer is the franchise owner-operator, an SMB entrepreneur. The company is HQ'd in Glendale, California, with Barbara Corcoran holding a 15% equity stake from her 2013 Shark Tank investment.

Name

Cousins Maine Lobster

Legal name

Cousins Maine Lobster, LLC

Website

https://cousinsmainelobster.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Cousins Maine Lobster is a fast-casual seafood franchise founded in 2012 that operates a network of food trucks and restaurants across 35+ US states, selling lobster rolls and related Maine seafood to consumers through franchisee-owned units, with complementary e-commerce shipping and catering channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fast-casual seafood restaurant

NAICS

Fish and Seafood Retailers (445250), Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (42446)

akta.pro primary industry

Seafood Fast Casual (THAFABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Seafood Wholesale (Fresh & Frozen) (AFAIADAD)

Keywords

• Fast-casual seafood
• Lobster rolls
• Food truck franchise
• Restaurant franchising
• Maine seafood delivery

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Food Truck Operations: Revenue generated from food truck sales of lobster rolls, seafood items, and related menu offerings directly to consumers at various event locations
2. Brick & Mortar Restaurant Sales: Revenue from fixed restaurant locations serving signature Maine lobster rolls, seafood dishes, and full menu items including the Vacationland Family Meal
3. E-commerce / Direct Shipping: Direct-to-consumer shipping of fresh Maine lobster and seafood products overnight to customers nationwide via the online shop
4. Franchise Fees and Royalties: Initial franchise fees and ongoing royalty payments from franchise operators for food trucks and restaurant locations
5. Catering Services: Catering bookings for weddings, corporate events, and private functions with customizable menu options

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cousins Maine Lobster operates a fast-casual seafood franchise built around fresh Maine lobster rolls served via food trucks and brick-and-mortar restaurants. The company also sells Maine lobster and seafood products directly to consumers through overnight e-commerce shipping and offers catering services for weddings, corporate events, and private functions.

Product overview

Cousins Maine Lobster operates a fast-casual seafood restaurant and food truck franchise business built around fresh Maine lobster. The core product portfolio centers on lobster rolls in three signature styles: the Maine Roll (chilled with mayo), Connecticut Roll (warm with butter and lemon), and Garlic Butter Roll (warm with butter, garlic, parmesan and herbs). The company expanded its menu in July 2026 with the Lobster Roll Flight, allowing customers to sample all three roll varieties on mini brioche buns. Additional menu items include lobster bisque, New England clam chowder (both gluten-free), lobster tail with tater tots, lobster tacos, lobster grilled cheese, and whoopie pies. The business operates through two primary channels: food trucks and brick-and-mortar restaurants, both available via franchise. The company also offers an e-commerce platform for overnight shipping of fresh lobster directly to consumers, catering services for events, and a mobile app for ordering and loyalty rewards. In May 2026, the co-founders launched a new concept brand called Cousins Fried Seafood, expanding beyond lobster to New England-style fried seafood. The company is headquartered in Glendale, California, and has expanded to over 50 trucks and restaurants with over $50 million in annual sales as of 2023.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Maine Roll Classic Maine-style lobster roll featuring Maine lobster served chilled with mayo on a New England roll with a lemon wedge.
• Connecticut Roll Classic Connecticut-style lobster roll featuring Maine lobster served warm with butter and lemon on a New England roll.
• Garlic Butter Roll Maine lobster served warm with butter, garlic, parmesan and herbs on a New England roll.
• Lobster Roll Flight Tasting experience featuring three mini lobster roll varieties (Maine, Connecticut, and Garlic Butter) served on mini brioche buns, allowing customers to sample all three classic roll styles in a single order.
• Lobster Bisque Classic Maine lobster bisque soup, gluten-free, available in cup and bowl sizes, orderable as a standalone or add-on.
• New England Clam Chowder Classic New England-style clam chowder, gluten-free, available in cup and bowl sizes.
• Lobster Tail & Tots Premium 4-5oz Maine lobster tail served in shell with drawn butter and a side of tater tots.
• Lobster Tacos Lobster tacos featuring Maine lobster as a taco filling, part of the signature menu at food truck locations.
• Lobster Grilled Cheese Gourmet grilled cheese sandwich featuring Maine lobster.
• Vacationland Family Meal Family meal package including 4 steamed lobsters, lobster mac & cheese, chocolate whoopie pies, and clam chowder for a complete Maine dining experience at home.
• Cousins Maine Lobster Food Truck Franchise Franchise opportunity for entrepreneurs to own and operate a Cousins Maine Lobster food truck, with comprehensive training, operational support, brand recognition, and national media visibility.
• Cousins Maine Lobster Brick & Mortar Restaurant Franchise Brick-and-mortar restaurant franchise with flexible models including standalones, in-lines, and food halls, ranging from 200 sq ft to 1500+ sq ft.
• Catering Services Catering services for weddings, work functions, and parties offering flexible menu options available across all locations with local team members available to coordinate events.
• Ship Direct from Maine (E-commerce) E-commerce platform allowing customers to ship fresh Maine lobster and seafood products directly to their doorstep with overnight shipping nationwide.
• Cousins Fried Seafood New food truck concept inspired by the founders' grandfather's fried haddock recipes, bringing New England-style fried seafood platters to new markets.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reached $50 million+ in annual sales by 2023
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Luke's Lobster: East Coast-based seafood fast-casual restaurant and lobster roll concept with a similar menu focus (Maine/Connecticut-style lobster rolls) and dine-in plus e-commerce shipping model, making it the closest comparable in product and target customer.
• Maine Lobster Now: Direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform shipping live and fresh Maine lobster nationwide; overlaps directly with CML's overnight seafood shipping business for off-premise consumption.
• The Lobster Shack: New England seafood shack concept serving lobster rolls, fried seafood, and chowder with a casual/takeout format that overlaps directly with CML's food truck and brick & mortar menu.
• Shuckin' Shack Oyster Bar: Franchise-based casual seafood restaurant concept specializing in oysters, shrimp, and low-country seafood with comparable price points and franchise structure, competing for similar casual seafood occasions.

Broad incumbents

• Ford's Garage: Themed casual-dining franchise with comparable unit economics, franchise investment profile ($500K–$1M range), and franchisee-driven expansion model used as a reference benchmark for capital-intensive food franchises.
• Firehouse Subs: Large multi-unit franchise QSR system with strong franchisee economics and national brand recognition; provides a useful benchmark for franchise-driven growth and unit economics in adjacent fast-casual categories.
• Red Lobster: Largest U.S. casual-dining seafood chain offering a broad seafood menu including lobster; while much larger and full-service, it competes for the same casual seafood occasion and consumer wallet share.
• Captain D's: National QSR seafood chain offering affordable fried and grilled seafood platters; competes in the fast/casual seafood segment with broader menu and lower price points than CML.
• Legal Sea Foods: Established East Coast seafood restaurant group with lobster rolls and broad seafood menu in a more full-service setting; relevant comparable for seafood pricing and customer expectations.

Emerging players

• Claw Daddy's: Emerging fast-casual lobster roll concept focused on a similar lobster-centric menu in urban markets, representing a growing wave of lobster-roll specialists taking share from incumbent casual seafood.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CousinsMaineLobster
• Instagraminstagram.com/cousinsmainelobster
• Xtwitter.com/CousinsCML

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cousins Maine Lobster