Fast forward to 2020, and the Maine Lobster Lady was a well-known name for lobster roll enthusiasts in the Phoenix area and beyond. Starting with a modest 14ft trailer, our family expanded to a 32ft Freightliner food truck by March 2020, serving delicious Maine lobster rolls across Arizona.
Our Lobster Food Truck journey had taken us from San Diego to Las Vegas, earning numerous accolades for our Signature Maine Lobster Rolls and building a loyal community of friends and followers. We felt incredibly fortunate for the success and support we had received over the years.
Thinking back to our humble beginnings at our first Arizona event in January 2012, I remember trying to persuade hesitant attendees to sample our lobster with tiny toothpicks. Many politely declined. Yet, from those slow beginnings, we grew to have lines that sometimes stretched for four hours, a testament to the growing love for our authentic Maine lobster rolls served from our food truck.
Then, in 2020, everything changed with the arrival of COVID-19.
We were fully stocked and ready for the 2020 Scottsdale Festival of the Arts when, at the last minute, it was canceled due to the emerging pandemic. We urgently reached out to “Brett the Vet” in Scottsdale, a location we had visited before, and asked if we could set up our lobster food truck in his parking lot to sell the inventory prepared for the festival. He graciously welcomed us, as always. And, once again, our amazing customers showed up in droves on very short notice. We completely sold out at what became our final event for the Maine Lobster Lady Food Truck in Arizona.
(Yes, you read that correctly. Our beloved lobster food truck would not be returning to the streets of Arizona. It was a sad moment, and yes, we shed a few tears too!)
Following that event, as the global situation unfolded, we felt it was no longer socially responsible to encourage people to gather in long, close lines at our lobster food truck, especially with the emerging virus causing widespread concern. My primary worry was for the safety of my family. The last thing I wanted was to risk putting them or anyone else in harm’s way. It was then that I made the difficult decision to end our food truck season prematurely.
At this point, our dedicated family crew included my life partner, Greg, my daughter Rachel and her husband Patrick, my daughter Ruby, and myself. My youngest daughter Rozalyn, along with her husband, Luther, and my two grandchildren, were back in Maine. The children had reached school age and needed to remain in Maine after several seasons of working with us on the truck. Rozalyn manages the Maine island version of the lobster food truck during the summer. And Sally, who initially brought us to Arizona, had relocated back East to be closer to her family.
With our Arizona season unexpectedly cut short, our priority shifted to returning home to Maine, so our entire family could be together during such uncertain times. The distance felt particularly unsettling during this period. By the end of May 2020, we were finally able to travel back to Maine, arriving around Memorial Day.
The extended periods of separation during the winter months, combined with the anxiety of being so far apart if something were to happen, had become overwhelming. And, let’s face it, I’m not getting any younger!
I knew I needed to find a way to continue providing Maine Lobster Rolls to our loyal customers while staying close to my family in Maine.
Like many others across the country, I turned to online ordering and delivery as a solution. The idea sparked: why not offer Maine Lobster Lady Lobster Rolls via mail? Maine Lobstah Love, in the form of DIY kits delivered directly to your door, eliminating lines and wait times. We had been successfully selling these rolls from our lobster food truck for years; now, we just needed to figure out how to ship them.
It took almost a year of planning and preparation from the initial idea to our first shipment on July 27, 2021.
Since then, we have shipped our Maine Lobster Roll Kits and other Lobster meal kits to 21 states. We continue to operate as a family business. Team Lobstah is still going strong, just in a slightly different format. We want our customers to know that we are deeply committed to the quality of every box we ship and the care with which it is packed. We pay attention to the destinations of each package, recognize familiar names, and remember the faces that go with them. We truly miss seeing those faces in person, but we are dedicated to staying connected online. You, our customers, gave us a chance and your trust and loyalty have been incredibly humbling and will never be forgotten. We are so grateful for you all!
I want to express my sincere gratitude to my family for their unwavering love and support. Each October, they uproot their lives, pack their belongings and pets, and travel great distances to work tirelessly alongside me, allowing me to pursue my dream. Family truly is everything. Family IS The Maine Lobster Lady. There is absolutely no way I could have achieved the last 10 years without them, and I wouldn’t have wanted to.
Finally, please know that this is not the end, but a new beginning. It’s about adapting to change, being flexible, and understanding evolving priorities with time. This is simply a new chapter in our story, and I hope you will continue to follow along. More updates are coming soon….
Stay connected with us on my YouTube channel, Facebook or Instagram to keep in touch.
We welcome your questions, comments, and photos.
