Luke’s Lobster, the successful lobster shack chain began in New York City but with deep roots in the U.S. state of Maine, continues to expand with the opening of three new restaurants.
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A.-based Luke’s Lobster has grown steadily since it opened its first restaurant in New York City’s East Village in 2009. Now operating more than 29 restaurants in 10 U.S. states as well as Japan and Singapore, the company opened three new restaurants this year. Luke’s new eateries are in Seattle, Washington, and Newport, Rhode Island, and it is opening a second location in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to Luke’s Founder Luke Holden.
“Both Seattle and Newport are such seafood-centric towns on the water and two places we were looking to open in for a long time and just waiting to find the right locations,” Holden told SeafoodSource. “We’ve had a great reception to both areas.”
Its Las Vegas location is on the Las Vegas Strip, outside the New York-New York Hotel and Casino.
“It’s another no-brainer for us given the success we've had at our first location there in the Fashion Show Mall,” Holden said.
Contrary to media reports last year, the company doesn’t have plans to open additional restaurants in the U.S. this year, and the chain has no current plans to expand into China or other countries beyond its current footprint, Holden said.
Luke’s Lobster has long been an advocate of utilizing sustainable Maine lobster and was named Whole Foods Market’s Global Supplier of the Year in 2018. It was first certified as a B Corp in 2018 and has maintained the certification even through the difficulties the food service industry faced during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We’re a company that likes the opportunity to talk about what we're good at, but we also [want to address] the massive gap between where we are and where we could be. [B Corp certification] put us on a path of continuous improvement, rather than coasting. And I think that that got us through the pandemic, and through so many other hard times as a team. It's reminded us why we're here and what we're focused on. And it has brought us together,” Conniff said in February 2023.
Recently, Luke’s Lobster partnered with Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.-based health-focused restaurant chain Sweetgreen on the creation of Luke’s Lobster Roll Salad, exclusively available at Sweetgreen’s restaurants in Boston, Massachusetts, and Cranston, Rhode Island. The collaboration is designed to make a positive impact by supporting Maine lobstermen and the broader seafood sustainability movement, according to Holden.
“We work directly with fishermen and fishing co-ops we know and trust to source our seafood. We know where and how they fish and that is just one small way we ensure traceable, sustainable sourcing,” Holden said.
The fresh lobster knuckle and claw meat that Sweetgreen is using in the new summer salad is sourced from fishermen in Portland, Maine, according to Holden.
“Being able to bring fresh Maine lobster to Sweetgreen's large audience of food lovers in Massachusetts and Rhode Island is a great opportunity for not only Luke's but the Maine lobster industry as a whole,” Holden said. “We know Sweetgreen and their guests care about where their food comes from and how it's sourced so to be able to get this premium, sustainable product into their hands is a huge win for all of us. We’re so glad that Sweetgreen wanted to support the hardworking men and women of the Maine lobster fishery, who work all year round, through rain, wind, snow, and sunshine to bring folks around the world the best-tasting lobster.”
The dish is a celebration of 10 years since the fast-casual chain entered the Boston market and pays homage to the New England summertime staple, Sweetgreen, the operator of more than 200 restaurants in 17 states, said in a press release.
The collaboration has been “years in the making,” Sweetgreen Co-Founder and Co-CEO Nicolas Jammet said.
“Having met Luke during our time in college where we first shared our passion for bettering the food system, this is a partnership that feels very close to home for us,” Jammet said. “In our ongoing mission to make an impact in the communities we serve, we are excited to be working with Luke’s Lobster, a company that shares our ethos of sustainably sourced food, to bring this exclusive bowl to the residents of Boston.”
Inspired by the iconic East Coast lobster roll, the salad features lobster knuckle and claw meat.
“The simple base allows the lobster meat to shine, as it is paired with chopped romaine lettuce, spring mix, new buttery focaccia croutons, shredded cabbage, raw carrots, basil, and lemon, and is topped with Sweetgreen's green goddess ranch dressing,” Sweetgreen said.
The collaboration is just one of several seafood partnerships Sweetgreen has entered that aim to make a positive impact on coastal communities, it said. In 2013, Sweetgreen launched its first salad to feature Chesapeake Bay crab meat, for its restaurants in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Sweetgreen also teamed up with Chef David Chang to create the Tingly Sweet Potato + Kelp Bowl, made in partnership with Maine-based Atlantic Sea Farms, the first commercial seaweed farm in the U.S.
Photo courtesy of Luke's Lobster
