By J.W. Oliver
Joe and Livia Lane stand outside their new lobster roll takeout stand on Elm Street in Damariscotta on opening day, Wednesday, July 9. (J.W. Oliver photo) |
A fourth-generation lobsterman has opened a lobster roll takeout stand in downtown Damariscotta and claims to sell the freshest, most savory lobster rolls in the county at the
best value.
Joe Lane, 30, of Damariscotta, catches all the lobster aboard his boat, the Spirit of ’76, out of Pemaquid Harbor. He and his wife, Livia Lane, cook the lobsters and pick
meat for the rolls daily – no freezer necessary.
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Customers can order a traditional lobster-and-mayo roll or opt for homemade cilantro lime or tomato basil mayonnaise. The Lanes plan to add a lobster BLT to the menu soon. |
The new eatery continues the lobsterman’s recent efforts to increase the value of his catch in the face of rising expenses and sinking prices.
Joe Lane, like many lobstermen, was born into the industry. His grandfather and great-grandfather were lobstermen, and he started fishing with his father, Albert Lane, at the
age of 12. He obtained his commercial license and bought a boat about six years ago.
As the price of lobster plummeted and bait and fuel expenses skyrocketed in recent years, he started thinking about how he could continue to make a living off his catch.
“I wanted to see how much business I would have selling my own lobsters, and if it was worth it,” he said.
He and his wife live at Clark’s Apartments on Elm Street, just around the corner from the heart of downtown Damariscotta. His mother’s family owns the building – once a hospital
– and the location was a natural fit for his efforts.
His career in live lobster sales has humble roots. Every Saturday, Lane would sit in a lawn chair outside the apartment building with a cooler and a homemade plywood sign
advertising live lobster for sale.
“I started with just a cooler, so I had no investment, and it just took over,” Lane said.
“I had people leaving messages all day,” Lane said. He would arrive home from a day on the water to find five cars waiting for orders. By the end of the season, he had a shed
with a saltwater cold tank and was cooking lobster for an extra buck apiece.
The price of his live lobsters fluctuates with the market. Last year, he sold 1 1/4-pound lobsters for $5 apiece – $4 a pound – through the summer and fall.
The price is up right now while lobsters are scarce and demand is high, but he plans to bring back his trademark special soon.
“As soon as the season really starts, I’ll have $5 lobsters,” Joe Lane said.
“His price is always better than the supermarkets,” Livia Lane said.
The Lanes also think they have hit on something beyond a fresh lobster at a great price.
“I think tourists are really trying to find the freshest lobster,” Joe said.
“When they come to Maine, they want to buy from a lobsterman,” Livia said.
“They want the experience of knowing it was caught that day,” Joe said.
Business was brisk, but the Lanes would often miss customers while at their full-time jobs – Joe on his boat and Livia at an area hospital.
The couple needed someone on-site full time, but couldn’t justify it with lobster sales alone. They were also learning that many of their customers would prefer to avoid the
messy business of eating a whole lobster.
“They are all asking for picked lobsters and lobster rolls because it’s easier for them,” Livia said. “They just want us to deliver everything ready to go.”
Early this year, they ordered a custom-made trailer to house the takeout stand. Livia staffs the takeout business, while Joe helps out when he returns from fishing, or on days
when he stays in.
The couple conducted research around the area before opening.
“We try other lobster rolls so we can make our product better,” Livia said.
Some other purveyors of lobster rolls use frozen meat, which can taste bland and rubbery, the Lanes said. The Lanes only use fresh meat.
“We cook lobsters daily, so it’s really fresh,” Joe Lane said. He catches the lobsters, brings his catch home, and usually sells it within 24 hours.
A lobster roll costs $12.50, as does a lobster “cone,” which replaces the bun with a paper cone and a fork to make an on-the-go snack for carb- or gluten-wary customers.
The downtown stand also offers variations on the lobster-and-mayo formula. Customers can order a traditional lobster roll or opt for cilantro lime or tomato basil mayonnaise,
homemade with fresh, local herbs.
Menu additions since opening day already include a lobster BLT or “LBLT,” lobster grilled cheese, and lobster Newburg..
“We’re a unique lobster business and we’re just lobster, so we can be more versatile, instead of having one lobster roll and a bunch of cheeseburgers,” Joe Lane said.
The Lanes already have their minds on the future. The couple plans to eventually offer lobster bakes and ship fresh lobster meat out of state.
The red-and-white takeout stand is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, at 93 Elm St., between the rear entrance of Skidompha Library and the Skidompha secondhand
book shop.
For more information or to place an order for pickup or delivery, call 563-LOBS (5627) and like Eat Maine Lobster on Facebook. The Lanes offer delivery within downtown
Damariscotta and Newcastle.
