Cousins Maine Lobster ─ How One Food Truck Became a Multimillion-dollar Business

From the co-founders of the smash hit Cousins Main Lobster food trucks comes a business book revealing to new entrepreneurs how the authors built their brand through integrity and authenticity.

In early 2012, Jim Tselikis visited L.A. and met up with his cousin Sabin Lomac. Over a few drinks they waxed nostalgic about their childhood in Maine, surrounded by family, often elbow deep in delicious lobster while gathered around the picnic table. From this strong memory was born the very first Cousins Maine Lobster food truck. Smart, authentic marketing, and sustainable, delicious ingredients helped turn that one food truck into an overnight sensation. Then, in just three years, they went from a single food truck to a nationally-franchised legion of trucks, an online delivery service, and a brick-and-mortar restaurant, grossing over $15 million dollars in net profits a year.

Start-up fever has taken hold of America, and there are hundreds of books to teach readers how to become an entrepreneur; this is the first book to answer the question: What’s next? At each step, Jim and Sabin were faced with hard decisions—opening each new food truck carefully instead of rushing to meet the demand; turning down a six-figure franchise offer because it came from someone who didn’t support their vision; turning down Shark Tank (twice) until they could insist on participating only if Barbara Corcoran was one of the Sharks. Now Jim and Sabin teach readers how they, too, can reach the next level of success in their own businesses, without having to compromise themselves.

JIM TSELIKIS and SABIN LOMAC are cousins and co-founders of Cousins Maine Lobster. They grew up on the coast of Maine surrounded by family and lobster. They both moved away (Jim to The College of the Holy Cross and eventually orthopedics; Sabin to New York City to study drama before acting his way into a career in Real Estate in LA), then reunited in 2012 to bring the authentic experience of their childhoods to their customers.