They’re best known for their food trucks, but Cousins Maine Lobster has opened its first brick-and-mortar store in New Jersey on the boardwalk in Asbury Park. It’s at 800 Ocean Ave., where the Tower Dogs used to be.

Cousin’s Maine Lobster was started in 2011 by two actual cousins from Maine living in California who were trying to come up with a business idea. They decided to start a food truck in Los Angeles, featuring the food they had grown up with in Maine: lobster.

It proved to be a hit and sales started taking off, but what really launched the brand was an appearance on “Shark Tank.”

New Jersey native Barbara Corcoran picked the cousins’ business to invest in, and, under her mentorship, the business has soared. They now have franchised trucks all over the country, including four in New Jersey. The Asbury Park restaurant is their seventh brick-and-mortar location.

The Asbury Park store had its grand opening on Wednesday, May 25; it was described as:

Guests enjoyed Lobster Rolls, Lobster Grilled Cheese, Clam Chowder, other seafood delights. The guests toasted the festive opening with champagne and another highlight of the event was the ribbon cutting ceremony with the mayor. The restaurant officially opened to the public on Thursday, May 26th for dine-in and take-out service just in time for the Memorial Day weekend.

Corcoran was on hand for the grand opening; I guess she wanted to keep an eye on her investment.

Cousins Maine Lobster (Asbury Park, NJ) via Facebook
Cousins Maine Lobster (Asbury Park, NJ) via Facebook
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