Freshies Lobster Co., the Park City restaurant and food truck that earned the title of “World’s Best Lobster Roll” last year, will open a second shop in Salt Lake City.
The new store, at 356 E. 900 South, should open sometime in July, according to owners Lorin and Ben Smaha.
“We noticed, through our food truck events, a growing need in Salt Lake City for quick, fast-casual places where people can meet friends and enjoy a good meal,” said Lorin Smaha.
The building is in the same Salt Lake neighborhood as Veneto, an Italian restaurant; Thyme and Place, a boutique garden shop; Southeast Market, an Asian grocery store; and Beltex Meats, an award-winning butcher.
(Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune) This building being remodeled at 356 E. 900 South in Salt Lake City will be the new second location of Freshies Lobster Co.
It was by chance that Smaha found the building, originally a house and later a yoga studio. “I was driving in the neighborhood and it caught my eye because it looks like a boathouse,” she said. “I totally fell in love with it.” Luckily, it also was for lease.
During the next few months, crews will create a large open dining room and a new outdoor deck. “It will be bigger than our Park City store,” Smaha said, “which hopefully will encourage people to come and not feel rushed.”
The Smahas, East Coast natives, started Freshies Lobster Co. in 2008, originally serving lobster rolls from a tiny tent at the Park Silly Sunday Market. They worked their way up to a food truck and in 2016 opened a small brick-and-mortar shop on Park City’s Prospector Avenue.
In July 2017, the couple won the World’s Best Lobster Roll title at the inaugural Down East Lobster Roll Festival in Portland, Maine, defeating 11 other succulent seafood sandwiches for the honor.
Freshies lobster rolls are made with tail, knuckle and claw meat shipped from the East Coast, topped with drawn butter and served on a traditional New England-style hot dog bun.
Until the Salt Lake City store opens, customers craving a Freshies lobster roll can drive to Park City.
They also can visit the SOHO Food Park, 4747 S. Holladay Blvd., Holladay, which recently opened for the season. Freshies is parked there every Friday from 5 to 8:30 p.m. In addition to lobster rolls, the truck sells salads, soups (alternating weekly between clam chowder and bisque) and pie.
(Trent Nelson | Tribune file photo) Lorin Smaha works at Freshies Lobster Co. in Park City, Tuesday Jan. 10, 2017.
