1 1/4 pound Maine lobster

Rivver · #1 10-10-2009, 10:23 PM

Every Tuesday at this local Ale house they serve a 1 1/4 Pound Maine lobster with two big sides for only $10.95. So I try it out with a friend of mine for lunch last week to see what the catch was...NO catch at all. Was delicious!

I call my fishmonger to get maine lobster prices, he quotes me 11.95 per pound... I knoiw this is a giimick to get customers in , but they must be losing their *** on this regardless of how many times they reseat. Then I thought well maybe they are hpoing to get people to drink, ok their drink prices are insanely low as well. Bucket of 5 beers for $6.95. They have a deal every night of teh week, Thrusday 14OZ prime rib with sides for only 10.95

SO what am I missing, how are they able to do this without going out of biz? I have no idea how much they are paying per pound for maine lobster but I doubt it is under 9 bucks...

DuckFat · #2 10-11-2009, 04:09 AM

If you have a fish-monger charging $11.99 a pound for Maine's you need a new vendor. Prices this season were the lowest I can remember. There were lobsters being sold at a retail level here this season at under $6 a pound.

ChefBillyB · #3 10-11-2009, 08:26 AM

Thats a Great deal no matter how cheap the restaurant buys Lobster at. It is a Tuesday special and Tuesday is an off day. Your fish monger could be selling Main lobster for 11:95 a lb but thats retail. I would figure in most cases the price should be double that cost. I know Lobster prices are down but if it gets to low they just stop catching them. There is a break even point and the boats won't catch them if they can't make a profit...........Site back and enjoy, pass the melted butter and tip the waitress well. Support the local business, they need it......

BOAT PRICE LOW $1.90 LB WENT TO ABOUT $3.00 PER LB IN THE FALL THEN IT WOULD GO TO A WHOLESALER. THEN TO THE RESTAURANT IF THERE WASN'T A FOOD SERVICE COMPANY IN THE MIDDLE.....SO YOUR RIGHT HOW MUCH COULD HE BE MAKING.................BILL

ChefRay · #4 10-11-2009, 01:03 PM

I remember once in Charleston; my great uncle is a Blue Crab captain; she crab was going to the market stalls at $.97/lb. The market stall mongers sold it to restaurants at $1.70/lb by the crate or to home cooks at $2.50/lb by the crab. (the beauty of living by the ocean, cheap, fresh fish.) If you went to the docks early enough in the morning, you could get crates for $1.20/lb while the guys were packing the catch for market.

My point is, if you are near a lobster boat fleet(I don't know if you are), they may be going straight to the docks and buying it above what the mongers are paying but below wholesale. They would still be operating on a very slim margin and hoping for reseats but, in my experience, that would be the way to do it.

Also, what sort of beers. If there's a bottling plant in the area, they may have a deal worked out to get a massive price break for hanging their signs all over and use their banners for announcements.

Rivver · #5 10-11-2009, 02:44 PM

Well I live in clearwater florida. Beers can be anything other than imports.

ChefRay · #6 10-11-2009, 04:46 PM

Then I have no idea how they are doing it other than a draw with the hope of reseating.

DuckFat · #7 10-12-2009, 04:56 AM

I don't think there is any question that they are not making much but I doubt they are loosing any thing. 1.25 pounders were less than $7 at a retail level this season. I sincerely hope no one was paying more than that for live Maine or Canadian lobsters on the East coast this season. How much do a few sides cost? In a poor economy it's a lot better having a full dining room and only making a buck or two a plate than not making any thing. Clearly they hope to increase their customer base and sell alcohol, dessert, etc.
I'm sure they also know some will end up ordering off the regular menu.
For the prime rib they are likely using standard grade meat and not choice.
Restaurants did this sort of thing in Florida even when I lived there years ago with the early bird special.