FOOD NEWS
Arizona Is The Location Of America's First Drive-Thru Lobster Chain
BY JESSIE MOLLOY
Although coastal towns are renowned for their fresh seafood, the first American drive-thru lobster restaurant is found in Tempe, Arizona, one of the driest parts of the country.
Angie's Lobster first opened its doors in Tempe in November 2021 as a drive-thru offering fried lobster and lobster rolls with meal combos costing only $9.99 each.
The owners, Tony and Roushan Christofellis, explain that the completely drive-thru model helps reduce prices since customers make their own payments and do their own pick-ups.
Moreover, they keep prices down by buying in bulk and sourcing lobster which is "visually unappealing," meaning it may have cracked shells or missing claws.
Nevertheless, the meat is high-quality, sourced from Maine and eastern Canada, and processed in the restaurant's own facility in Maine to streamline the process.
Since opening Angie's Lobster in Tempe, named for Tony's mother, Angie, an immigrant from Greece, the restaurant has expanded to five locations across Arizona.
Angie's hopes to popularize lobster with the slogan, "Lobster is no longer for the few, it's for everyone. Not just for the rich, but now for the immigrant single mother of two!"