LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Phillip Goldsborough has been selling lobster rolls out of his Longshot Lobsta food truck in Louisville since 2013.
What You Need To Know
- Phillip Goldsborough has been selling lobster rolls in Louisville since 2013
- He says the price of lobster meat has risen to more than $40 per pound
- At Gourmet Provisions, owner Matt Rich says he's seen the price of crabmeat increase about 90%
- According to NPR, labor shortages and supply bottlenecks are impacting the crab industry
"This is nice," he said, looking out of the red truck's service window. "I get to get out and I meet a lot of people and different folks."
When he started his business, lobster meat was about $17 a pound and eventually climbed to more than $30 a pound, Goldsborough said.
“We’ve skyrocketed in prices," he said. "I’ve gone from $32 to about $43, $44 on my product, so I’ve gone to another product.”
The Associated Press reports lobster is more expensive this season due to limited supply and high demand.
Instead of cooked lobster, Goldsborough now buys it raw and steams it, he said.
It’s more time-consuming but less expensive.
His lobster rolls are priced at $15, and he doesn’t want to pass the cost on to the customer, he said.
"I could offset it with another menu item or something of that nature, but right now I’ve gotten to the point that I really like what I do and I’ll wait it out...see where it goes."
Goldsborough takes his truck to places where he can find a high volume of customers and estimated he has sold as many as 500 lobster rolls in one day.
“The gun shows, boat shows, art shows, you know, dog shows, anything shows, I’ll show,” he said.
Most food costs have increased in recent months, according to the Kentucky Restaurant Association.
At Gourmet Provisions off Westport Road, owner Matt Rich already took lobster off the menu.
"I don’t see a foreseeable way to carry lobster and be able to offer it to the public at a price that they would be willing to pay," he said.
But crab prices are also rising, and that’s a key ingredient for his business, he said.
"Crabmeat prices started increasing about two months ago," said Rich. "They’ve increased about 90 percent. Originally, they were at about $11. Right now I’m paying over $20. This is specifically for the Maryland crab."
He's sticking with it for now.
"I don’t want to become that restaurant that just offers burgers and fries and chicken fingers, so I want to keep it seafood-based," Rich said. "Talk to me when it hits $30."
According to NPR, labor shortages and supply bottlenecks are impacting the crab industry.