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Inc. has a profile of Luke Holden, a Cape Elizabeth native who founded the Luke's Lobster chain of restaurants with Ben Coniff in New York City in 2009. Holden grew up in a fishing family and eventually came full circle, basing the concept of the business on his experience growing up: "Stepping into a Luke's really feels like Cape Elizabeth, with the chalkboards and stool seats to boot."
The company now has a dozen locations, including several in New York and Washington DC, and hundreds of employees. The restaurants have a narrow focus on New England-style buttered, toasted rolls filled with "wicked good lobster (or crab, or shrimp);" Holden had seen this kind of specialization work for other shops near his original East Village location.
Holden is back in his home state a lot now, working as a lobster-liaison. "Luke spends part of his time in Maine managing Cape Seafood, Luke's sister seafood company, and sitting on the boards of Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative and The Lobster Institute," according to his official bio.
Has anyone been to a Luke's Lobster outpost? Care to elaborate on the experience?