ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL (PRWEB) NOVEMBER 2, 2006
Lobster Gram®, the Nation's oldest and largest nationwide live Maine Lobster home delivery service, will celebrate its 20th year in 2007.
"Delivering a live crustacean isn't always what it's cracked up to be, at least on some days," says Dan "The Lobster Man" Zawacki, founder and chief lobster consultant of Lobster Gram. And he should know.
In 1987, Zawacki was a successful electronic controls salesman in Peoria, Illinois, who came up with the novel idea of delivering live Maine lobsters to his best clients in hopes they would reorder. But it wasn't electronic controls they reordered - it was the lobsters.
In the early days of the business, Zawacki turned to radio to promote his product, giving Lobster Gram live Maine lobster gift packages away to listeners of popular radio shows. This is a practice he continues to this day.
Over the last 20 years, Zawacki estimates that his company has shipped over 1.2 million live Maine lobsters and nearly 500,000 filet mignon steaks (to complete the perfect surf and turf dinner). Getting that quantity of crustaceans out the door and into customers' kitchens has kept Zawacki busy.
This year, Lobster Gram opened its first custom built lobster processing and distribution center in Biddeford, Maine. Costing over $2.1 Million, the "Lobster Spa" as it is known by its employees, is a state of the art live lobster shipping center. The lobsters are treated to temperature controlled tanks, computerized packing systems and a freezer that can store 350,000 lobster tails.
Zawacki says the facility was needed to accommodate the holiday gourmet gift volume. Last year alone they shipped over 100,000 lobster gift packages. Gift certificates account for nearly 65% of all Lobster Gram's orders.
This holiday season, Zawacki expects his phone operators and website shopping cart will be busy with the exposure from his frequent QVC appearances, national radio advertising, TV ads and increased online advertising efforts.
Gourmet gifts have been on the increase as a popular gift idea in recent years. "With people staying home more, giving a gourmet gift certificate for a complete dinner of lobster, steak or seafood makes the perfect gift for a lot of people." says Zawacki. If the past 20 years are any measure, Lobster Gram has made live lobster a meal that can be safely enjoyed at home anytime.
Lobster Gram has been providing great gourmet gift ideas since its inception in 1987. Starting with its trademark "Lobster Gram Deluxe", and "Lobster Gram" packages, Lobster Gram has grown to become the #1 live lobster gift delivery company in America, with a 40-page catalog and hundreds of gift choices, including a lineup of gourmet baskets. Known for ocean-fresh, live Maine lobster gifts with all the trimmings, Lobster Gram also has 10 varieties of exotic lobster tails from around the world, tenderly aged gourmet steaks, crab, shrimp, creamy chowders, ready-to-heat lobster appetizers and decadent desserts.
To learn more about Lobster Gram and its products, a free catalog is available by calling Lobster Gram's toll free number at 1-800-LIVE-LOB (1-800-548-3562) or requesting one at the website at https://dartagnan.com/lobstergram/ . Lobster Gram also has an E-club with great perks, such as private special offers and discounts, and sneak peeks at new products; the sign-up page for the E-club is at Lobster Gram Newsletter.