The lobster roll meal is $9.99 at Angie’s Lobster. Maine Attraction The first of five planned Angie’s Lobster restaurants opens in Tempe. BY KEVIN BURTON T he founders of Phoenix’s thriving Salad & Go drive-thru chain have launched a new concept: $9.99 lobster meals. Tony and Roushan Christofellis, who sold their interest in Salad & Go this summer, have opened the Valley’s first Angie’s Lobster at 835 West Baseline Road in Tempe. The restaurant welcomed a long line of customers at its formal opening on November 30. Angie’s Lobster is touted as the “Home of the $9.99 Lobster Meal.” The meals of- fer a choice of either a lobster roll on a toasted bun or four fried lobster fingers and a toasted bun, along with fries and a choice of lemonade or iced tea. A dip, An- gie’s Sauce, is included on the side. The Tempe restaurant is currently op- erating out of a food truck — called the “Delay Buster” — until the build-out of the drive-thru is complete in early 2022. Cus- tomers can order via walk-up service or by using a QR code from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. The Tempe location is the first of four planned Angie’s Lobster storefronts in the Valley. Two Phoenix storefronts are com- ing in 2022, at the southwest corner of Pin- nacle Peak and 19th Avenue, and on the northwest corner of Thunderbird Road and 43rd Avenue. In Mesa, a restaurant is planned for the southwest corner of Signal Butte and Guadalupe roads, and a fifth Val- ley storefront is set for the southeast cor- ner of Glendale and 83rd avenues in Glendale by summer 2022. The inspiration for Angie’s Lobster is 32 Tony’s mother, Angela “Angie” Christofellis, who was born on a Greek is- land of Lesvos and moved to Boston at a young age. Angie was an immigrant single mother of two, who worked in seafood res- taurants her entire life before opening An- gela’s Seafood outside of Boston. She died of cancer in 2020. “Angie’s Lobster was created to honor our mother and make sure that the love we feel every day gets passed on to the next generation and to future generations,” said Tony Christofellis. “She was a true force of nature. … She taught us by example to help others when they need help, to love not just our family but also our fellow man, and to serve others, rather than being a boss and having others serve us. She was the most courageous person we knew.” Angie’s Lobster offers wild-caught lob- ster for under $10 when other places charge $30. According to its website, the restaurant has the fewest staff working per hour in the drive-thru industry, with eight team members on staff per store, while most drive-thrus have 20 to 75 per store. The restaurant only accepts debit/ credit cards and EBT, and doesn’t invest in packaging. “We give you a paper tray with no lid, one napkin, a straw-less lid, non-branded drink cup and non-branded paper bag,” the restaurant’s website states. “Out packaging is meant to work, not meant to be pretty.” Meals come with no receipt, and no salt, pepper, sugar, or ketchup packets. Angie’s Lobster buys its crustaceans di- rectly from Maine and Canada, transports the lobsters themselves, and doesn’t use distributors. It doesn’t cut corners with in- ferior langoustine (Norwegian lobster) or warm-water lobster — but does purchase visually imperfect lobster. “But it tastes the same,” the website says. “We don’t mind if a claw is broken, do you?” And don’t expect to see much advertis- ing from the new restaurant. “We don’t invest in marketing. Our money goes into our food and people,” says the website. Angie’s Lobster 835 West Baseline Road, Tempe Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily Angie’s Lobster DEC 9TH– DEC 15TH, 2021 PHOENIX NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | FEATURE | NEWS | OPINION | FEEDBACK | CONTENTS | phoenixnewtimes.com
