As the tourism season in Maine starts to draw to a close, prices for the one of the state’s most famous meals — the lobster roll — have trended slightly up since the start of summer.
Among the contributors to the changing prices have been fluctuations in the cost of lobster meat, as well as higher costs for other goods due to inflation. Some businesses have had to bump up their price of a lobster roll by a few dollars to cover higher expenses.
However, despite economic uncertainty caused by President Donald Trump’s trade war, many lobster shacks continued to see strong demand for the staple.
The Bangor Daily News compared the prices for lobster rolls in late May and mid-August at 10 businesses from Portland to Lubec. The second round of prices ranged from $24.95 to $43.19, although each business varied in the size of its roll and whether it came with anything else. In some cases, they offered smaller options that are not included in those prices.
The average price worked out to $34.79 on Memorial Day, and to $35.41 as of Aug. 15. While multiple places hiked their prices by a few dollars, some held them the same or — in one case — even dropped them.
Lobster rolls at both Young’s Lobster Pound in Belfast and the Tugboat Inn & Restaurant in Boothbay Harbor increased by a dollar.
“We cook and pick all of our own lobster meat. The price went up because we can’t keep up with it,” said Amanda Young, owner of Young’s Lobster Pound. “I would assume that after Labor Day, they’ll go back down.”
The Thirsty Whale in Bar Harbor, while acknowledging that market rates can be capricious, has not changed the cost of their lobster rolls in three or four years, said an employee.
“We don’t feel the need to. We offer a good price and a good product. [Regarding market costs], we’re taking this a little bit on the chin on this one right now, and that varies,” he said. “We’d rather give customers the satisfaction of a good meal at a good price.”
On the opposite side, Gary Blackman of Karen’s Hideaway in Boothbay reported a $5 price decrease this season, from $35 to $30. Blackman noted “the price of lobster finally dropped a little bit.” He expects it to stay steady for the rest of the year. But Karen’s Hideaway also eliminated their larger-size lobster roll option this season.
