Lazy Lobster celebrates 10th with a nod to Longboat charities

Longboat Key’s hottest lobster spot celebrates 10 years this week, with the official anniversary on Oct. 15. 

Owner Michael Garey has been in the restaurant business for 45 years and has worked at Longboat Key spots Cafe L’Europe and the Colony Beach & Tennis Resort before turning to selling wine in the late 2000s. During his wine-selling stint, the economy tanked at the start of the Great Recession in 2009. 

“A little voice said, ‘You gotta control your own destiny,” Garey said. 

So Garey went about the difficult business of persuading those around him to begin a new business at a time when the financial future of so many looked so bleak. Business partner Bob Fracalossy, who owns the Lazy Lobster in Sarasota, and wife Catherine were two he needed on his side. Garey already had a space in mind: Where the Cafe by the Bay, owned by Cafe L’Europe, used to be. 

“[Catherine] thought we were insane,” Garey said. “I said, ‘You have to tell me it won’t work.’ So we went out there, had dinner and Gabe (a current employee) actually waited on us.” 

Garey was able to bring on several of the employees from the previous restaurant in the space. Seven of his employees have been with him for the total 10 years the restaurant has been open. 

“What surprised me was how quickly it took off,” Garey said. “I was three weeks in and calling for help.” 

Things haven’t slowed down much since. Now, to celebrate a decade of business, Garey and his crew are going all out with the theme of 10 years. For each check totaling $100 or more (before tax and tip), $10 will be donated to a Longboat organization of your choice. 

There will also be 10 menu items at the prices they were 10 years ago, and those prices will last 10 days (Oct. 15-24). The price of lobster, although it’s gone up in the market, hasn’t gone up much at the Lazy Lobster. Back in 2009, Garey was getting it for $5 a pound. 

“I think guests will be shocked at the menu prices,” Garey said. “We wanted to create a casual but upscale seafood restaurant that’s also affordable.”

Garey counts himself blessed to be surrounded by the community on Longboat and has always tried to be an excellent restaurant that supports as many activities on the island as possible. His favorite story, though, happened twice. It was a Saturday night at the height of season when a lightning strike took out all electronics — including the pay station. No credit cards could be used. They took the telephone numbers of every customer at every table in the hopes they would make back their money. 

“It was easily thousands of dollars,” Garey said. “By 5 the next day, we had recovered it all. We were all square.” 

 Oddly enough, that has happened twice in 10 years. Both times, the Lazy Lobster never lost a single transaction. 

“That speaks volumes to the type of people we have here,” Garey said. “It’s been a great 10 years. We’re either getting better or getting worse, we can’t stay the same.”