History

Every seafood restaurant claims a fishing heritage. Ours is a matter of public record, and it starts in a small fishing village in Marblehead, Massachusetts, settled in the year 1629.

Born by the Sea

Jeff Hazell, founder and owner of Boston Lobster Feast, was born by the sea in Newfoundland, Canada, where his father was stationed as a member of the United States Coast Guard. He was raised in Marblehead, Massachusetts, a working harbor town north of Boston, as the son and grandson of lobstermen. He spent his summers on their boats hauling traps, sorting keepers and rubber banding lobsters, learning firsthand what genuinely fresh shellfish looks and feels like.

From Traps to Theme Parks

Like many in this business, Jeff started at the bottom, washing dishes and working the line in restaurant kitchens. He studied Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of New Haven, graduating in 1983, and completed a culinary apprenticeship at Walt Disney World.

It was there, in the booming heart of Central Florida, that a bigger idea took hold. Orlando was growing fast, and there was no one selling real New England lobster for hundreds of miles.

Bar Harbor Seafood

In 1986, just three years out of college, Jeff set out to fill that gap. He started in the garage of his home, where saltwater tanks large enough to hold thousands of pounds of live lobster soon crowded out the cars.

Building Bar Harbor

Demand grew quickly. By 1987, Jeff had outgrown the garage and moved into a small warehouse in Central Orlando, supplying fresh lobster and seafood to restaurants and supermarkets across Florida and the Southeast.

Trucks rolled out before dawn and returned after dark. Over the years, Bar Harbor Lobster grew into the largest wholesale seafood company in Florida.

The Boston Lobster Feast

By the early 1990s, Jeff wanted to serve people directly. In 1991 he opened the first Boston Lobster Feast next to the Florida Mall, an all-you-can-eat celebration of the sea. It was an immediate hit, with lines out the door. A location on International Drive followed, and in July 2021 the Main Gate area of Kissimmee.

Today the buffet features more than 60 items, from award-winning New England chowder and lobster bisque to seafood casserole and Oysters Rockefeller. They remain destination restaurants for locals and tourists alike, and Orlando's only all-you-can-eat lobster restaurants.

The Lobstermobile

No history of Boston Lobster Feast is complete without its most famous ambassador. When the Volkswagen Beetle returned to the market in 1998, it was clear it would be the perfect canvas for a lobster. We bought one of the first ten Beetles sold in Orlando and hired Exoscope, a theme-park fabricator, to sculpt a giant crustacean. Mounted nose to tail, it stretched more than 20 feet and weighed some 800 pounds. The Lobstermobile was born.

Selling Bar Harbor Seafood

In 2017, Jeff sold the assets of the wholesale company to the nation's second largest broadline food distributor. It was a milestone that reflected just how far the business had traveled, from a garage full of lobster tanks to one of the largest seafood distributors in the country.

Boston Wholesale Seafood

Boston Wholesale Seafood broke ground on its newest facility, continuing the commitment to the freshest, highest-quality seafood available. The 18,000-square-foot warehouse includes an 8,000-square-foot freezer, a 6,000-square-foot cooler, and live lobster tanks and a processing room.

From fresh-caught fish and shellfish to shrimp, oysters, and whole live lobsters, Boston Wholesale Seafood supplies restaurants, seafood markets, and seafood lovers throughout the region. It is also the reason the lobster on your plate travels a very short distance to get there.

The Story Continues

In 2026, Boston Lobster Feast proudly celebrated its 40th year of operation, four decades of bringing the very best of the sea to Florida.

Across a career spanning more than 40 years, Jeff Hazell has owned seven restaurants, built two wholesale seafood companies, and even run two food trucks selling lobster salad rolls. From a garage full of tanks to a Central Florida institution, one thing has never changed: one man's passion for bringing the very best of the sea to the table.

Reserve a table

See the feast

Find a location