Jul. 29—MINERAL POINT, Pa. — Matt Grata will soon head out on another one of his "lobsta runs" from his Vinco home to Maine's ocean coast.
It will be a combination of business and pleasure for the entrepreneur.
He makes the trip a few times every year, hauling back fresh, live lobsters in a refrigerated truck to fulfill pre-orders placed through his company, The Lobsta Run, which is a play on a New England accent.
Grata, a full-time chemistry teacher in the United School District, described his side business as "unique" and "a novelty."
"I'm going to pat myself of the back a little bit," Grata said during a recent interview at his house. "I'm a teacher by nature. That's what I do. That's my profession. I think most people want to learn stuff that they don't know. Most people don't like to not know stuff, no matter what it is. And if it's something that they're interested in, like their fresh, live lobster, they ask me a thousand questions. They want to know.
"The word 'neat' I hear that a lot. 'This is so neat.' 'This is so cool.' People thank me left and right. 'Thanks for doing this.' 'Thanks for going up and getting these.' The quality that I bring back is topnotch."
Grata has made two runs so far in 2023.
His final trip of the year is scheduled to take place the week of Aug. 7. Orders can be placed until Aug. 9 at thelobstarun.com, with prices set at $15 for a 1.2-pound lobster and $25 for lobsters weighing 1.7 pounds on average.
Customers will then pick up the lobsters on Aug. 12 at the 1889 Park, adjacent to the Johnstown Flood National Memorial, Lake Road in South Fork, during "Lobsterfest."
The appreciation party will include live music, free food and drinks, and pots for boiling lobsters if anybody wants to eat there.
"You can't get a fresher lobster in Maine," Grata said. "You almost can't get it at a better price."
The number of lobsters per run varies depending on pre-orders, but Grata usually brings back around 1,000 each time.
Advance ordering is required because Grata does not freeze the lobsters or keep them in a storage tank.
"It's such a high risk, such a highly perishable commodity," Grata said. "Lobsters want to live in water. I take them out of the water to bring them home. ... The key is that trailer and managing the risk. I keep them cold. I run them down at 40 degrees."
His wife, Tina Grata, added: "When he goes up and gets lobsters himself, we know they're taken care of. We know that they're fresh. We know where they come from."