Food Truck Spotlight

Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls gets mobile with Rehoboth Beach food truck

Mason's Famous Lobster Rolls is hitting the road with a food truck. In today's Food Truck Spotlight, Food Truck Operator speaks with the founder of the brick-and-mortar franchise.

Photo: Mason's Famous Lobster Rolls

May 18, 2026 by Bradley Cooper — Editor, Connect Media

Summarize with

Food trucks aren't just for burgers, fries or snacks. They are serving up all sorts of cuisines, with one of the most popular being lobster rolls, a dish that originated from Maine due to its large lobster industry.

Mason's Famous Lobster Rolls has been a staple franchise in this industry since 2014, with 35 locations in the U.S., three in Italy, and several others in development. Previously, this brand was a brick-and-mortar, but now it's taking the concept out on the road with a food truck based in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. A franchisee introduced this food truck as a way to handle some of the long lines at the brick-and-mortar location and give the brand the ability to go out onto the road.

To learn about this food truck and Mason's Famous Lobster Rolls, Food Truck Operator spoke with Dan Beck, founder of Mason's Famous Lobster Rolls in an email interview.

Q: What's the history behind Mason's Famous Lobster Rolls?

Beck: Throughout my career as a seafood buyer, I regularly spent time with the lobstermen of Maine. They have a deep respect and understanding of Maine's waters, and most of them carry on the centuries-old values and traditions.

I opened the first location in Annapolis in 2014. I chose the name, Mason's Famous Lobster Rolls, for my son. From the moment we opened that first location 'til now, our priority has been to provide our customers with lobster rolls that capture those same characteristics I saw in Maine: simple, traditional recipes that focus on the high-quality ingredients.

Q: How'd the food truck get started?

Beck:Our local franchise owner in Rehoboth Beach saw an opportunity to meet the needs of his community, something we will always support as best we can.

Located in a popular tourist destination, he wanted to better serve the locals and alleviate the long lines of summer from their brick-and-mortar location. With their new truck, they'll typically be positioned along the Coastal Highway, while also attending festivals and offering catering for local and private events.

When they brought the idea to my corporate team, we were quickly able to see how this could be a great opportunity for the brand to test this potential growth channel.

Q: What are some of the challenges of running a food truck vs. a brick & mortar?

Beck: With 35 brick-and-mortar locations, our team is experienced in new location openings. From real estate scouting to inspections, we've developed a good understanding of the roadblocks that can arise through the various phases of a project.

A food truck poses a whole new menu of possibilities for openings and ongoing operations. While repairs and maintenance can be a challenge in any restaurant, a food truck carries a whole new set of materials that have the potential to need repairs.

Q: How does Mason's handle regulatory challenges?

Beck:Navigating permitting is one of the most significant challenges for Mason's and our franchisees — whether it's a food truck or brick-and-mortar location — as the processes in most municipalities are time-consuming and often have several steps. Our corporate team works with our franchisees to alleviate some of these challenges, but ultimately, it requires both diligence and patience.

With food trucks, there's another layer of complication as they have to work with multiple municipalities to attend community events and move throughout a region.

Q: What are Mason's biggest selling items?

Beck:We're offering a limited menu at the food truck, composed of most of our most popular items, like the Classic Maine and Connecticut-style lobster rolls, as well as the Warm Crab roll, New England Clam Chowder and Lobster Bisque.

Q: For a personal question, what's your favorite part of the Mason's food truck?

Beck:Personally, I'm excited to see how the food truck can help us to grow the Mason's brand through building awareness with new customers, exploring potential markets for brick-and-mortar locations and offering a lower cost of entry franchise opportunity.

Through Mason's, I want everyone to be able to experience the delicious taste of an authentic Maine lobster roll, and I'm excited to see how the food truck will help us achieve that.

Want your food truck in the spotlight? It's easy and free!

Submit your food truck

About Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper is an experienced editor for Connect Media. He has written across a wide range of beats, ranging from food to digital signage to banking, and is the current editor of ATM Marketplace and Food Truck Operator. His background is in information technology, advertising, and writing. When he’s not crafting a story, you can find him going for a run or spending time with his wife and three sons.

Connect with Bradley: