Stone House set to become Lewiston Lobster Company

Following original location’s success in Olcott, new eatery will debut on Center Street in 2026

By Joshua Maloni

GM/Managing Editor

Michelle Pozantides gives new meaning to the phrase, “Hit the ground running.”

“I decided, on Mother's Day of 2025, that I was going to make a lobster roll place out of the location that we're currently in. And we did that,” she said. “We were down having a ‘Mega Mary’ at Covey's Cove on a Sunday, and the ‘For Rent’ sign became available, and I said, ‘Lobster rolls.’ It was a very shotgun-type setup. Like I said, I decided on Mother's Day and, by June 11, we were open.”

The Olcott Lobster Company was an immediate success, garnering fanfare and media coverage throughout Western New York.

On Monday, Pozantides announced a second location: The Lewiston Lobster Company will debut in March 2026 at 755 Center St. – the current site of The Lewiston Stone House. Pozantides and her brother, Kevin Thomasula, will operate the restaurant, leasing space from property owner Emery Simon.

“This is going to stay The Stone House until the end of this season,” Pozantides said. “We don't really officially start here until January of ’26. Between now and then, we're going to be working on packages. We want this to be an event destination, as well. So, we'll be working on packages; we'll be working on systems, and how we're going to be able to accommodate the volume that we expect, just based off of Olcott Lobster Company. We were a high-volume place at a very small location. We're working with a lot more space and a completely different format, and so we're going to be spending a lot of time in coming up with a system that's going to be efficient, that's going to be easy on the staff, easy on the customer, and a nice flow.”

The Lewiston Stone House’s Chris Keller said the Lewiston Lobster Company “is definitely something that Lewiston needs.”

Since news broke, Keller said Stone House patrons are “most definitely excited – especially since she’s going to keep a lot of the familiar faces. … You always want to walk in and see somebody who remembers your name.”

Keller noted, “We are going to be open through the holidays, on the weekends; and like (Tuesday), we did a popup because it's gorgeous. Definitely throughout the holidays we’re doing Christmas parties” at The Lewiston Stone House.

The Lewiston Stone House.

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Lobster launching in Lewiston

Prior to opening the Olcott Lobster Company, “I have been a Niagara County caterer through Ava's Table at the Vineyard for a number of years, mainly through Freedom Run Winery,” Pozantides said. “I also had a small corner store on Townline and Upper Mountain that I operated for five years. We decided to gradually phase out of Ava's. I had a few weddings left for this year that I had to take care of, but coming into next year, now, Ava's will be done. We're dissolving that, and we're going to be aiming into Olcott.”

Of all the items she could’ve chosen to highlight, Pozantides explained, “Honestly, my husband and I have traveled up to Maine, and we love getting authentic New England-style rolls. We're kind of ‘lobster mobsters.’ We travel for them. We love them.

“I wanted to be able to offer something here, in Western New York, that is an authentic lobster roll. Not saying that other places don't offer authentic lobster rolls. But, we wanted a place that had a lobster shack kind of vibe, and we wanted to keep it casual enough where people could feel comfortable coming in in their flip-flops and just having an amazing lobster roll.”

While there is debate among TV chefs as to how a lobster roll is best prepared, Pozantides said, “To be honest, I mean, as long as you're providing a fresh lobster product, the secret to a good lobster roll isn't so much in that – although it's important. But there's also other components that go into a good lobster roll, as well. It's something as little as clarifying your butter and going that route, versus just using regular liquid butter or whatever anybody else is using, all the way up to the type of brioche roll that you're using – which, brioche has a little sweetness to it, and it just adds to the sweetness of the lobster. We do use a New England split brioche roll, and we toast them, and it just accompanies the lobster beautifully.

“One of the other things I think that set us apart, too, was the types of lobster rolls that we are selling. We're not just doing a Connecticut roll. We have New England style. We have Connecticut. We created the Olcott fire roll, which has a Calabrian chili-infused butter, and then we add a little bit more chili on the top.

“And we also have the flight, which nobody else was doing. The lobster roll flight was our No. 1 seller. …

“We're all about just trying to be creative in terms of what we're doing with the classic lobster roll, and getting into some other things.”

But not too much into those other things, mind you.

“I wanted to keep a very simple format,” Pozantides said. “I kind of mirrored what they do in Maine. Lobster roll shacks in Maine keep a very simple menu. The star of the show is the lobster roll. The other accompaniments, whether it be side of tots or fries or slaw or some sort of a salad, and maybe a couple non-seafood items, it was all it was going to be. And that's what I wanted for us, as well. I didn't want a lobster roll to be on page 3 of an unlimited menu.

“We are not a full-blown seafood house. There are amazing places in Western New York that you can go for a whole lobster dinner, as well as seafood boils and all of those other things that people are looking for. We are very tunnel-visioned, in terms of product that we're selling, and what we do best is lobster rolls. So, that's our focus. We specialize, and we perfected, that one item.”

The popular Olcott Lobster Company lobster roll flight, and a single-serve sampling.

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‘A perfect fit’

Over the past two decades, Lewiston has become a well-known culinary destination. Lobster rolls should fit well with the existing restaurants.

Beyond that, Pozantides said The Lewiston Stone House has been a family favorite.

“I had my daughter's graduation here,” she said. “My daughter was a bartender here out of college. So, the Stone House has a special place in our hearts, as well, and we do have that family connection. We've always loved Lewiston, and my husband and I have come out to Lewiston for years. We come out every Christmas. We go to Fatima; we do all the things. We go to the Brickyard. We just love it down here. … We thought this is a perfect fit for us.

“One of my prerequisites is that we're either very close to water or we're on the water, and this is close to the water, and it does have that quaint, almost a New England vibe. I've got the more beachy vibe going in Olcott, but this place definitely has a more New England vibe; so, I think that we're going to play off that in creating just a beautiful, New England-style lobster role place in Western New York.”

In a social media post, The Lewiston Stone House team shared, “As we reflect on our incredible journey, our hearts are full of gratitude. Over the years, The Lewiston Stone House has become more than just a place for food, drinks, and music, it's become a true community and family. Every laugh, memory, and familiar face has made this place so special. …

“We couldn't be happier to see this beloved spot continue to grow in such good hands.”

Pozantides said, “We're just beyond, over-the-moon excited and ecstatic to be a part of Lewiston. We are very, very tightknit with our community in Olcott. We work very well with all the other local businesses that are around us. We love collaborating, we love promoting, and so, it's just been a phenomenal experience in Olcott, and we're hoping for the same experience here.”