About Us
At the Lost Coast Oyster Company, we dive into all things oyster related including: farming, sourcing, distributing, shucking, consulting, educating, dining, and more. As the Tampa Bay region's leading authority on oysters, we're bringing back what's been LOST on Florida's Gulf Coast.
Our team
We are a family-owned small business based in Saint Petersburg, a husband and wife duo with a backgrounds in environmental science, natural resource management, communications, education, marketing, and public relations.
Oysters
We work directly with farmers to bring the freshest Florida farmed oysters to the Tampa Bay region. We sell wholesale to restaurants, retail to consumers, and operate a popup shucking service for weddings, parties, and more.
our story
The Lost Coast Oyster Company was founded in response to the widespread failure of the wild-harvest oyster fishery in Florida. Saltwater intrusion, nutrient deposition, reduced flows from the Apalachicola River, the BP oil spill, and other environmental factors caused the collapse of the Apalachicola oyster fishery, which left a significant shortage of oysters throughout the state. Several trips to Cedar Key, one of Florida's last working waterfront communities, kindled an interest in sustainable aquaculture. In 2019, the we applied the latest innovative off-bottom techniques to start farming our "LoCos" at a 2 acre lease in Tampa Bay's Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve. We learned that we could grow a mighty fine oyster, but not to the scale that would satiate our ravenous fan base. In 2021, we started distributing oysters from other farmers throughout Florida. We want to be leading the charge in celebrating sustainable aquaculture in Florida, brining back what's been LOST.
