‘We ... fell in love with the opportunity.’ Lexington Seafood Co. has a new owner.
Last spring, when Michael Yessin announced that he was ready to retire from running Lexington Seafood Co., he said some of his longtime customers were “terrified” that he wasn’t going to find someone to take it over.
One of those nervous customers was Lee Travis’ mom, Jill Travis.
So she asked her son to head down to the seafood market, at 867 East High St., to talk to Yessin, who had operated the market for 15 years.
The result was that the family is now the proud new owner of Lexington Seafood Co.
“We all just kind of fell in love with the opportunity,” Lee Travis said in an interview. “It was a family purchase.”
He said he’s still getting regular calls from customers who are concerned the market might have closed.
Lee Travis runs the day-to-day operations. Lee Travis’ brother and his brother’s wife and his sister and her wife bought in too. The siblings’ parents, Jill and the late Russell Travis, bought in as well.
The family took ownership May 15, and Lee Travis said Yessin stayed on for a few weeks to help him learn the ropes of the market.
The seafood market has kept almost everything, including prices, the same as it was under Yessin, Travis said. They have expanded their hours a little. The shop is now open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Bluefin Seafood — What Chefs Want flies fresh fish into Louisville daily, then delivers the catch — mahi mahi, swordfish, red snapper, grouper, halibut, sushi tuna, arctic crab, scallops and more — to Lexington Seafood by truck.
Travis said the store sells 15 to 20 pounds of salmon a day, though he can get larger amounts at customers’ request if he’s given some advance notice.
During the holiday season, Lexington Seafood Co.’s smoked salmon, smoked beef tenderloin, oysters and shrimp cocktail are customer favorites.
Besides its range of fresh offerings, the market has an assortment of rubs, sauces and seasonings. It also has frozen seafood including shrimp, calamari, lobster tail, crab, alligator and frog legs.
Lee Travis said he’s spent almost 30 years in the restaurant business, including 17 years as a manager. He said he’s worked mostly at fast-casual chains such as Applebee’s, Chuy’s and Buffalo Wild Wings.
Now, Travis said he’s continuing to learn more about seafood, and he enjoys helping customers with recipes and ideas for how to prepare it.
“I think people are intimidated by seafood,” especially in a landlocked area like Lexington, Travis said.
The market still offers smoked salmon salad and shrimp salad, and Travis said that in the future, he’s hoping to offer sandwiches again like Yessin used to.
“As my confidence grows, the menu’s going to grow,” he said.
