Lobster roll chain rolling into Winterfield Crossing

Mason’s menu includes lobster, shrimp and crab rolls, among other dishes. (Courtesy Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls)

A fast-casual lobster roll chain is dropping anchor in Midlothian for its first Richmond-area location. 

Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls has signed on to open at 14213 Winterview Parkway in Winterfield Crossing. 

The 10-year-old chain has 33 locations nationwide, including nine in the D.C. area and two in Virginia Beach. In addition to multiple variations of its namesake lobster rolls, Mason’s menu also includes clam chowder, lobster bisque, lobster mac and cheese, and seafood salads. 

Lisa, Kevin and K.J. Stroud are the local franchisees for Mason’s. The jump into the restaurant industry is a change of pace for the wife, husband and son trio, who also own Powhatan-based asphalt and concrete company Pro-Seal Paving & Sealing.

While the family will continue to own and operate Pro-Seal, K.J. said he and his parents were looking to find another industry to get into when they found Mason’s. 

“We just came across an opportunity and thought there’s a market for it. There’s not many (lobster roll) options here and I think lobster rolls are kind of becoming a bigger thing,” K.J. said. 

Mason’s is based out of Annapolis, Maryland, but says it sources its lobsters from fishermen in Maine. It operates as a fast-casual concept, with its lobster rolls typically priced around $20. 

“You don’t really see that kind of restaurant where you can walk in and get lobster like that,” Lisa said. “You don’t have to worry about getting dressed up and going into an elegant restaurant.”

Mason’s is set to open in the same building as Drybar and Apricot Lane Boutique. (Mike Platania photo)

The Midlothian Mason’s is taking just over 900 square feet near the pond at Winterfield Crossing, and Lisa said they’re planning to have outdoor seating.

The Strouds were represented by Thalhimer’s David Crawford in lease negotiations. Blackwood Development, Winterfield Crossing’s developer, was represented by Colliers’ Harrison Hall and Peter Vick. 

The Strouds said they’re planning to file for building permits soon with hopes to have the restaurant open sometime in July.

It likely won’t be their only location. Lisa said they’re also finalizing leases for two more outposts, in Scott’s Addition and Short Pump. 

“We’re looking at three (locations) right now, possibly four,” she said. “We just haven’t decided. We want to take one at a time.”

Mason’s is at least the second lobster roll-focused concept to arrive in metro Richmond in the last year, joining Cousins Maine Lobster, a chain of food trucks that launched in the area last spring. 

Winterfield Crossing was built in the late 2010s and spans 25 acres off Midlothian Turnpike. Anchored by Aldi, the mixed-use development has over 100,000 square feet of commercial space and 250 age-restricted apartments, along with local commercial tenants like Triple Crossing Beer, Wong’s Tacos and Scents of Serenity Organic Spa.

A few doors down from Mason’s will be another new-to-market chain in Cinnaholic, a California-based franchise of vegan bakeries.