A Memo from Our Owner: Food and Gas Prices

To: The Current and Future Patrons of the Costas Inn Restaurant

From: Pete Triantafilos, Owner, Costas Inn Restaurant

Cc: Costas the Crab

RE: Food and Gas Prices

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Anyone that has tried to fuel up anything motorized as of late knows all-to-well the increase in gas prices. As any business owner will tell you, in general, anytime fuel costs rise, the prices for everything else rise proportionally as well.

In the restaurant industry, many of my colleagues are struggling to keep their menu as stable and affordable in the face of bulging food costs and shipping surcharges. In most cases though, the added costs are being passed on directly to the customer, many of whom cannot necessarily afford the increase either.

At Costas, we are committed to our customer base and the people that have made us who we are. That is why, for as long as we possibly can, we will continue to keep our prices at the current rates, which we feel is a great value per dollar. Our thought is that while the profit margins on our dishes will be lower, we will focus on volume through promotions and social media and come out just fine. We are doing this because our customers have been very loyal to us over the past 40 years.

Additionally, for those customers that have or are considering ordering our award-winning crabcakes to be shipped, we have a separate commitment. For as long as we can afford to, the only increase you will see in costs are those related to the shipping and handling side. The costs associated with receiving the crabs at the restaurant and making the crabcakes will stay the same.

So, please, continue to come visit us for food, drinks and fun, and ask your friends to join you (in fact, if you car pool, it will make it even MORE affordable).

Best regards,

Pete

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Costas Inn is an award-winning family restaurant, known for having the best crab cakes in the Baltimore area. You can read more on our Facebook page.

Costas Contact: A Letter to my Costas Inn Coworkers

In our last couple of posts, we explained some of the changes with Costas Inn in the forty years since opening, but Costas Inn isn’t the only one to go through some changes. I have as well.

As you can tell by my pictures on my Facebook Page, I am a crab. Not only that, I am a crab who is employed as a mascot for a company that sells crabs. Naturally, at first, I was in constant fear that that a fellow employee will trick me into falling into a vat of Old Bay. But it never happened, and over time, I became less and less paranoid. Now, I don’t even worry about standing near a pot of boiling water or constantly turning around to check behind my shell to see if anyone is following me.

Why? Well, I could say it is in my contract (Section 17, Paragraph 5, Subsection 12, Line 9….not that I have it memorized) where it states, “Costas Inn will never eat Costas the Crab, put the life of Costas the Crab in danger, sell Costas the Crab for edible or other purposes, nor influence, encourage or deny any idea or activity that may lead to eating or selling of Costas the Crab.”

However, a contract is only as good as those signing it, and luckily for me, those people are the greatest. From the ownership to the cooks to the servers, these are some of the best people in Maryland to work next to and I would gladly share a shell with them.

So, next time you come in for cocktails or karaoke, don’t forget to take a moment and acknowledge the tremendous staff that makes Costas run smoothly. They work hard and are awesome people and can even make a decapods crustacean (a.k.a., a crab) feel comfortable working in a seafood restaurant.

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“Costas Contact” will be the home to Costas Inn mascot,Costas the Crab’s ramblings deep thoughts. He will share his views, based around the award-winning family restaurant, known for having the best crab cakes in the Baltimore area. You can read more of Costas the Crab’s thoughts on his Facebook page.

Costas Contact: History in a Box

Fresh newspapers covering long picnic tables, Old Bay seasoning, lukewarm beer, and the shared aromas of burning coals and sea air. These are memories that many a Maryland lifer shares, and the tradition of the Maryland crab boil goes back to the birth of our country.

When Costas Inn opened in 1971, our goal was to serve those memories to our customers. Whether you have grown up picking crabs, or sat down for the first time to look at those tiny wooden mallets with confusion, we wanted to share our food memories with you.

Now, forty years later, things have changed in the world. While nothing may be better than a big pot of crabs steaming on the beach, we wanted to replicate the experience as best as we could for everyone else. We took advantage of every resource we had, and are now proud to offer our traditional recipes for nationwide shipping.

If you can't be with us, let us deliver some crab cakes to you.

Unfortunately, you’re probably not going to see one of us roll up to the curb in front of your house with a hand delivery, but we assure you that every product is delivered in the best condition possible. Everything from seasonings and ingredients, to fully-prepared dinners are ready to be ordered from the comfort of your home. Order a ten-pack of our classic Maryland Crab Cakes for your next dinner party, or simply pick up some back fin crab meat and make your own. We even sell dinner kits that let you capture the full experience of a crab oil for two, including a dozen crabs, two mallets, seasoning, paper, and bibs.

We can’t sell you history in a box, but we think this comes pretty close.

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“Costas Contact” will be the home to Costas Inn mascot,Costas the Crab’s ramblings deep thoughts. He will share his views, based around the award-winning family restaurant, known for having the best crab cakes in the Baltimore area. You can read more of Costas the Crab’s thoughts on his Facebook page.

Costas Contact: The PERFECT Day for a Blog Launch

March 29th, 2011. The PERFECT day to launch a blog for our customers.

Not the 28th…..Not the 30th.

Why is today so perfect? Well, it was on this day 40 years ago that something else was launched: The Costas Inn Restaurant.

Many Costas Inn patrons that visit the website have read about the story of  Costas N. Triantafilos and Tsambika Kefalas, Greek citizens that came to the this country to realize the “American Dream.” Costas married Tsambika and a union was formed that remains the guiding force behind the Costas Inn. As the story goes:

In 1971, the property known today as Costas Inn was purchased and, thus, began a commitment to excellence and quality that has now exceeded a quarter of a century. Costas Inn, now in its 41st year, continues to be family owned and operated, serving a variety of tastefully prepared entrees, which are only comprised of the freshest and highest quality ingredients available.

It is said that the 40th Anniversary is known as the “Ruby Anniversary” and it is in honor of this that we launch this blog that – in combination with other additions like the Costas Inn Facebook Page – will hopefully be a “gem” in the continued growth of the restaurant (ok, I know am grasping with that one, but where am I going to get a ruby?). On this blog, you will read general insights from me – Costas the Crab – as well as from some of the Costas Inn staff. You can expect to hear about upcoming events (or how events went) and  even read interesting information on the restaurant business as a whole. We hope to combine education and entertainment (and because there is now free Wi-Fi in the restaurant, you can read this blog while you eat).

So, while March 29th has been a celebratory day for famous people ranging from pitching great Cy Young to Supermodel Elle MacPherson (both who were born on a March 29th), perhaps the happiest people ever on this day were two Greek immigrants who simply wanted to give the people of Baltimore full stomachs and satisfied smiles, and we all hope for 40 more years of it.

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“Costas Contact” will be the home to Costas Inn mascot,Costas the Crab’s ramblings deep thoughts. He will share his views, based around the award-winning family restaurant, known for having the best crab cakes in the Baltimore area. You can read more of Costas the Crab’s thoughts on his Facebook page.