Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Schauman
Hi Nick, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
-In 2013 i started doing oyster pop ups at local restaurants and flea markets
-The pop ups became popular and then a couple newspapers wrote about me
-As we started doing bigger more high profile events we were approached to open an oyster bar in a food market
-We won more awards. Then we were approached by more people to open more locations.
-I started being asked to be on the news and television shows
-Things were cruising along then covid happened
-Our VA location was first to go then the other two closed in 2023
-It sucked but I eventually pulled myself up and started a new catering company
-We are now considered one of the premier raw bar caterers in the county
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
-Crazy to say the least.
-When i first started i was operating out of my house.
-I moved all the furniture out of my dining room so i had space for my coolers and tables and tent
-The first location was a tiny buildout so it went pretty smoothly
-The other two were full scale restaurant builds and getting both of them to the finish line (both way behind -schedule was a monumental task)
-During the covid years we opened and closed and reopened three time.
-Each time we lost most of our staff and then had to rehire and retrain.
-Also during that time, Baltimores vibrant night life pretty much disappeared leaving our bars empty
-Eventually people started coming back out but by that time it was too late
-Also owning and operating multiple locations didn’t allow any time to anything else but work
-It took a big tole on my physical and mental well being
We’ve been impressed with The Local Oyster , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
-The legal name is Lil Shucker LLC dba The Local Oyster
-We are a traveling Raw Bar and Catering company
-Also specializing in large scale events
-Oyster are our specialty setting up raw bars at parties, weddings, corporate functions and festivals
-We also offer a variety of regional seafood specialties including crab cake and steam kettles (aka seafood boils)
-My business card says cruise director as i am also known for bringing fun to any event we attend
-Last count i’ve shucked in 14 states and counting
-Featured on Very Local, Netflix, CBS, PBS and many other local programs
-in 2023 i placed in the top 10 shuckers in the country in the National competition
-I am most proud of our charitable work and representing the city of Baltimore to a national audience
How do you think about luck?
-Tough quesiton
-As divided as our country is at this point in time, i still always feel lucky to be born here
-Lucky to live in a city like Baltimore with such a tight knit community were everyone helps each other out
-I’ve had so many jobs and careers over the years I guess i’m lucky that i finally ended up with one
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thelocaloyster.com
- Instagram: thelocaloyster
- Facebook: thelocaloyster
