For the last 27 years, Chris Lazicki has dedicated his life to the fish.
“I’m like the rain man of fish,” joked Lazicki.
“When I’m not working in fish I go fishing – catch and release!”
Lazicki grew up in New Jersey and found himself frequenting the well-known Fulton
Fish Market in South Manhattan, where he began his career. After he mastered the fish market system, he transitioned to the corporate side of the business. However, during that time he discovered he missed actual fish, which led him to Revere Meat Co. about two years ago.
“They stand for something here,” said Lazicki. “They care about the product… they care about the customer. Quality is by far our number one objective.”
To say Lazicki is passionate about his job would be an understatement. He describes what he does every day as “a family serving extended family.” As the current Seafood Manager of the company, he does everything from purchasing to sourcing seafood and oversees a team who receives, processes and cares for fish.
“There’s fish for selling and there’s fish for eating,” Lazicki explained. “At Revere they focus on the fish for eating side, even though we’re selling it.”
To purchase and source top quality fish, Lazicki stresses the importance of relationships with vendors and even has a collection of hats they’ve sent him over the years. His theory is to always buy the fish that was caught closest to where he’s standing. For example, most of the snapper, grouper, and mahi-mahi bought by Atlanta based Revere Meat Co. comes from Florida. However, in some cases more obscure fish come to Revere from as far as Tunisia or Holland. According to the seafood guru, approximately 75% of fish sourced by the company is domestic. Regardless, top-notch seafood is always top of mind.
“We’re small enough that we see every order,” said Lazicki. “We are big enough that we have reach to get pretty much any product that ever swam.”
While seafood and fish don’t hold a permanent spot in the company’s namesake, Lazicki calls his department the unsung hero of Revere Meat Co.
“We do what has to get done and we do the best job we can every day,” concluded Lazicki.