Founder & Owner
Crab Corner Maryland Seafood House
John Smolen was born and raised in the great state of Maryland. As a graduate from the University of Maryland, with degrees in both finance and accounting, John migrated to Las Vegas, Nevada, for a change in weather and work-life balance. Upon arriving in Las Vegas, John and his brother, Mark, immediately noticed the lack of East Coast flavor and fresh seafood available. Leveraging their Maryland roots, where crab is king, they co-founded Nevada Seafood Distributors in 2008. That wholesale venture still focuses on importing live shellfish into Las Vegas daily.
As a natural progression, they started Crab Corner Maryland Seafood House in 2010. The original Crab Corner restaurant on Eastern Ave. was an instant hit. Crab Corner moved to its current expanded location on Rainbow Blvd. in 2013. It offers the same great food, with a full bar and outdoor patio seating. While Mark has moved on to other ventures, John continues to operate both the wholesale business and the restaurant. They remain family-owned businesses with his wife, Kelly (who is also from Maryland and met John at Crab Corner), and their two daughters, Sloane and Scarlett.