RED Lobster has brought customers a new twist on a beloved meal offering this month.
For only $15.99, diners can take advantage of the deal, but some aren’t sure how they feel about it.
Red Lobster has adjusted a beloved deal this month (stock image)[/caption]
A new shrimp-based dish is just $15.99[/caption]
The restaurant chain said it’s “turning the tide one year after emerging from bankruptcy by introducing a new take on a fan-favorite promotion” in a Monday press release.
Instead of Endless Shrimp, which was a considerable factor in Red Lobster’s financial woes that led to the Chapter 11 filing, its bringing customers the Ultimate SpendLESS Shrimp deal.
The meal includes three shrimp-based dishes on a single plate — Garlic Shrimp Scampi, Shrimp Linguini Alfredo, and Popcorn Shrimp.
“It may not be endless, but it’s endlessly delicious and ‘spend-lessly’ good for your budget,” Red Lobster clapped back in the release about the deal after the Endless Shrimp debacle.
Damola Adamolekun, the chain’s new CEO who formerly helmed PF Chang’s, also emphasized in the release that he wanted to answer customer pleas for a shrimp-based offer in an effective manner.
“Since stepping into this role, I’ve gotten questions about Endless Shrimp — ‘Is it coming back?’ ‘What really happened with the promotion?’ ‘How much shrimp is too much shrimp?’ And it’s time we officially turn the tides,” Adamolekun said.
“We’re starting a new chapter here at Red Lobster, one that’s smarter, more sustainable and still packed with unbeatable value and delicious flavors our guests have come to expect.”
“Ultimate SpendLESS Shrimp is a celebration and I’m looking forward to our diners enjoying great shrimp dishes this season for a great price. It may not be endless, but you’ll definitely spend less,” he added.
MIXED FEELINGS
While this marks an official response to the Endless Shrimp question, some Red Lobster customers have already issued grievances online.
“But it’s not all you can eat like you had the offer before is it?” a frustrated diner questioned in a thread on Facebook.
“Endless is better,” another agreed.
“Get rid of the shrimp linguini Alfredo. Yuck,” a third complained.
Someone else went as far as to say the dish was “full of crap.”
Many were still excited, saying they were headed to their nearest Red Lobster location immediately for the deal.
Timeline leading to Red Lobster’s financial woes
Red Lobster has been a staple in the United States ever since its launch in 1968. But the business has recently been hit with financial troubles and it is now reportedly considering filing for bankruptcy.
1968: Bill Darden opened the first Red Lobster as a family-owned restaurant in Lakeland, Florida.
1970: Red Lobster caught the attention of General Mills and became backed by their resources. Stores start to rapidly open across the nation
1974: Popcorn shrimp debuts
1983: Red Lobster’s first Canadian restaurant opens
1984: Chain hosts its first-ever Lobster Fest
1992: Famous Cheddar Bay Biscuits are unveiled for the first time
1995: General Mills creates a spin-off of its restaurant division, known as Darden Restaurants, Inc.
2003: The yearly tradition of Endless Shrimp starts
2006: “Today’s Fresh Fish” menu makes its debut, bringing fresh, regional seafood to Red Lobsters everywhere
2010: Red Lobsters everywhere see an interior makeover inspired by the historic fishing village of Bar Harbor, Maine.
2014: Darden Restaurants, Inc. sells Red Lobster to Golden Golden Gate Capital for $1.2 billion.
2016: Thai Union Group pays $575 million for a 25% stake in the chain.
2020: Thai Union Group purchases a 49% majority stake in the chain from Golden Golden Gate Capital for an undisclosed amount of money and Red Lobster reports record-breaking profits, pulling in $6.5 billion for the year.
2023: Endless Shrimp becomes a permanent part of the menu
2024: Red Lobster announces a $22 million loss for 2023, majority shareholder Thai Union Group announces it is looking to sell its shares. Red Lobster filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in May.
“Love me some RL shrimp!!” a longtime customer exclaimed.
ENDLESS ENDS FOR GOOD
Despite the pleas for the $20 Endless Shrimp promotion to come back, it doesn’t appear to be a fiscally feasible endeavor for Red Lobster anymore, according to what Adamolekun told CNN last year.
“It creates a lot of chaos operationally,” the CEO explained.
He also added that certain situations with the promotion left diners unable to get a table and staff scrambling to accommodate the orders.
“We won’t have it in a way that’s losing money in that fashion and isn’t managed,” Adamolekun noted.
Before its bankruptcy filing in May of 2024, the Endless Shrimp offering was a significant contributing factor to an $11 million loss for the company in one quarter.
Bosses even increased its price gradually from $20 to $22, and then $25 to try and keep it on the menu because of popularity.
Even so, it remained one of the final blows to Red Lobster amid longstanding financial struggles over the years and it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with debts over $1 billion.
It proceeded to close over 100 locations nationwide and was acquired by RL Investor Holdings LLC, who appointed Adamolekun as CEO.
Adamolekun has spoken out on three crucial reasons why it’s better than rivals this time around, post-bankruptcy.
Red Lobster diners also blasted some new dishes as “cold” and “unaffordable” this summer.
