Red Lobster will not be bringing back one fan-favorite food deal anytime soon.
In early 2024, the family-style seafood chain closed a handful of its restaurants across the country as serious financial and operational issues threatened the future of the business. At the time, former CEO Jonathan Tibus was forced to make one harsh cut before they subsequently filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May – knocking the $20 endless shrimp special from the Red Lobster menu.
According to Tibus’s court filing, his predecessor Paul Kenny had cost the company $11m when he decided to make the all-you-can-eat shrimp offer available all the time, instead of just once a week. Not to mention global seafood company Thai Union – which became more involved in the chain’s management following the pandemic – may have encouraged Kenny to make excessive shrimp orders, leaving Red Lobster “with burdensome supply obligations.”
Not only were customers consuming more shrimp than Red Lobster could afford to supply, but its turnover rate went down as patrons hogged tables for hours to get the most out of the deal. By the end of 2023, the chain had amassed $73m in net loss.
Now, to the dismay of many customers who might’ve been hoping Red Lobster would revive the deal, new CEO Damola Adamolekun officially confirmed the endless shrimp won’t be returning.
Speaking with Today, Adamolekun explained why the shrimp deal has ended permanently, candidly admitting it’s “because I know how to do math.” However, Adamolekun isn’t entirely opposed to the idea of having it return in some way in the future.
“Relevant, compelling, and exciting is what we want Red Lobster to be for the future, and so we’re working on that now,” he said, before noting Red Lobster will be bringing back two beloved items with seven debut dishes.
From a lobster bisque to grilled mahi, the new-and-improved Red Lobster menu will be adding rich, delectable meals for customers to enjoy, along with the opportunity to indulge in their iconic hush puppies once again.
Before Adamolekun, Red Lobster hadn’t served its sought-after hush puppies for years.
“I expect a stampede into our restaurants because we’re bringing back the hush puppies,” Adamolekun told Today. “I stopped going to Red Lobster because they stopped the hush puppies. Since I was in college I love the hush puppies. I’m glad they’re back.”
Fans on TikTok have been stirring up conversations about the franchise’s hush puppies for some time, hoping they would one day get another taste. They’ve also been criticized the flavor of Red Lobster’s tartar sauce, saying the taste is “weird.”
“Weird sauce thing,” one woman wrote next to a clip of her trying the dip. “Literally why do they serve this?”
As for the tartar sauce, Adamolekun said: “It’s being fixed. I hear you, TikTok… It’s going to be a better version, in my estimation, because we did try the old one and this new one, this new one’s better.”
