Red Lobster

[iamjacobm]

Heard the brand was going under by the end of the year. Obviously in the rumors section for a reason.

[Coyote]

Heard the brand was going under by the end of the year. Obviously in the rumors section for a reason.

Not going under, just being let go by its parents, and we will have to see if it can fly on its own...

[jessep28]

I know Darden wants to spin Red Lobster off. I haven't heard anything about the brand's impending doom though.

[iamjacobm]

Heard the brand was going under by the end of the year. Obviously in the rumors section for a reason.

Not going under, just being let go by its parents, and we will have to see if it can fly on its own...

I guess I am not really in the know when it is in every news outlet .

[cdub]

Every RL I've ever been in has been crowded. Don't know how they can be struggling. Maybe that isnt the case outside of the midwest.

[jessep28]

Every RL I've ever been in has been crowded. Don't know how they can be struggling. Maybe that isnt the case outside of the midwest.

Food prices are higher than most restaurants.

[cdub]

Every RL I've ever been in has been crowded. Don't know how they can be struggling. Maybe that isnt the case outside of the midwest.

Food prices are higher than most restaurants.

Do you mean food costs? My point is the price doesnt keep them from being busy. However, if the margins stink that wont help.

[jessep28]

Yeah, prices = costs. Sorry for the confusion.

[Omaha_Gabe]

WR hadn't been to a RL in years and decided to go. The prices were not what I expected they were much higher. I would pay less at plank,blue, etc for some type of seafood and a better atmosphere. Although they remodeled the outside of all locations, the interior, service, & menu aren't the best

[Padre]

All the ones in Nebraska seem to have survived.

Dozens of Red Lobster locations close abruptly: List of latest closures

https://www.9news.com/article/news/nati ... a766ece4a3

[Athomsfere]

I haven't eaten at a RL in over a decade. I keep sort of joking we should go.

But then again, why? So many better choices anywhere you go.

[thenewguy]

I haven't eaten at a RL in over a decade. I keep sort of joking we should go.

But then again, why? So many better choices anywhere you go.

i'll tell you why: cheddar bay biscuits.


i'd rather hit up a local joint any day though. Red Lobster's portions have gotten smaller and prices gone up. I just don't think it is sustainable to offer what people are looking for when it comes to seafood at that scale. When we were in Boston a few years ago, we popped up to Maine and there was a place that had a whole lobster, corn, bread, some kind of potato, and it was like $25 bucks. I had to ask "$25??" and the guy was like "yeah it's gettin expensive" and i was like "he1l no! I'm from the midwest, that's a steal" On the flip side, steak out there was expensive, which just shows the difference in price/quality when you are eating foods common to the area you are in.

Long story short: maybe Red Lobster is just going to become a casualty and good seafood dining will go back to being more of a regional thing

[Athomsfere]

I haven't eaten at a RL in over a decade. I keep sort of joking we should go.

But then again, why? So many better choices anywhere you go.

i'll tell you why: cheddar bay biscuits.


i'd rather hit up a local joint any day though. Red Lobster's portions have gotten smaller and prices gone up. I just don't think it is sustainable to offer what people are looking for when it comes to seafood at that scale. When we were in Boston a few years ago, we popped up to Maine and there was a place that had a whole lobster, corn, bread, some kind of potato, and it was like $25 bucks. I had to ask "$25??" and the guy was like "yeah it's gettin expensive" and i was like "he1l no! I'm from the midwest, that's a steal" On the flip side, steak out there was expensive, which just shows the difference in price/quality when you are eating foods common to the area you are in.

Long story short: maybe Red Lobster is just going to become a casualty and good seafood dining will go back to being more of a regional thing

LOL. I knew those biscuits would come up.

What was up with those old chains that all had to have some sort of crack-infused bread to get people to come in and ignore the mediocre main dishes? Chi-chis had what, the chips? Olive Garden had the breadsticks. Texas Roadhouse has their cinnamon butter.

Lucky for Omaha we have places like Yoshitomo and Absolutely Fresh bringing in awesome fresh seafood on the daily. The dark days of beef and pork only are long gone.

[skinzfan23]

I haven't eaten at a RL in over a decade. I keep sort of joking we should go.

But then again, why? So many better choices anywhere you go.

i'll tell you why: cheddar bay biscuits.


i'd rather hit up a local joint any day though. Red Lobster's portions have gotten smaller and prices gone up. I just don't think it is sustainable to offer what people are looking for when it comes to seafood at that scale. When we were in Boston a few years ago, we popped up to Maine and there was a place that had a whole lobster, corn, bread, some kind of potato, and it was like $25 bucks. I had to ask "$25??" and the guy was like "yeah it's gettin expensive" and i was like "he1l no! I'm from the midwest, that's a steal" On the flip side, steak out there was expensive, which just shows the difference in price/quality when you are eating foods common to the area you are in.

Long story short: maybe Red Lobster is just going to become a casualty and good seafood dining will go back to being more of a regional thing

Haha that is awesome and exactly what happened to us back in 2010 when I was last in the Maine/Boston area. Pretty much anywhere you went you could get a full lobster, fries and coleslaw at that time for $15-18. Here in Omaha you get a tiny lobster tail at "market price" which is probably $35.

[nativeomahan]

All the ones in Nebraska seem to have survived.

Dozens of Red Lobster locations close abruptly: List of latest closures

https://www.9news.com/article/news/nati ... a766ece4a3

Not the Council Bluffs location, which is got the ax.

[Omaha Cowboy]

All the ones in Nebraska seem to have survived.

Dozens of Red Lobster locations close abruptly: List of latest closures

https://www.9news.com/article/news/nati ... a766ece4a3

Not the Council Bluffs location, which is got the ax.

Not that I’ve ever been a big fan of Red Lobster..over the years, the handful of times I went, it was okay..The last time I went a few months back, the menu had changed and the food was awful..

You could tell this chain was going downhill…

Ciao..LiO…Peace

[Brad]

I would head to local places like Shucks and Sand Point if you want seafood.

[Omaha Cowboy]

I would head to local places like Shucks and Sand Point if you want seafood.

Heck, even Bonefish Grill is a better option as a seafood chain…

Ciao..LiO…Peace

[nebugeater]

I thought I would weigh on on my Opinion on the current state of Red Lobster, then I remembered it has probably been over 20 Years since I have been into one. Not that I don't like seafood, but I never found a reason to like Red Lobster and go there.

[FishFighter92]

I haven't eaten at a RL in over a decade. I keep sort of joking we should go.

But then again, why? So many better choices anywhere you go.

i'll tell you why: cheddar bay biscuits.

https://www.samsclub.com/p/red-lobster- ... od18310103

[Padre]

I haven't eaten at a RL in over a decade. I keep sort of joking we should go.

But then again, why? So many better choices anywhere you go.

i'll tell you why: cheddar bay biscuits.

https://www.samsclub.com/p/red-lobster- ... od18310103

You can also get them at Hy-Vee.

[JDJase]

I haven't eaten at a RL in over a decade. I keep sort of joking we should go.

But then again, why? So many better choices anywhere you go.

i'll tell you why: cheddar bay biscuits.

https://www.samsclub.com/p/red-lobster- ... od18310103

You can also get them at Hy-Vee.

Years ago I used to buy the mix and make them all the time, and they genuinely tasted the same. The other day I was at Target and saw they now also sell them as frozen ready to bake https://www.target.com/p/red-lobster-fr ... nk=sametab

[Brad]

All the ones in Nebraska seem to have survived.

Dozens of Red Lobster locations close abruptly: List of latest closures

https://www.9news.com/article/news/nati ... a766ece4a3

How private equity played a role in Red Lobster and TGI Fridays bankruptcies

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/25/red-lob ... quity.html

“Companies that are owned by private equity firms are significantly more likely to go bankrupt than those that aren’t,” said Brendan Ballou, author of “Plunder: Private Equity’s Plan to Pillage America.” “There’s a lot of incentives for the private equity firm to take short-term extractive strategies towards restaurants that oftentimes can lead to their harm, or, in extreme cases, to their destruction.”

[Big E]

The issue w Red Lobster went back to when Thai Union bought them and were made their exlcusive shrimp supplier, the endless shrimp specials, and COVID. Saying it was the fault of private equity is about as oversimplifiedas an artile can get.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/09/busi ... nfall.html

There's possibly never been worse decisions made by a major restaurant chain in history.

[ChadJK]

This is a good 12-minute video explaining what happened to Red Lobster:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I17aERAQPfc