Red Lobster, the emblematic seafood chain, outlines a new course under the guidance of Executive Director Damola Amolecun after leaving the bankruptcy. In an interview with Good morning America On Thursday, the 36-year-old CEO addressed two questions that remained in the minds of the loyal guests and observers of the industry: Will your favorite endless shrimp will come back and how will we have the tariffs for import dinner for seafood? His answers signal reset for the problem brand restaurants focused on financial stability, client experience and menu innovation.
For years, the most uninterrupted promotion of shrimp was the main one on Red Lobster, attracting crowds with the promise of unlimited seafood at a certain price. But as the company is moving with heavy financial winds, it has become clear that a favorite deal is a more curse than a blessing. Adamolecun said unequivocally: “We have no plans to return it,” except to close the door to an offer, which, though popular, eventually helped to sink the bottom line of the red lobster.
The shrimp program that you can eat, originally started as a limited time offer, has been made constant in recent years. Far from increasing profits, the promotion instead caused multimillion losses due to the fact that customers surpass the margins of the chain. Bankruptcy agreements have revealed that the deal itself is responsible for a loss of $ 11 million, accelerating the financial unraveling of Red Lobster in 2023 and 2024. “We listen carefully to customers’ comments and try to react really quickly to deliver people whatever they want,” Adamolecun explained. “But you also have to be sure that you are running a winning business.”
Red Lobster has shifted its strategy to focus on value in more resistant forms: Introducing transactions with appetizers, happy hours on weekdays and a three-course menu “Shrimp” offered at selected places. While Adamolecun did not completely rule out creative promotions in the distant future, dinner hoped for the return of endless shrimp would not get breath.
Adamolekun, however, prioritizes innovation and agility, including great information about customers through social media and remarkable responsiveness from the chain to their reviews. Ever since it appeared from bankruptcy, the company has revised its menu-prairing by 20%, while adding new items such as a paste of papardel of lobsters, bacon-coated marine combs, and reviving loved ones, including puppies on a hill and piping shrimp. Within days of receiving more scent requests, Red Lobster has added new spicy, Old Bay Parmesan and Cajun sausage options in the menu. “We want to be exciting, relevant and compelling to our guests,” said Amolecun.