Red Lobster admits defeat after failed attempt to appeal to people who didn't like seafood

UK Daily Mail ^ | November 3, 2014 | David McCormack

[C19fan]

Struggling restaurant chain Red Lobster is going back to its roots with a new menu that’s set to feature more dishes featuring lobster. A revamped menu announced on Monday removes several poorly received non-seafood dishes including Spicy Tortilla Soup and a Wood-Grilled Pork Chop. These non-seafood dishes had been added by the chain's previous owner, Darden Restaurants Inc., in the vain hope of attracting people who don't like seafood as sales declined.

[C19fan]

The structural issue is businesses catering to the middlebrow tastes and incomes from Red Lobster to JC Penney are struggling. Only the highbrow and lowbrow are surviving in this economy.

[Responsibility2nd]

Red Lobster is OK. For when a chain restaurant will do and there aren’t any REAL sea food restaurants nearby.

[JSDude1]

I live in Wilmington, NC. How can I ~NOT~ like seafood? The only people down here that don’t eat seafood are those with shellfish allergies.

That said, I don’t see a lot of Red Lobster restaurants around here, but some mighty fine local restaurants!!

[GeronL]

Maybe when their old parent company went in big for Obama they lost a lot of customers?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Cheddar's has a salmon filet and two vegetables for $10.29, and the salmon is excellent. As is the steamed broccoli.

Red Lobster needs to have menu items like that.

[Veggie Todd]

We used to go to RL every now and then, but the prices went up and the food quality went down. Haven’t been there in a few years now.

[skinndogNN]

Is there anything more overated than Lobster?

[Hyman Roth]

I live in Wilmington, NC. How can I ~NOT~ like seafood? The only people down here that don’t eat seafood are those with shellfish allergies.

Great restaurants in Wilmington. Down there all the time. I live in Fayetteville.

[Hyman Roth]

Never understood the fascination with Lobster.

[EXCH54FE]

It’s not that people don’t like seafood, We just do not like BAD seafood!!!!

Bad food/Service and high costs, then sales declined and stores closed.

[SkyPilot]

If you eat this meal, along with a few of their cheddar cheese biscuits beforehand while waiting for your appetizer, I think the calorie count could keep a platoon going for 2 days.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Before railroads and trucks began transporting live lobster out of Maine, there was a law that made it illegal to serve prisoners lobster more than 4 times a week.

[LonePalm]

There was a domestic workers strike in Boston sometime around 1900. One of the settlement items was a requirement that the workers NOT be served lobster more than twice a week. It was considered 'trash' seafood at the time.

"Ceterum censeo 0bama esse delendam."

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[xp38]

caviar

[Gamecock]

**Is there anything more overated than Lobster?**

Not if it is really succulent!

[Larry Lucido]

If they bring back endless shrimp, I’m there.

[Wingy]

Red Lobster needs three things:

1) Good seafood dishes. That's not too tough, is it?

2) Much better service. Hiring high schoolers and without training and turning them loose on their six tables just doesn't cut it.

3)Lower prices. My wife and I spent $70 for very marginal food and the aforementioned (lack of) service. I can get by for $50 or so at Outback for good food and more professional service.

[Larry Lucido]

Date a girl with “man hands” when going out for lobster.

[NEMDF]

I still like RL, but we only go maybe once or twice per year. It started feeling like they were reducing the portions so much, even the baked potatoes were small. I told my husband that if they would just spend 3 cents more and give you a BIG baked potato, you might not feel like there was not enough food. Also love their stuffed mushrooms, but the order went down from 6 to 5, then smaller mushrooms.

[TexasCajun]