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Red Lobster admits defeat after failed attempt to appeal to people who didn't like seafood
UK Daily Mail ^ | November 3, 2014 | David McCormack

Posted on 11/03/2014 1:57:16 PM PST by 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.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Food
KEYWORDS: lobster; restaurant
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To: Responsibility2nd

I don’t care for seafood and would never go to Red Lobster to eat non-seafood. Anything there would have a fishy flavor and I am not interested.

Good move on their part to go to their roots. If that doesn’t work, then they need to die.


21 posted on 11/03/2014 2:17:51 PM PST by packrat35 (Pelosi is only on loan to the world from Satan. Hopefully he will soon want his baby killer back)
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To: Larry Lucido

I liked the endless shrimp too. The only sticking point was that they refused to take the old dishes off of the table the last couple of times I went. Was their ‘policy’ to remove them at the end.


22 posted on 11/03/2014 2:19:32 PM PST by Textide (Lord, grant that I may always be right, for thou knowest I am hard to turn. ~ Scotch-Irish prayer)
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To: GeronL

Every Darden owned restaurant is mediocre at best.

They are the General Motors of chain food The difference between most of these places and McDonalds is that they have to take it out of the box before they microwave it.


23 posted on 11/03/2014 2:19:34 PM PST by Ouderkirk (To the left, everything must evidence that this or that strand of leftist theory is true)
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To: EXCH54FE

small portions,low quality,poor service and high prices havent been back in 5 years


24 posted on 11/03/2014 2:21:57 PM PST by Craftmore
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To: skinndogNN
Is there anything more overated than Lobster?

Champagne.

25 posted on 11/03/2014 2:22:33 PM PST by Jeff Chandler (Doctrine doesn't change. The trick is to find a way around it.)
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To: Wingy

Good post.


26 posted on 11/03/2014 2:22:42 PM PST by DemforBush (A Repo Man is always intense.)
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To: SkyPilot

The clam strips - MY FAVORITE. But I get a baked potato, not French fries.


27 posted on 11/03/2014 2:27:25 PM PST by NEMDF
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To: NEMDF

And a diet coke! (I put Sweet N Low in the coffee I have with the carrot cake)


28 posted on 11/03/2014 2:28:42 PM PST by SkyPilot ("I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6)
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To: Blood of Tyrants
The closest Red Lobster is 3 hours from us, in Queensbury, NY.

If we want great seafood, we drive 3 hours to Newicks, on the New Hampshire coast.

29 posted on 11/03/2014 2:28:53 PM PST by Mogger (Independence, better fuel economy and performance with American made synthetic oil.)
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To: SkyPilot

My husband is from CT, and when we go back there to see family, I want clam strips for almost all my meals out. I believe RL is the ONLY place around here that has them.


30 posted on 11/03/2014 2:30:20 PM PST by NEMDF
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To: C19fan

I love seafood and have run kitchens in some really good seafood restaurants.

I last ate at a Red Lobster in the late 1980s. It was crap seafood then and it’s crap seafood now.


31 posted on 11/03/2014 2:32:28 PM PST by arbitrary.squid
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To: C19fan

What kind of seafood is chincy?


32 posted on 11/03/2014 2:32:37 PM PST by Theophilus (Be as prolific as you are pro-life.)
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To: Textide

Probably their way of shaming customers into not ordering more.


33 posted on 11/03/2014 2:34:05 PM PST by Larry Lucido
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To: C19fan

Sort of. Red Lobster does a kind of middle of the road seafood that most people like (lobster, shrimp, salmon, mild white fishes) and they should focus on that with an improvement in their sides, less concentration on quantity and more on quality (make sure the fish is really fresh, for example), and a more modernized presentation. The hokey “old timey” things don’t attract anybody anymore.

There’s a small chain down here, Bonefish Grill, that does almost all seafood (they have a couple of meat dishes) and is reasonably priced but popular with middle aged and younger people because it’s modern feeling, cheerful, the menu is modern classic, and you don’t feel that people only come there for the “twilight special” or whatever they’re calling it. Red Lobster has kind of a depressing, mass produced feel, and nobody likes that.

I live in an area where you can get good seafood, but for people who don’t, Red Lobster could fill a need. The only problem is that they have such a dreary reputation now that it’s going to be hard to rebuild the brand.


34 posted on 11/03/2014 2:35:09 PM PST by livius
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To: Responsibility2nd

My observation is the restaurant draws low income daters. Which is cool when you’re 16 and trying to impress.


35 posted on 11/03/2014 2:35:14 PM PST by Eddie01 (Liberals lie about everything all the time.)
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To: SkyPilot

LOL! Yes, that’s one of the problems. Everything is heavily breaded and drenched in oil. And I love fried food, but not “drenched” food.


36 posted on 11/03/2014 2:36:07 PM PST by livius
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To: Responsibility2nd

I used to love RL, but I think the quality has gone down to keep costs low. Last time I went was about a year ago for their Shrimpfest, all the shrimp were small, rubbery and had no flavor. When restaurants are in trouble it’s almost always because the food sucks. Serve great food and people will eat there.


37 posted on 11/03/2014 2:37:09 PM PST by Hugin ("Do yourself a favor--first thing, get a firearm!",)
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To: C19fan

And in JCPEnneys case, much of the damage they suffered, they brought onto themselves. aka catering to the 1% perverts of america/ellen watch the lesbian dance.


38 posted on 11/03/2014 2:37:58 PM PST by Secret Agent Man ( Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: C19fan

Red Lobster is showing signs of “Chain Restaurant Death Spiral”. In an effort to stem the bleeding, corners are cut. Quality and service goes down, prices go up, and people stay away.

I’ll give RL credit for trying to expand its appeal beyond seafood. And also for not going the “fun” route. I *hate* theme restaurants that try to entertain you. I hate them with a passion. If I want entertainment with my meal, I’ll do dinner theater.


39 posted on 11/03/2014 2:38:34 PM PST by DemforBush (A Repo Man is always intense.)
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To: C19fan

New owners changing the plan isn’t really throwing in the towel, it’s new owners making new decisions. It’s good to have a couple of non-seafood items on the menu, helps with large groups. Just like how every Mexican restaurant has burgers.


40 posted on 11/03/2014 2:42:25 PM PST by discostu (YAHTZEE!)
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