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Posted: 4/17/2024 8:56:47 AM EDT
[#1]
Quote HistoryQuoted: The Denny's of seafood. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 8:57:19 AM EDT
[#2]
Quote HistoryQuoted: My woman's grandparents like doing family dinners there so I eat there a few times a year. When I was a kid you'd be waiting for a table any night of the week. Now it's a ghost town even on the weekends. It's kind of surprising because the food isn't terrible. I'd much rather eat there than Crapplebee's, Olive Garden, or most of the other franchise mostly microwaved restaurants. My 10 yo loves Red Lobster so we go occasionally on her request. The food is fine, and I just don't go in expecting a Michelin star experience. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 8:57:21 AM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryQuoted: The Burger King of seafood. Best description ever. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 8:57:29 AM EDT
[#4]
Red Lobster is to seafood what Little Caesar's is to pizza.
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Posted: 4/17/2024 8:59:48 AM EDT
[#5]
It isn't bad for a chain restaurant IMHO so this is kind of sad if true. Their fried food was always a bit greasy but whatever.
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:00:01 AM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Its not terrible, its affordable seafood. I haven't been to one in years tho since my wife developed a shell fish allergy after having kids. Affordable? Not here. We used to eat there once a week when the kids were little ~10 years ago… the four of us went together when they were here about a year ago- no alcohol, no desert, just ‘normal’ meals and it was $100. The food was Captain D’s quality, too. That’s will be my last trip there. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:00:15 AM EDT
[#7]
You would think the tipping would make it profitable
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:01:18 AM EDT
[#8]
I’ve been once in my 48 years of life at the request of a slut I was banging in my early 20’s. Thankfully I didn’t get the crabs.
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:01:24 AM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted: All those people working there now losing their jobs and they've never received a tip.  Are you saying that certain cultures don't tip? |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:03:14 AM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I get the demographic change, same thing around here. But the damned place is always packed. I don't get it? Is black people money devalued vs. white people money? |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:04:42 AM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I ate at one once. Same. I ordered the grilled chicken breast and they brought out a plate with two massive chicken breasts. It was almost comical. I can see why it's popular in a country where 70% of the people are overweight. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:06:11 AM EDT
[#12]
My wife got a $50 RL gift card from her work, so we ate there a couple of months ago. I had not been to a Red Lobster in over 30 years. It wasn't anywhere near as bad as I imagined it was going to be. It was actually good.
We did notice that besides the staff, we were the only white people in the entire restaurant. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:08:22 AM EDT
[#13]
Shit happens when your patrons walk out without paying the bill half the time. Because they deserve it.
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:08:28 AM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted: That's the only thing they make that's good. Skip to 2:30. It's worth it.  Get to Know Kyle Kinane in Five Jokes |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:10:08 AM EDT
[#15]
The bankruptcies are transitory.
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:11:11 AM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I’ve been once in my 48 years of life at the request of a slut I was banging in my early 20’s. Thankfully I didn’t get the crabs. Well, the crab’s not bad but I prefer the stuffed flounder. 
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:11:16 AM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted: They tend to be more demanding than average and don't tip as much. If they constantly complain and require new plates often enough I can see them being a net negative overall. You lose a lot of money when a fight breaks out. Google "fight at Red Lobster" and be amazed at the amount of content generated. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:14:47 AM EDT
[#18]
Another sign contrary to what is being said by some Texans here in G D. People's cards are maxed. Grocery inflation is taking a toll on the food industry. Yes Red Lobster is getto but what's being missed is Red Lobster was once a corner stone of middle class families. You know that Sunday afternoon treat. One by one these institutions are being tossed to the way side. Almost like we are being nudged.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudge_theory Fuck Cass Sunstein and his wife Samantha Powers |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:16:58 AM EDT
[#19]
There is one here.
Been in operation over thirty years. Still has a crowd on most days. Ball&Chain and I go there couple of times a year. It's ok. Never had any problems. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:19:48 AM EDT
[#20]
Rich and vibrant destroys everything it touches.
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:21:33 AM EDT
[#21]
#2 in fights after Chuck E Cheese
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:22:16 AM EDT
[#22]
My mom's favorite restaurant. Decent seafood if you live in the Midwest.
The mid-tier restaurants are struggling. Covid did immense damage to them, some have recovered, some haven't. Supply chains are messed up, can't find help, people just don't go out like they used to for a variety of reasons. At Red Lobster management made a few missteps. Restaurants run razor thin margins, any mistake can be costly and difficult to overcome. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:24:47 AM EDT
[#23]
I actually like Red Lobster, it’s not phenomenal but it’s good.
It’s been awhile, guess I’ll be eating there this weekend |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:26:54 AM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted: The hood rats love them some Red Lobsta It's true all through IL I see. Many call them Black Lobster around Chicago. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:30:19 AM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I’ve been once in my 48 years of life at the request of a slut I was banging in my early 20’s. Thankfully I didn’t get the crabs. 
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:33:15 AM EDT
[#26]
Does Darden still own them or did they get spun off to some Chicom company iirc?
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:34:26 AM EDT
[#27]
Many years ago it was an upscale establishment on the shore of Lake Parker in Lakeland FL. This was the first one
and most people dressed up when eating there. You could reserve tables and they had wine lists. Franchising killed it. We ate there on special occasions in the 70s-early 90s.  Visiting The Very 1st Red Lobster Restaurant: Where It All Started In Lakeland, Florida! |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:35:37 AM EDT
[#28]
The Red Lobster in my AO is in bad shape. Its never busy anymore and the roof leaked, soaking the carpet. They never fixed it and the entire place smells like damp moldy carpet.
There will be 5 cars in the parking lot and the host will tell you its a 20 minute wait, they cant get help. And the mall its sits in front of is a zombie mall....Kmart, Sears, and JC Pennys all gone. But we got 10 new dollar generals 
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:38:07 AM EDT
[#29]
Do they serve China Shrimp or Merican Shrimp?
Don't know, won't go there. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:38:53 AM EDT
[#30]
A lot of restaurant chains are really struggling.
Of course all the closures in CA due to $20/min wage shows margins aren’t that thick. The price hikes last few years pretty much meant fast food nights got rarer for a lot of families (not totally a bad thing). Taco Bell chulupas have always been a treat for me but maybe once a year. Their prices have more than doubled. Got to be careful where you set the price point so you don’t squeeze out all your customers. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:40:09 AM EDT
[#31]
I used to eat there on a regular basis when I traveled with my old job. The admirals feast wasn't bad for a plate of fried seafood.
It wasn't great food, but it wasn't terrible either. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:45:27 AM EDT
[#32]
So Red Lobster was sold by Darden to Golden Gate Capital in 2014, and like all PE firms they ran it into the ground.
In case you all don't know how PE firms work, this is how they work. 1. buy company for let's say 4 times earnings....fire everyone, make everyone work more for the same pay, then sell for 8 times earnings. 2. buy company, take on a shit laod of debt, pick it all clean, then file CH 11 and re org the debt, then sell it off to pay the debt. Private Equity is the worst fucking form of capitalism there is and was probably invented by MBAs |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:46:31 AM EDT
[#33]
On another note, I don't eat seafood from national chain restaurants.
If I want seafood I catch and cook it myself.... |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:47:23 AM EDT
[#34]
Is it the Burger King of seafood or the Waffle House of seafood?
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:47:41 AM EDT
[#35]
I would choose Sam's Southern Eatery over red lobster every time and twice on Sundays.
https://www.samssoutherneatery.com/ |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:49:28 AM EDT
[#36]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Best description ever. No, no its not. Burger king has consistent and somewhat safe and palatable food compared to Red Cockroach. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:49:30 AM EDT
[#37]
I think a lot of these places have too much tail. Payroll costs, supply costs, etc are hurting them. The TGIF closed here and that place was busy. One of the Applebee's here closed and Applebee's is a redneck Michelin Star restaurant, always packed. Also, these sorts of shitholes attract low hanging fruit, the first group to stop eating out when money gets tight.
It kills me that people eat at RL here considering we live on the Gulf Coast. I mean, if I lived in fucking Iowa, I would get it. The local seafood places have quit accepting EBT, which makes them much more pleasant to visit. They had a good scam going where after your purchase, they would steam at no charge. EBT cannot be used to purchase cooked food, for the most part. Fucking place used to look like Blackhawk Down most of the time. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:50:53 AM EDT
[#38]
Quote HistoryQuoted: On another note, I don't eat seafood from national chain restaurants. If I want seafood I catch and cook it myself.... We cant do that here, on the upside we can just open a window if it gets hot or muggy. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:52:42 AM EDT
[#39]
Before the people rise up, the Democrats will close hundreds of thousands of businesses. Under communism, the only legal businesses are state-owned businesses. The problem is Liberals are clueless about how to run a business much less a government.
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:52:44 AM EDT
[#40]
I hope all chains shut down. I hope we go back to thousands upon thousands of small independent businesses working for themselves. I hope dealerships go under and that manufacturers sell directly and you only have locally owned and operated independent mechanics.
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:54:39 AM EDT
[#41]
Quote HistoryQuoted: My woman’s grandparents like doing family dinners there so I eat there a few times a year. When I was a kid you’d be waiting for a table any night of the week. Now it’s a ghost town even on the weekends. It’s kind of surprising because the food isn’t terrible. I’d much rather eat there than Crapplebee’s, Olive Garden, or most of the other franchise mostly microwaved restaurants. We have lost Hooters, 'Crapplebee's', Bonefish Grill, and quite a few other restaurants in the past year or so. All within 1 mile of each other. Red Lobster, Olive Garden and Denny's are all within that radius and none of them are doing well. Their parking lots get about half full during peak hours on weekends at best. They cannot keep staff and all but Denny's run limited hours. I know a woman that works at the Denny's, most of the time it has one cook and one server. Manager only shows up during day shift. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:55:14 AM EDT
[#42]
I'd like to chime in with the cool gang and say I'm much too good to eat or have eaten there, but back when I dated a black girl she loved to dine there. Yeah, advancing the stereotype here, I know.
It was okay; and being in a college small town, the clientele were mostly of the pale variety. I will say I went back a few years later after our romance had ended and it had deteriorated in quality. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:55:59 AM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted: So Red Lobster was sold by Darden to Golden Gate Capital in 2014, and like all PE firms they ran it into the ground. In case you all don't know how PE firms work, this is how they work. 1. buy company for let's say 4 times earnings....fire everyone, make everyone work more for the same pay, then sell for 8 times earnings. 2. buy company, take on a shit laod of debt, pick it all clean, then file CH 11 and re org the debt, then sell it off to pay the debt. Private Equity is the worst fucking form of capitalism there is and was probably invented by MBAs RL was dying long before Darden’s exit. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:57:06 AM EDT
[#44]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Many years ago it was an upscale establishment on the shore of Lake Parker in Lakeland FL. This was the first one and most people dressed up when eating there. You could reserve tables and they had wine lists. Franchising killed it. We ate there on special occasions in the 70s-early 90s.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jCb9t8K35cMy parents were regulars at Red lobster in the 80's, it was their go to spot almost every weekend. I went with them several times and always enjoyed it. Like you said, we had to dress up a little bit as did everyone else. Now it's nothing like that, I wonder if they had classed the place up and had a dress code if they would have done better? |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:57:15 AM EDT
[#45]
Quote HistoryQuoted: The Burger King of seafood. Bad analogy. Red Lobster is not a fast food joint. You could make the comparison with Long John Silver's most of which closed a long time ago along with Arthur Treachers. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:59:48 AM EDT
[#46]
Quote HistoryQuoted: "According to a report by Bloomberg citing people familiar with the discussions" https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/red-lobster-considering-bankruptcy-filing-report Nah they are just playing the game. Owned by a hedge fund, high rents, likely high debt load and will claim wage pressure (even though federal min is like 2.13 or so on tipped employees). So yes some impact of economy, but generally just their own doing and they are using the mostly get out of jail free card. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 10:00:27 AM EDT
[#47]
Quote HistoryQuoted: The hood rats love them some Red Lobsta You have pinpointed the problem. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 10:03:55 AM EDT
[#48]
Quote HistoryQuoted: My parents were regulars at Red lobster in the 80's, it was their go to spot almost every weekend. I went with them several times and always enjoyed it. Like you said, we had to dress up a little bit as did everyone else. Now it's nothing like that, I wonder if they had classed the place up and had a dress code if they would have done better? Probably not. Its generic shitty cookie cutter menu. I can get superior local food with superior ingredients and variety from an independent restaurant. Their menu is so old its about to turn into oil. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 10:14:55 AM EDT
[#49]
Quoted: Just caught a blurb on it one the local news in the background. Although I have never set foot in one of them, I was under the impression they were doing well. I guess not. Did you make a thread when sears closed too? |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 10:15:51 AM EDT
[#50]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Are you saying that certain cultures don't tip? Conservatives? |
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