Darden Restaurants, (Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze,
Red Lobster, Smokey Bones, and more) is selling off Red Lobster.
Years ago they sold some off, and they re-branded others. It was widely
known that the closer they were to the coast, the less they were able
to compete with the fresh seafood offerings.
I read somewhere that they were down about 4% from last year.
Evidently, they don't have a way to stir sales and are bailing out.
Too bad, not all areas have the coastline so close to get the real fresh
Seafood product.
Anyone want to partner up with me and take it over? I'll do the
Management and public relation activities, you supply the capital investment.
What could go wrong?

Dave

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Welcome to Dave's BBQ!

Many have eaten here....

Few have died

When I was 18 or 19 I worked at Red Lobster as a busboy/dishwasher.

My favorite part of working there was that at the start of each shift, I'd get a bowl full of Hush Puppies, and some cocktail sauce and mustard to dip them in. YUM!

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[www.zeemaps.com]

The Red Lobster by us closed about 6 months ago. In our case, it started to attract a low class crowd.

My 87 year old mom liked to go there and the last time we were there, they sat us by two tables where every word was MF this, MF that, in very loud voices.

The service had been getting worse every visit and the food was always so-so.

In the case above, I spoke to the manager, but he didn't care, so we left and never went back.

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Bryan
______________________________________________________
Mac Studio 2022
MacBook Pro 14 inch 2021
iPhone 14 Pro
Location: Cincinnati

It's my fault, I haven't eaten at a Red Lobster in at least 40 years. Too many locally owned seafood joints to patronize to go to Red Lobster.

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Grateful11

Check with Zoidberg...

Quote
DinerDave
What could go wrong?

Dave

I could eat way too much.

Our flyover land RL is always busy. And, yes, it is the only place in town where we can get seafood.

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Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.

Too much all you can eat shrimp. It happened to The Frying Dutchman also.

Darden is being "encouraged" by a bunch or large (as in stock ownership) stockholders to dump it. This is the chain that started Darden.

Menu items are no longer inexpensive and they have a much tougher time marketing to a good clientele. This does not bode well for either Darden or Red Lobster, IMHO.

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Bill
Flagler Beach, FL 32136

Carpe Vino!

Fermentation may have been a greater discovery than fire.
— David Rains Wallace

i was always underwhelmed on the 2 or 3 times in my life i ate there.

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I ate there a couple of time a month about eight years ago. When I was diagnosed as Gluten Intolerant, Red Lobster had VERY few GF items to choose from. According to an email I got from RL, even their baked potato wasn't safe for Gluten Intolerant patrons.

It's actually my favorite restaurant, since I was a kid, among the sit-down national chains, so I'm getting a kick out of these replies. I grew up well away from an ocean, so I guess my tastes are not as refined as others here. Our outlet here in Pittsburgh often has no parking left on weekends.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/19/2013 09:55PM by Acer.

I wouldn't call my tastes refined, but I know frozen crap food when I eat it.

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Have been to Dead Lobster a few times over the years when we are given gift certificates. Blah. To much good seafood in the Seattle area at not much higher prices. Odd thing is there is a lot of traffic through the local Dead Lobster.

One of my favorite restaurants also. I think the lobster is a little pricy, but the rest of the menu is excellent. I've been going there for many years and never saw hush puppies on the menu - though the chedder bay biscuits are very good.

Lobsters are just very big bugs.

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freeradical
Lobsters are just very big bugs.

Tasty, tasty, bugs when covered in butter and garlic.

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Paul F.
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A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
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Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
--

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Eureka, CA

Wife and I don't go to many chain restaurants, but I really think the Lobster is one of the better ones. They recently closed an old one and built a newer, much classier one across the Interstate. I thought the food was a step above other chains. More expensive than local, but enjoyable!

BTW, read Last Night At the Lobster a few years ago, quite enjoyable.

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San Antonio, TX (in the old city)


"All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke
“Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." - Eli Weisel

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." - Theodore Roosevelt (1918)

"I don’t want to see religious bigotry in any form. It would disturb me if there was a wedding between the religious fundamentalists and the political right. The hard right has no interest in religion except to manipulate it." - Billy Graham 1981

"Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise" - Barry Goldwater

The Lob near us in Yonkers, NY is clean, well-run, and consistently jammed. The service is always very competent, food exceeds expectations, and the price is usually lower than I expect. It's often requested as a birthday dinner venue in our household. I've never been to another one, but I've often wondered why people make fun of the chain because it seems like a gold mine to me. (But admittedly, I would not set foot in one in Maine, New Orleans, or Times Square...which from what I understand is their busiest location.)

Likewise, Olive Garden - I've only been to a few, and we don't have one nearby, but competent food and service at fair prices seems like a good value proposition to me, and that's what I've seen.

What I don't understand: Cold Stone Creamery, which is next to our Red Lobster. Absurd prices, mediocre product, and weird service. I'm apparently in the deep minority on this one.

In SAT terms, I guess CSC: tenders :: Brother printers : Robert M

The Red Lobstah near us is almost always jammed. And there are a few local seafood places that used to be better.. they were jammed too. I expect you'll see some rationalization...

Tenders,

I feel the same way about Cold Stone Creamery. Expensive. Mediocre (to my taste buds) ice cream. Worthless gimmick. Definitely not the place to go for ice cream. One opened in my neighborhood but didn't last very long. It couldn't compete with the local ice cream shop that's been in the area for decades.

I won't set foot in the Red Lobster locations around me. The last few experiences have been miserable at best. The quality of the food was mediocre. The service meh. The place jammed and noisy to the point that I wish I could surround our table or booth with sound proof walls. And, it was surprisingly expensive.

There are a slew of seafood places in the area both local and chain that offer much better food and service for about the same price or just a touch more. And, they are much quieter and less jammed.

Robert



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/20/2013 07:35AM by Robert M.

Quote
grumpyguy
it started to attract a low class crowd.

Here in Arkansas, the rednecks flock to the all-you-can-eat crab places. It's disgusting watching them.

Quote
tenders
What I don't understand: Cold Stone Creamery, which is next to our Red Lobster. Absurd prices, mediocre product, and weird service. I'm apparently in the deep minority on this one.

Completely agree about Cold Stone, and confounded by their popularity in our town. The ice cream was practically tasteless, but college kids line up to pay those unbelievable prices.

Quote
Dennis S

Quote
grumpyguy
it started to attract a low class crowd.

Here in Arkansas, the rednecks flock to the all-you-can-eat crab places. It's disgusting watching them.

Sad to admit that I'd be joining them. Don't judge me harshly.

I feel the same way about Cold Stone Creamery. Expensive. Mediocre (to my taste buds) ice cream. Worthless gimmick. Definitely not the place to go for ice cream.

Get out of my head!

I really dislike Cold Stone, and I really like ice cream. I'll take In-n-Out fries over Cold Stone ice cream any day. I don't like their fries and I never thought I'd meet ice cream I didn't like.


it started to attract a low class crowd.

A local Black Angus had a lot of problems for a while when they started having live music. They had a shooting or two, the music died, and I think the restaurant survived. BA always seemed pricey for what it was.


Sad to admit that I'd be joining them. Don't judge me harshly.

I'd certainly give it a try. Crab is good but I've never had a lot of it. I don't want to OD, but a big plate once in a while might be nice.

---

I am that Masked Man.

All you can do, is all you can do.

There’s trouble — it's time to play the sound of my people.

Your boos mean nothing to me, I've seen what you cheer for.

Insisting on your rights without acknowledging your responsibilities isn’t freedom, it’s adolescence.

I've been to the edge of the map, and there be monsters.

We are a government of laws, not men.

Everybody counts or nobody counts.

When a good man is hurt,
all who would be called good
must suffer with him.

You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.

There is no safety for honest men except
by believing all possible evil of evil men.

We don’t do focus groups. They just ensure that you don’t offend anyone, and produce bland inoffensive products. —Sir Jonathan Ive

An armed society is a polite society.
And hope is a lousy defense.

You make me pull, I'll put you down.

I *love* SIGs. It's Glocks I hate.

As usual, a big variety of responding likes and dislikes. That's why we
have so many different style places to go. Some chains are better than
Others. Our local Applebee's sucked, until 99 moved two lots over, Applebee's
upped there game and I now prefer that location. I do admit that whenever
possible, we do try to frequent non chains, found many wonderful
gems in the process.

Dave

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Welcome to Dave's BBQ!

Many have eaten here....

Few have died

found many wonderful gems in the process.

And hence, a screen name was born.

---

I am that Masked Man.

All you can do, is all you can do.

There’s trouble — it's time to play the sound of my people.

Your boos mean nothing to me, I've seen what you cheer for.

Insisting on your rights without acknowledging your responsibilities isn’t freedom, it’s adolescence.

I've been to the edge of the map, and there be monsters.

We are a government of laws, not men.

Everybody counts or nobody counts.

When a good man is hurt,
all who would be called good
must suffer with him.

You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.

There is no safety for honest men except
by believing all possible evil of evil men.

We don’t do focus groups. They just ensure that you don’t offend anyone, and produce bland inoffensive products. —Sir Jonathan Ive

An armed society is a polite society.
And hope is a lousy defense.

You make me pull, I'll put you down.

I *love* SIGs. It's Glocks I hate.

Many years ago I saw a home made video depicting crippled scuba divers. They were indigenous locals in Central America that made a "living" catching lobster for Red Lobster. I have not been in a Red Lobster restaurant since.

Quote
RAMd®d
found many wonderful gems in the process.

And hence, a screen name was born.

Yeah!!