Democracy Dies in Darkness

Red Lobster called its endless shrimp deal ‘irresistible.’ Then it lost $11M.

More customers than expected ordered the specialty dish, which contributed to the overall third-quarter operating loss

November 30, 2023 at 11:05 p.m. EST
Exterior of the Red Lobster on S. Van Dorn Street in Alexandria, Va. (Deb Lindsey for The Washington Post)
3 min

In hopes of attracting more customers during the summer and fall, Red Lobster in June made one of its most popular specialty dishes a mainstay on the menu: Ultimate Endless Shrimp.

In the past few months, the restaurant saw an uptick in customers, who could pay $20 to eat as many shrimp as they wanted. But the offer, which Red Lobster once called “irresistible,” might have been too popular for the restaurant’s own good.