It was just a few years ago that the “renowned” seafood restaurant chain Red Lobster was on the verge of extinction. After being bought by a Thai conglomerate at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and installing an Endless Shrimp promotion that led the conglomerate to cut ties and close 140 locations en route to bankruptcy. Now, Red Lobster is seeing a huge resurgence thanks to the combination of a forward-thinking CEO who honed in on the impact of Black diners on the brand.
In a profile from the New York Times, Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun spoke about the importance of having Black diners’ input in restoring the chain and recognizing their love for the restaurant. “Black Americans tell me it was a celebratory experience, and I think people were sad to lose that and want to get it back,” said Adamolekun, who is Nigerian-American, at Red Lobster’s flagship location in Times Square in New York City. “I want Red Lobster to be a place where you celebrate big occasions and daily occasions,” he added. That much was evident as the restaurant was hosting an album release party by Grammy Award-winning R&B star Ciara, who showed up with her husband, New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson.
The connection for Red Lobster and Black diners is deep. After its first casual-dining location opened in Lakeland, Florida, in 1968, the brand was more inviting to the Black community, which saw its middle class growing after World War II and its fight for advancement in the Civil Rights era. Red Lobster has indeed been a cultural phenomenon in Black culture from film references to mentions in Beyoncé songs like “Formation” and Hip-Hop tracks.
Adamolekun seized on that appeal when taking over the CEO role last September, introducing merch like “Cheddar Bae” T-shirts inspired by the restaurant’s signature biscuits, and bringing in a menu with old favorites like hushpuppies and popcorn shrimp, along with new items like a seafood boil bag. “The bags were so popular that we were running out of product originally,” Adamolekun said. “Our sales were up 80% for the week that we introduced them.”
He is also working to ensure that tariffs enacted by President Donald Trump do not affect Red Lobster customers, and expressed in a Good Morning America interview that they won’t pass that on to them. Adamolekun also added, “So we’re listening, we’re reading the comments. My CMO says, ‘Keep commenting, and we’ll keep cracking.’”
