For a while it looked like Red Lobster was dead in the water.
In 2020, the longstanding restaurant chain was sold to a Thai seafood conglomerate, and after a series of well-publicized missteps, including making the Endless Shrimp promotion permanent at $20 a person, the company filed for bankruptcy and closed 140 locations. Hundreds more were rumored to face the same fate, and declining popularity among young consumers in particular made the future of the brand murky.
But the company’s troubles felt far away on a recent evening at its three-level flagship location in Times Square. Amid decorative fishing nets, buoys and a gurgling lobster tank, dozens of influencers gathered with the company’s chief executive, Damola Adamolekun, who took over the job last September. Wine glasses in hand, they sang along as Usher’s “Nice and Slow” played from speakers while servers roved with trays of bacon-wrapped scallops and coconut shrimp.
The exuberant atmosphere was the result of a resurgence of interest in the brand, thanks to several new menu items and the fresh-faced, media-friendly presence of Mr. Adamolekum, a 36-year-old Nigerian American, who is also credited with rescuing P.F. Chang’s. That morning he had appeared on Good Morning America to talk about his strategy for revitalizing the brand, a cornerstone of which is appealing to Black diners.
According to Mr. Adamolekum, Red Lobster is beloved by Black people, and he understands how to capitalize on that appeal.
“Black Americans tell me it was a celebratory experience, and I think people were sad to lose that and want to get it back,” he elaborated in an interview at the party.
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The post Red Lobster Is Betting on Black Diners With Its Brand Comeback appeared first on New York Times.
