- Endless shrimp promotion has returned to Red Lobster after being previously considered unsustainable.
- Foot traffic decreased 0.9% even after endless shrimp's return this year.
- CEO aims to stabilize the chain while minimizing financial losses from promotions.
A deal that defined the Red Lobster brand is back, but customers aren’t biting the hook as expected.
Red Lobster recently revived its endless shrimp promotion for a limited time — a deal the company once claimed it couldn’t afford to keep.
CEO Damola Adamolekun told Business Insider last year there were “no plans” to bring it back, citing the prawn promotion as a key factor in the company’s 2024 Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which forced the closure of 130 restaurants, as previously reported by the Deseret News.
“It’s been popular,” one server told Business Insider of the deal’s 2026 return, “but not as popular as I would have thought.”
Ahead of the deal’s return, one former Red Lobster server took to social media to express sympathy for current staff. “It turns the patrons into demons, and the restaurant into hell,” the former employee wrote. “Hug a Red Lobster employee today. They need it.”
According to Business Insider, foot-traffic data from Advan shows Red Lobster saw a distinct spike during 2023 when it first made endless shrimp a permanent menu item. However, that momentum disappeared in 2024 and 2025 after it was removed from the menu. While experts expected the 2026 promotion to trigger a similar surge, the increase in diners has yet to materialize.
After the promotion returned to participating locations last Monday, data showed traffic was down 0.9%. This showed a slight dip compared to the company’s positive trends in March.
Why bring the deal back now?
When asked on the “Today” show in 2024 if the company would ever bring back its endless shrimp promotion, Adamolekun said the math didn’t make sense. He later told CNN, “I never want to say never, but certainly not the way that it was done. We won’t have it in a way that’s losing money in that fashion and isn’t managed.”
While the deal has returned, it no longer carries the original $20 price tag. Adamolekun is currently working to stabilize the seafood chain after it filed for bankruptcy in 2024 with $1 billion in debt, as the Deseret News previously reported.
Other attempts to drive traffic, such as the $15.99 “SpendLESS Shrimp” deal, failed to reel in a significant crowd, Business Insider reported.
“This is about putting our guests first and bringing back something they truly love,” Adamolekun said in a statement. “Endless Shrimp has been a part of Red Lobster’s legacy for 20 years and our guests have never stopped asking for it. We’re excited to bring it back, for a limited time, in a way that works for our business today and honors what made it special from the beginning. Because when our fans talk, we listen.”
The promotion’s return comes as the cost of dining out has risen nearly 4%, as reported by ABC News. Red Lobster isn’t the only chain trying to lure customers in with value items.
Chili’s offers a “3 for Me” deal that starts at $11, Olive Garden brought back its $14.99 “Buy One, Take One” offer and Applebee’s continues its “2 for $25″ promotion.
The details of Red Lobster’s endless shrimp deal
Dine-in customers at participating locations can order all-you-can-eat shrimp prepared five different ways:
- Marry Me Shrimp: Shrimp in a tomato cream sauce topped with a garlic and herb crumble.
- Linguini Alfredo: Shrimp in Alfredo sauce served over linguini.
- Garlic Shrimp Scampi: Shrimp sautéed in a garlic and lemon butter sauce.
- Parrot Isle Coconut Shrimp: Hand-breaded jumbo coconut shrimp served with piña colada sauce.
- Walt’s Favorite Shrimp: Hand-breaded, butterflied shrimp served with cocktail sauce.
The promotion is priced at $24.99 at most locations, though some charge higher, the restaurant noted.
The company said the deal is for a limited time but did not provide a specific end date.
The cost of ‘endless’
The last time Red Lobster was dishing out all-you-can-eat shrimp, it cost the chain $11 million in just three months, according to Business Insider. By raising the price and promoting it for only a limited time, the company seems to be balancing satisfying fans without sinking the ship.