Head of Red Lobster Replaced After All-You-Can-Eat Failure

Associated Press ^ | 9/24/03 | Richard Gibson

[jimbo123]

DES MOINES, Iowa (Dow Jones/AP) - Darden Restaurants Inc. Wednesday said it had replaced the head of Red Lobster, its biggest chain, after an all-you-can-eat crab promotion went awry.

Darden President and Chief Operating Officer Dick Rivera will succeed Edna Morris as president of Red Lobster.

Morris, who had been in that job just 18 months, left to pursue other interests, the company said.

Darden executives said Red Lobster management had badly miscalculated how many times customers would refill their plates after paying $20 for an "endless" crab entree. Meanwhile, crab prices were going up, sending the profit margin crashing.

"It wasn't the second helping on all-you-can-eat but the third," said company chairman Joe R. Lee on a conference call.

"And maybe the fourth," added Rivera.

[2Jedismom]

Wow! Remember when I wanted to go to this and thought $23 was too much and ate chinese food instead??

[carlo3b]

I don't think anyone expects to get Maine Lobster, or Dungeness King Crab, at an all-you-can-eat, promo. Thankfully I never had to resort to lowest common denominator gimmick to bring the customers in my establishments. But had I done so, I would have researched it with the best brains my budget could afford.. I.E.: secure a fixed price on the date range, and minimum standards, as well as track the progress of the promo in each location.

This is a monster company, Darden Restaurants Inc. owners of,  "Olive Garden.. etc", and they have the capacity to alter any promo in 24 hours, with their big budget  pre purchased time slots in each major markets on TV and print if it was getting out of hand.. Pure BS.

BTW, this company just settled a class action anti discrimination suit, which may have accounted for the classic PC BS Reshuffling At Darden Boosts Diversity At Top President, having such leverage with her incompetent staff choices..  I am really expecting the company to do a house cleaning and bump the share prices up ASAP!

[Sloth]

I'm not sure excatly how far you want to annalyze that..

[2Jedismom]

My husband and I were thinking of going to this special. We even left the kids with my parents (something we rarely do...they go everywhere with us.) I coached my husband all the way to the place to watch out, it's a racket...they'll put these cheesy biscuits and salad in front of you and keep filling up your soda...just so you stuff yourself on that "cheap" stuff and not eat so much expensive crab legs! And that they'd be really slow bringing out refills of the crablegs.

Well, he had it down, was totally paranoid about going in there and having them manipulate him in to eating something other than crab legs.

So we get there and the line is way out the door. I walked to the front to sign us in, and asked "How much is the all-you-can-eat crab legs?" The hostess says "$23...but you get salad! And biscuits too!"

Well, I thought $23 was too much (maybe it's not, but it was for me) and we left.
And that is the end of my Red Lobster "All-you-can-eat Crab Legs" story.

[birbear]

Years ago, three friends and myself (combined weight between the 4 of us was easily over 1/2 ton) went to a restaurant that was doing all-you-can-eat ribs.

After the 3rd plate for each of us, our service started getting pretty crummy. The waitress would service all the tables around us, but wouldnt come to ours to fill up our water glasses, or give us more ribs.

We finally flagged her down a couple of times more, and we each consumed two more plates of ribs. (By this time they were only putting one or two ribs on a plate.)

Well, we paid the bill, and left a very minimal tip (why pay for poor service)...as we left the restaurant, the manager followed us out and told us that it was because of people like us that they could only do all-you-can-eat one day a week. My buddy Jake turned around and said, "Hey, if you can't make a profit off of it, don't do it."

Next thing we know is the manager has called the cops. Three squad cars arrive with cops jumping out saying, "okay, where's the riot?" Apparently this knuckle head of a manager told the 911 operator that there was a riot in the parking lot of his restaurant.

The cops asked us a few questions, and started laughing. They asked the manager what crime we had committed, and the manager said, "They ate too much and didn't leave a tip." The cop asked again what crime we had committed, and the manager just kind of started crying and went back into his restaurant.

A few days later the owner of the restaurant received four letters, one from each of us, explaining the situation. Two weeks later we had heard that the manager and the waitress were both "let go". And the restaurant never did all-you-can-eat again. 6 months later the place went out of business.

"If you can't make a profit, don't do it."

[PJ-Comix]

Take a look at the Emerald Coast Buffet menu on my reply #113. Only $17 for the weekend dinner. Plus they often have coupons for $3 off. Believe me I've eaten at the Emerald Coast Buffet and it is the best. Part of the year they even serve all you can eat Maine lobster. And with the regular supply of Stone Crab claws you can't go wrong. Also note the deserts. Not the cheap kind. This is actual cheesecake. Next time you visit Broward County (home of the famous hanging chads), treat yourselves to Emerald Coast Buffet. Oh, and check the freebie alternative newspapers for those coupons.

[mhking]

D'oh!

Just damn.

If you want on the new list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[As i mentioned, the B/C & JD! lists are going to float into and out of whack over the forseeable future, while I try to cobble a rig back together for myself. My apologies for any incovenience or misunderstandings in this time frame. New signups/removals may be flaky in this time-frame as well; please bear with me, and keep in mind you may have to FReepmail me more than once for me to get it done. Thanks again!]

[Timesink]

How can anyone eat at a restaurant where the fish tastes exactly like the shrimp, which tastes exactly like the crabs, which tastes exactly like the...

[PhilipFreneau]

>> Darden executives said Red Lobster management had badly miscalculated how many times customers would refill their plates after paying $20 for an "endless" crab entree. Meanwhile, crab prices were going up, sending the profit margin crashing. "It wasn't the second helping on all-you-can-eat but the third," said company chairman Joe R. Lee on a conference call.

It appears my wife and I are partly responsible. We ate about a "ton" of snow crabs and butter (in one sitting, but over an extended period of time, or course).

[The Coopster]

Nope.....

[gitmo]

[PhilipFreneau]

>> I used to have a roommate that weighed over 350 lbs and I could see the palpable look of fright from managers whenever we walked into a buffet restaurant. One time we were at a pizza buffet run by an Asian man who came out after the second trip to the buffet and announced, "That's all you can eat." My friends argued that "all you can eat" was generally the descretion of the customer, not the restaurant. But the guy persisted with his heavy accent, "Yea. the sign say 'all you can eat'. Well, that's all you can eat." I guess it all depends on your translator.

When I was in the Navy, I saw a sign in a California diner that read, "All you can eat for $1.49". So I went in and ordered. The waitress brought out a small plate with small servings of peas, rice, and chicken. I gobbled that down quickly, and said, bring me another. She looked at me strange, and said, "I'm sorry. That's all you can eat for a buck-forty-nine." (just kidding)

[Xenalyte]

It's not the visual that bothers me - it's the soundtrack. Eating noises repulse me. I have no idea why. I even stop the dog from licking his, um, paws.

[.45MAN]

Plus they re-use whats left over....

[JonathansMommie]

>>>>The headline of this story really threw me. I thought someone bit the head off of something during an all you can eat special.>>>>

I thought the same thing!

[HighWheeler]

"The sights were so disgusting, I never returned to the restaurant."

Your response:

Aww, too bad. We'll make sure that only visually-approved people are allowed to be out in public.

Everyone else we'll lock away so as not to offend your delicate sensibilities."

----------

Sheeeeesh, Chemist, what kind of remark is THAT?

WackyKat made a free decision to not go to a restaurant based on personal choice to not have to view disgusting behavior while eating.

WackyKat didn't try to have a law created that forbade those repulsive people going out, or make the restaurant change policy, or sue anyone for distress, or any other idiotic liberal response.

WackyKat used God given freedom to simply chose not to go there anymore.

So - what is your problem with THAT?

[Semper Paratus]

Here's a tip. Never, ever eat at a seafood resteraunt whose HQ is in Des Moines, Iowa.

[Rightly Biased]

"You ea' too mush you go now!!!"

[dennisw]

DuBarry (Plantation) and Dim Sum Buffet Village in Coral Springs.

[dennisw]

The secret of eating snow crab legs is to try and get just the ones with claws on 'em.