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.

[Hunble]

I do not care what the article said.

From personal experience, I was not willing to spend that amount of money for crab claws. Too much work for little meat.

Now a very well prepared lobster dish is another matter. My wife and I did spend over $100 one evening for an all-you-can-eat lobster celebration.

It was my way of telling my wife how much I love her.

[StriperSniper]

There is a big live fish market for Tautog, that is bought from local 'recreationals', party boats, and a few plain old poachers. There are also guys taking Striped Bass out of Brooklyn.

A couple of the worst offenders have been caught and fined over the last year, but should have lost their boats. Considering the severity of their violations, they are lucky they didn't.

I have mixed feelings on the whole situation. They are breaking the law, but sometimes the law is harmful. Fisheries are so mismanaged that there is a real disgust with it in both the recreational and commercial sectors. About the only agreement between those two is keep foreign fleets out, and the environazis are going to kill both. There is a plan to get MARINE PROTECTED AREAS(MPA) designated off Jersey and Long Island. Last I heard that's a $1-2B hit to the local economy, 90% from recreational which includes the supporting businesses like marinas the tackle industries.

Amendment 13 To the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan VOLUME I

Amendment 13 To the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan VOLUME II

As for the pigeons, I've only had quail when my friend made it at his restaurant, so I couldn't say. ;-)

[Peelod]

And is is true some catch Central Park pigeons and sell them as roast squab?

meow!

[Hunble]

Uh, explain?

[piasa]

That guy looks like my neighbor!

[dennisw]

Many thanks for the explanation.

[Trajan88]

Plop, plop, fizz, fizz....

Trajan88

[teldon30]

i thought the same exact thing!! hahaha

[CindyDawg]

I still need to lose a little more weight. I go to ww. It is a point system. I save up my points and use them one night a week if I have a good weigh in. Maybe if you could see these people as on a diet, losing weight, and not eating much all day just so they can have a special meal maybe you would see them differently and cut them some slack.

[piasa]

No kidding. If they would learn not to overcook their fish they would do more business.

They have the world's wimpiest rainbow trout, too. They used to have great lagostinos and it was worth going there for that, but I don't think they carry it now. We haven't been to a red lobster in years.

[Held_to_Ransom]

I remember a Howard Johnson's that had an 'all you can eat' policy, and I remember a friend who got kicked out after 20 some servings. Not the best idea.

On the other hand, one of my favorite places to go out in the Amish country is an 'all you can eat' smorgasbord where lunch is under 8 dollars, and dinner about 12. Not the fanciest food, but basic and fresh. Seats about 2,000 people though it is usually only half full during the week.

[StriperSniper]

explain?

If you mean the closures, it is deep in those drafts. There is as one possibility a 'Level 1 Habitat Closure' at two places known as the 'Mudhole' and the 'Hudson Canyon'. That means off limits to fishing of any kind. And those are the two primary offshore fishing areas. It basically shuts down 90% of the commercial and 50% of the recreational action.

[dennisw]

http://www.phillipsoc.com/index.html

[Hunble]

My wife and I did visit one restaurant. Single serving at the salid bar is $2.80

Grazing fee is $8.00

We could not stop laughing.

[OldCorps]

"Back in the car-pool days we had two guys who were Canteen officers for the V.A.; they would would regale us with their tales of who had been kicked out of the most "All-you-can-eat" buffet places from coast to coast."

Lol, i'll bet gas mileage suffered when they rode in your car.

[Hunble]

Put it this way:

The combined weight between my wife and I is over 500 lbs.

We like to eat!

[skinkinthegrass]

Three months later, the local news reported that the place had been closed by order of the Health Department when an inspector found numerous skinned DOG carcasses in the meat freezer

Korean-Chinese!, Big Mistake...Was it an Korean all-you-can-eat?...Hmmmm, Puppy dog. :\

[CindyDawg]

Me too. No abused childhood, nothing to do with McDonalds, not Bush's fault :') I just like to eat more good food than good for me food. All you can eats are a waste of money for me though. I like to graze and would rather order off the menu and take a doggie bad home for later.

[Hunble]

Since my wife and I married 17 years ago, we have each gained over 100 lbs.

My fault, since I do all of the cooking in the family.

I demand quality food and judge restaurants rather harsh. At a minimum, a restaurant must prepare their food better than I can.

That is why I am having a difficult time with this initial Red Lobster story. Their crab legs were not worth the amount of money being charged. I could go to the local grocery store and purchase the exact same item at 1/3 of the cost.

[lawgirl]

YOu don't get much meat eating crab. I can see 3 helpings as not THAT outrageous.