How This Struggling Seafood Chain Is Charting A Nostalgic Comeback

While leaving cons in the past, Red Lobster is hoping to take its pros into the future built off nostalgia. In September 2024, months after entering Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the established brand found itself celebrating a successful exit from the legal process as it set sights on returning to profitability. To better tackle the competitive market, the nearly 60-year-old seafood chain has gone all-in on a multi-pronged trip down memory lane to rejuvenate its once prominent customer base. More than just nods and winks or dragging an old mascot out of mothballs, Red Lobster seeks to chart a path appealing to different generations of diners.

From the start of its rebuild, the chain has emphasized a desire to "create new cherished moments" with its guests as it looks to put the recent rocky years in the rearview mirror, per a post on X. To reach the objective, Red Lobster has brought back fan favorite items and promotions on top of clever marketing tie-ins. At the same time, the fresh-faced new CEO hasn't shied away from owning up to what hasn't worked while touting the chain's record of success — along with some of his own nostalgic memories.

When the exit from bankruptcy was within sight, Fortress Investment Group tapped the former CEO of P.F. Chang's to take the helm of the newly created RL Investor Holdings LLC in August 2024. So it was that at 35-years-old, the Nigerian-born Damola Adamolekun was named the youngest CEO of Red Lobster, at which point he hit the ground running, aiming to repeat the success had at restoring the American Chinese brand to profitability. In an interview shared by the seafood chain, Adamolekun had not only shared his dad's advice against doing things halfway, he also expressed his excitement about taking charge of "the greatest comeback" in the restaurant industry's history, per X.

Reflecting on the past has repeatedly been a part of the CEO's mindset in leading Red Lobster as an appearance on "The Breakfast Club" podcast had found him reminiscing about a visit to one of the chain's restaurants when he was just a boy, not long after first moving to America. Expressing how his initial experience was similar to many other Americans who had the chain to thank for their first exposure to crab and lobster, Adamolekun leveraged those memories into explaining how Red Lobster is more than just the only company serving such shellfish at scale. The CEO also laid out how his new charge is responsible for a quarter of all such purchases from North American fisherman, meaning the quality is on par with other seafood restaurants.

Building off a past promotion that was both adored by guests and had ultimately played a key role in Red Lobster's Chapter 11 bankruptcy, a year of rebuilding came with a chance to spin that folly into a new deal. Riffing off of the Endless Shrimp offer that had evolved from a limited time promotion to holding a permanent place on the menu — forcing the chain to raise prices before it closed dozens of locations– under the former parent group, Thai Union, Red Lobster unveiled its SpendLESS Shrimp trio in early September 2025.

Coming in at less than $16 at most Red Lobster locations, the offer did away with refills and instead provided heaping helpings of garlic shrimp scampi, popcorn shrimp, and shrimp linguini Alfredo. For those wondering, the promotion's embrace of affordability doesn't mean that the chain has completely ruled out the possible return of Endless Shrimp. During a conversation with The Wall Street Journal in June 2025, Adamolekun had explained the deal that began in 2004 had been profitable for Red Lobster until Thai Union, which also owned the company selling the shrimp to the chain, had prioritized the fishing business over the restaurant. The result, according to the CEO, was a disaster in management. However, with the conflict of interest gone, he suggested Endless Shrimp could return at some point and be a benefit rather than a bane for Red Lobster.

Seeking to strike the balance between what diners traditionally loved about Red Lobster and the present desires of consumers, the chain's introduction of new menu items was coupled with the return of fan favorites. Numerous studies have made the case that nostalgia not only fuels positive experiences, it also aids in social cohesion. Additionally, an experience dubbed the Proust Effect attributes a direct connection between nostalgic memories and both smell and taste. Therefore, Red Lobster's decision to bring back hush puppies and popcorn shrimp is a science-backed strategy to restore confidence in the restaurant chain.

Taking point on promoting the return of the menu favorites, Adamolekun had appeared in an advertisement for Red Lobster that highlighted the "new day" for the chain that brought with it the "Same appetite for greatness." Planning to appeal to those who've yet to craft nostalgic moments of their own at their local Red Lobster, the return of the favored dishes accompanied the launch of new items like lobster pappardelle pasta and bacon wrapped sea scallops. Of course, the CEO made sure to remind fans that the ever-popular Cheddar Bay Biscuits — which can be used in all sorts of unexpected ways — haven't changed and weren't going anywhere.

As the nostalgia train continues to roll on, some see the '80s on the way out as the '90s and 2000s return to the spotlight. So it was that after a turn of the millennium track had made it into what became the highest grossing R-rated film in 2024's "Deadpool & Wolverine" with the eponymous character's "Bye Bye Bye"-choreographed fight scene, NSYNC member Joey Fatone was enlisted to take part in a 2025 ad campaign.

The blatant callback to days gone by featured the boy band veteran turned actor and television host promoting a deal like it were the year 1999 to mark the $19.99 offer of a 3-Course Shrimp Sensation. Complete with photo spreads like a teen magazine, Fatone's part in selling the limited time special had included a commercial where he reminded that he was himself a "big deal in 1999." Of course, Red Lobster wasn't the only old-school restaurant on the way back seeking celebrity nostalgia to help bring fans back to fill booths. After Sizzler had exited bankruptcy in 2023, the steakhouse chain had turned to "Full House" actress Jodie Sweetin in a throwback to a commercial she'd appeared in as a child.

A common complaint since the COVID-19 pandemic had seen the world come to a near total stop is how skewed gaps in time are discerned. So, whether 2019 still feels like it was yesterday, or you simply long for the pre-pandemic era, Red Lobster wasted little time in bringing back a promotion the chain had phased out before social distancing was in vogue. Within a few months of exiting bankruptcy, the decision was made to try to make the seafood restaurant the place to be on weekday afternoons turned into evenings as participating locations restored Happy Hour.

Alongside $5 drink specials that include a couple wines, select draft beers, and popular cocktails like classic margaritas and Long Island Iced Teas, Red Lobster seeks to satisfy the hungry with a deal on starters. Choices between items like crab queso, lobster dip, and seafood-stuffed mushrooms come with the added incentive of $2 off the price. For those after a little more nostalgia than simply gathering with friends like it was a time just before PCR testing had become a topic of daily conversation, Red Lobster announced a collaboration with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg for 2025's "Festival of Summer Sips." The cocktail lineup included the use of the rappers' STILL G.I.N. as an ingredient in the Purple Haze drink combined with desert pear, lemonade, and sparkling gold shimmer.

Following the pitfalls that ended with bankruptcy, part of the broader strategy employed by Red Lobster on its road back to success involves recognizing that the keystone in customer service is the customers. To that end, the seafood chain signaled that old preferences aren't all it is interested in as it seeks to capitalize on what its current crop of customers gravitate toward, seemingly planting the seeds for future nostalgia.

In that vein of thinking, the introduction of Seafood Boils during 2025's celebration of Crabfest had proven a success worthy of bucking the limited time plan. The new creations brought out in a shake-and-serve bag with a range of flavors to choose from allow diners to take their Mariner's or Sailor's Boil to the next level. Featuring combinations of lobster, shrimp, sausage, crab, corn, and potatoes, the dishes can be finished with cajun butter, roasted garlic butter, or Old Bay seasoning. As part of the announcement that the dishes weren't leaving the menu, Red Lobster said after the outpouring of love, "Seafood Boils are here to stay."

Unlike the controversy that had enveloped Cracker Barrel after its attempt to change its logo and spruce up the vintage Americana with some new modern decor, Red Lobster appears to be in the clear on its path to a chain-wide refresh. As part of the aim to continue appealing to the older generation while making room for younger guests, Adamolekun had announced that all of the roughly 550 restaurants would be getting a remodel. That plan is expected to take over four to five years at a cost of about $500,000 per location.

In an interview with Bloomberg, the CEO's outlined how his vision for the update is not only aimed at driving repeat business, it also hopes to appeal to the chronically online youth and a desire to have an ideal backdrop worthy of selfies and more posted on social media. As Adamolekun sees it, the young care the most about the "look and feel of a restaurant." On top of making the customers want to come back, he also aims to make them feel welcome when they arrive as a key part of new training involves engagement. That translates to greeting guest when they arrive and escorting them to the restroom when they ask where it is — "you don't point."