Endless Shrimp at Red Lobster - aka worst promotion of the year
If you haven't seen the TV ads, Red Lobster is again featuring all you can eat shrimp.
From Red Lobster:
It only happens once a year – Endless Shrimp with all the irresistible, freshly prepared shrimp you crave. Select from classics like Garlic Shrimp Scampi, Hand-Breaded Shrimp, Shrimp Linguini Alfredo or Crunchy Popcorn Shrimp. Or try our new Buffalo Shrimp. The choice is yours.
This is the single worst promotion ever created by Red Lobster. This means we triple the amount of work we have to do for a lot less money. Our clientèle does not improve with this promotion. Our better customers aren't all that interested in gorging themselves past the limits of normal humans. In fact, this promotion scares off some of our good customers for a while. What regular wants to wait for a table at Red Lobster when everybody in the joint has willingly joined into a shrimp eating contest? Those Nathan's Hot Dog eating contestants have nothing on some of my guests. I think Takeru Kobayashi would tap out at round 8 while my customers have yet to loosen their belts.
Endless shrimp means 20 stops at the table of 3 construction guys who are each trying to eat 120 shrimp. Endless shrimp means lower ticket prices, because who wants appetizers when you are going to try and rupture your spleen with your engorged stomach while eating limitless shrimp? Endless shrimp means slower table turns, because you just have to find room for another round of Scampi. Endless shrimp means cleaning shrimp tails from every nook and cranny of the restaurant (Sir, we do provide plates for you to put those on. Oh I see, you'd rather place them on the window sill, you can count them all there.). Endless shrimp means those families you frequently find camping out at Old Country Buffet waddle over to our stores. Endless shrimp means dealing with dirt bags who think endless means they can take home as many as they want. Endless shrimp means repeatedly answering the question "What's the mosstanybody's ate up in here?" (Often answered while customer is on 5th round of scampi with butter drooling down their chin and pooling onto their shirt. Judging by the state of said shirt, that appear to be a normal eating practice.) Endless shrimp means whole inbred families with poor hygene wearing sweatpants (look ma...they's stretchy!) visiting me every day. Endless shrimp means corporate Red Lobster makes their money, while the server gets screwed. For two months. Every shift.
Ask your server about it, they'd confess they would rather have their eyeballs plucked out and hot fryer grease poured in the openings than to serve you Endless Shrimp. And I almost laugh at new servers when they ask about this promotion. How do you put this kind of torment into words without crushing their naive spirits?
technorati tags: Endless Shrimp, Scampi, Fried Shrimp, Linguini, Shrimp Alfredo, Shrimp Pasta, Popcorn Shrimp, Buffalo Shrimp, Red Lobster
23 comments:
I forgot all about this! I'm going down there to put a HURTIN' on some scampi. Just seat me near the bathroom and I'll be happy!
(Don't worry, I'll tip an extra 5 percent.)
ah, red lobster. i simply hate chains like this, because i would love to go enjoy some endless shrimp, but my natural sympathies dictate i will feel bad if i send a server back to the kitchen for all the shrimp i want. my solution is for the restaurant to give out larger portions of the initial order and the first refill--why give the 'all you can eat' table 15 shrimp? that's a drop in the bucket of the shrimp-damage i can do.
If you servers would give me a triple order like I asked to begin with I would not still have to be sitting for four (4) hours at the table waiting on my third or fourth order of shrimp. The tip would be much bigger if we did not have to wait all night at our table just to get a second order. And whats with only one refill on the soda and that took two (2) hours to get that. Out of spite you serve slow so out of spite we continue to camp out and eat more.
yeah, I think Hangman has a good point. You go into it with that attitude, and give all your servers that attitude, and it will show at the tables. Last time I went to the endless shrimp promotion two years ago, the waitress was happy to see us, and payed attention to our needs. We left a nice tip, as we usually do, but there are times at other places when we get treated poorly, and yes, the tip was meager.
Brush up on your Ebonics. I love it when they ask for diet coke.
Richard RL322
I love how someone assumed it's your call on how much shrimp is in the initial portion. Also, God forbid it takes a while to get a fresh batch - you have to cook the stuff right?!?!And to avoid food costs, you can't just throw in a bunch to cook and wait on people (THEN THEY'D BITCH THAT IT WASN'T FRESH...) [/laugh]
I avoid going to restaurants when promos are going on because I know what kind of wait to expect. And that tends to be when the trash emerges...
How does RL make money out of that? Customers forgo appetizers and get endless refills of what goes for a good few dollars each portion when a la carte?
Where's the money-making?
An extra 5% won't cut it! Remember, endless shrimp means: less total tables, smaller tickets, more work. To break even, you would have to tip at least 35% on a low alcohol ticket, and 25% if you order a bottle of wine or some beer.
RL makes money because it brings people in the store (theoretically allowing for repeat costumers after the promotion), the quality/price of product is rather low, so there is still a profit, and theoretically, with all the savings, they might be inclined to spend some money on liquid profit (booze!).
The ones NOT making money are the front of the house staff!!!
Good luck Lobster Boy!
www.willworkfortips.wordpress.com
Hello
I’m writing to people who list ‘The Hardy Boys’ in the ‘Favourite Books’ section of their blogger’s profile.
I have a blog called THE BRICKS IN THE CAVE and I’m posting a chapter a day there of an illustrated adventure story - which is also called THE BRICKS IN THE CAVE (!).
When I first wrote it, I reckoned boys aged 7 - 11 would form its greatest readership. None the less, I’m hoping other people will like it too!
It can be found at
http://bricksinthecave.blogspot.com/
It strikes me that it would be a good idea to ask those who like The Hardy Boys if it is the kind of thing they would have enjoyed when they were younger (and whether it appeals to them at whatever age they are now!).
If you do have time to take a look at it, I would be very interested to know what you think. I have already had some thoughtful comments from Famous Five fans and your opinions would be equally helpful when I approach a publisher. (And just as useful to know if this wouldn’t even be relevant!)
I can be contacted at
bricksinthecave@googlemail.com
As well as through the blog itself.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Susan Harwood
http://bricksinthecave.blogspot.com/
p.s. Earlier chapters are easily accessible through the side bar.
Re: Diet Coke. Some of us don't do so well with certain sugars. No matter what kind of high-fat foods I'm taking in (I try not to do that, either, but I can't claim that I never eat junk), I order diet sodas because any form of corn sugars cause me stomach problems. Some diabetics can eat a whole lot of shrimp but not drink that much fructose and glucose.
Eating that many shrimp is a separate issue. If you're the sort of person who needs to take in 4500 kcal/day, fine, but I don't think those are most of the customers who are negatively judged by the servers.
Once had a man who came in for a birthday dinner during AYCE Shrimp. I worked in the bar at the time and we had a much quicker pace of things. He voluntarily shared with me that he had not eaten a thing all day (how he survived???) in anticipation of this meal. He proceeded to eat over 600 shrimp. That's just stupid. I couldn't tell you if he was fleecing them off to his 8 year old kid next to him or not, but the man was a shrimp-consuming machine!
And...there is nothing a serve can do about RL's rule of 15 on first order, 10 on refills. Yes, on a busy night a server shoudl probably order a few refills on open tickets to assure that there are refills available when a customer wants them - but like someone else mentioned - what to do when noone wants them? Well, we'd just eat them ourselve. Then managers got wise and began writing up anyone they saw eating shrimp on the clock.
Damn!
first of all hangman, in my godforsaken, pit of burning hell of a store we are only allowed to order one refill at a time. a rule set by management. this cuts down on the huge pieces of crap from ordering several refills and sticking the extra skrimps into their chi-drens pockets "so's they cans eats all week, na mean". so do us all a favor and stay home.
AYCE brings out some of the worst people..trash of all sizes and colors. The servers do NOT decide how fast our refills will come out.. nor the size of them.
Face it, some people do not know how to act in public, and this brings those folks out.
Even before I was a server I had the brains to know that just because something went wrong.. it doesn't always mean it was your server.
You could not even believe how many times we ring in shrimp refills and somebody else took it> But ahhh that is a real good reason to stiff your server... for something that was totally out of their hands......
GET REAL... the people who are going to stiff are going to stiff anyway... they are always looking for a reason..... go to a buffet is all I have to say...
And you can spot the stiffers as soon as you greet them.. they have that "no class" air about them.. no we don't treat them any different.
I hate All You Can Eat Shrimp.. I think it is a punishment..
And I thought Red Lobster was a high class place.. not like Denny's.. even Dennys has more brains than to do an all you can eat anything... I think this person who came up with all you can eat shrimp... needs to be canned like the one that came out with all you can eat snow crab..
Lobsterboy...you rock
You RL waiters are so lucky! I work the graveyard shift at Denny's. I get stiffed several times a day. I even had one night that I worked for twelve hours and only made 15$ in tips. I'm dying to get a job at RL.
Ok... so Friday nights we close our doors at 11:00pm... 10:30pm a party of 4 strapping middle-aged men wearing flip flops, tattered stained shirts (one of which was having trouble keeping his shirt down over his beer gut) waddled through the door and lucky me i was a closer!
Sure enough 3 of said 4 ordered the All You Can Eat shrimp and the 4th ordered a Live Main Lobster.
I'm not kidding when i say management let these people sit and gorge on shrimp until 12:30 at night!!!! WTF?! Isn't there some cut off stipulated somewhere that says "No shrimp refills 30 minutes after close" !!!!! OF COURSE NOT. Our management staff is a bunch of spineless pussies.
After 2 hours of good service even AFTER we were closed and i would have loved to go home, and after cracking that drooling numb nuts' lobster open for him, and after dealing with the whines and complains and protests of the kitchen staff for continually putting in refills long after we were closed, and after never letting any of their glasses of diet coke or Raspberry Lemonade AKA Pink Sugar Gunk go dry--- DID I MENTION FOR 2 HOURS.... I got a big fat stiff.
I cried.
I actually cried.
Down with endless shrimp!!!
And Cricket... why diet coke? Why not just order some damn water or Orange juice or Cranberry juice... or.... WATER? *sigh*
To the idiots that are talking about how the server should give all they want from the beginning, shut your mouth, you're and idiot and should not have the privilege of living in this country. The servers have no power over how much they give you. That is dictated by the corporation. I work for Red Lobster, and during last years promotion we had a woman eat 260 shrimp right before she collapsed on the table from mercury poisoning. She then got to spend three days in the hospital. Think about it before you spend your fifteen dollars showing just how stupid of a person you really are by making an ass of yourself in a public place.
You have a problem with serving food? Than go to college and get an education. It's people like you who complain and go no where in life except serving food at Red Lobster. It's red lobster not the Four Seasons, of course you're going to be dealing with ghetto trash.
I take home crap loads of endless schrimp during those days, and what are you going to do? The endless schrimp season in 2007 the waitress gave me dirt looks while I was piling it on a take home plate. So you know what that dirt look got her? For $50 bill I gave her a $2 tip. Ha, that'll teach you. Leave it alone and get another job or jump off the Golden Gate Bridge. Thanks =)
The truth lies somewhere in the middle. I love to gorge on shrimp (and occasionally other things). Yes, overeating is bad. So is smoking. So is drinking more than a little alcohol. My vice hurts no one but myself. And my tip is totally based on service. If you refill my drink and my AYCE plate quickly (or at least tell me you're putting in a refill since as noted you can't just replicate cooked food like on Star Trek) then you will get a decent tip. I am not a high tab eater. I like to eat out. If I order a huge tab every time I eat out I won't be able to pay my bills. I look forward to Endless Shrimp every year. I hope my server doesn't think I am a jerk just because I like to eat. And yes, if the refills come slow I will be at your table longer. Complain about the kitchen, not the customer. I try to eat at off hours when it's not busy anyway, so getting a $5 tip from me beats having an empty table, doesn't it? If I found out one of the servers on here who insults customers worked at my local RL I would request another.
Anyway, a funny story comes to mind... a couple years back I ordered the AYCE and my scampi had a hair in it. The GM comped my meal and let me keep eating. I tipped off the original tab since that was the amount of work the server did, but I did come back again that season to torture the staff with my 60-shrimp-eating business.
On another note, to the one who insulted the servers, you really need to just eat at home then. In fact, let someone else shop for you too since you're better than the person at the checkout counter too. I married a waitress. She doesn't work now that I have a real job and she stays home with the kids. But if we needed her to work again, she'd serve again. I have a lot of respect for those who enable my vice; if I were a server I'd surely pour hot coffee over jerks like the last poster and get fired. THANK YOU for letting my fat ass sit in a booth and eat and drink to my heart's content. And if one of those jerks is sitting at your other table, just tell me and I'll gladly set him straight.
drerickansas
I have to admit I have gone to AYCE shrimp once. It was good. I ordered quite a few rounds and was surprised how I disliked the coconut shrimp ( I need a chutney with it or orange marmalade or something).
So when I saw the advertizing on TV, I wanted to find out how much it cost again and comments. Well luckily I found this site/ forum/ blog.
Very interesting all these comments. Almost all very true especially about the tipping. Do people from the other buffets that have shrimp skip and go to RL for this instead as someone suggested.
Well when I want a shrimp fix and more for half the price I go to a my local Chinese mongolian grill restaurant. There I get different types of shrimp ( raw, fried, etc) and I get as much as I want when i want it . Yeah there is no scampi and some of the other kinds but you have to figure out the poison you want in your system.
I don't just gorge on shrimp but I got quite a few.I am not used to just eating shrimp so a buffet is better for me.
The buffet has so much more. I did watch some huge people wolfing down stuff. I can really pack it in but I am not huge by any means.
I do feel sorry for the waiter/esses who have to wait on customers endlessly over hours for minimal tip that hog seats.
I don't know if I ever go back to AYCE shrimp (my wife does not eat shellfish) especially after reading you all comments.
Thanks for the comments. I will write about this in my food blog .comments welcome
Thanks
All i have to say is Servers hadle your food, drink, and credit cards- I have seen many gruesome things and i definitely wouldn't be negative or snotty with anyone handling my food...And another thing...People make your bad kids Behave with some manners..To the guy with the education comment..your such an idiot..most servers are in school and getting an education using this money to buy books and pay for school... And one refill at a time is not the servers rule..we serve the food we do not make it, so you greedy people calm down if you want fast food and three refills at a time go to Mcdonalds or a buffet.
and to tellihotis you probably got those refills spit in..ha so take that and load some more.
Why do you expect people to come into RL dressed up like it's a nice restaurant anyway? It's the McDonald's of seafood.
NO kidding.
You people act like Red Lobster is some kind of golden grail only suited to those on the higher income scale. Are you serious?
The best part is that you just KNOW these low class ass holes doing all the complaining who wait tables there live in ratty ass apartments and drive a Hundai their damn selves. Then they have the nerve to try and make fun of "lower class customers" who pay for their shitty apartment and their shitty car and their shitty little lives.
Guess what ass hole ? YOUR A FOOD WORKER AT ONE OF THE LOWEST CLASS SEAFOOD JOINTS IN THE COUNTRY.
NOT THE SULTAN OF ARABIA.
Get a new job if you cant perform the job you are paid to perform.
Now if you will excuse me.. I am off to Red Lobster to overly gorge my self on shrimp and leave a shit tip !! then I will drive off in my Mercedes on my way home to my 3.5 million dollar estate home.
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