1 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:10,840 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Saber. I'm Annywies and I'm Laurd Vogelbaum. 2 00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:14,560 Speaker 1: And today we're talking about another restaurant chain. We're talking 3 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: about Red Lobster. That's right, Red Lobster. It kind of 4 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:23,959 Speaker 1: was on our minds because of one of my personal 5 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:26,119 Speaker 1: favorite quotes we got when we were doing interviews in 6 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:29,920 Speaker 1: Nashville from Kevin Fraser, right when he talked about Red 7 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:33,920 Speaker 1: Lobster opening being like the second coming up guys, and 8 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 1: then we were like, we m, what about what about 9 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:39,240 Speaker 1: that Red Lobster. It's been a while since we've done 10 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:42,640 Speaker 1: a restaurant chain. Yeah, and they're always such weird and 11 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 1: fascinating social histories. Yeah, And speaking of history, I have 12 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:50,760 Speaker 1: a lot of Red Lobster memories. For me, Red Lobster 13 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 1: was the fancy restaurant my family went to when I 14 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 1: was a kid. I literally put that on a survey once, 15 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: like in fifth grade, we had to fill out what's 16 00:00:57,240 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 1: the nicest restaurant you've ever been to? I can't remember 17 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:04,640 Speaker 1: why Lobster. And my little brother he used to get 18 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:08,479 Speaker 1: the mix and match combo and he'd get three orders 19 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 1: of fried chimp and fries and a baked potato every time. 20 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:16,400 Speaker 1: Oh wow, that is oh my goodness. Ye. And whatever 21 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:19,840 Speaker 1: he didn't finish, he would have for second dinner on 22 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: the car ride home because it was thirty minutes away, 23 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:28,920 Speaker 1: so you had time. He had time to get Yeah. 24 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:30,679 Speaker 1: I guess when you have that many carbs at a 25 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 1: certain point you're just like, well, but I'm hungry now, 26 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:36,040 Speaker 1: I might as well just continue. And my older brother 27 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 1: would order the most expensive thing on the menu, and 28 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: I always assumed it was out of spite because he 29 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 1: and my dad didn't get along. So I was like, 30 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:44,920 Speaker 1: of course he's going to order the most expensive thing 31 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 1: on the menu. But who knows, maybe he did really 32 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 1: want the Admiral's platter Mysteries Mysteries of family history. And 33 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:54,200 Speaker 1: we would ask for a box of the cheddar Ve 34 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 1: biscuits to go before we left, and occasionally, if we're 35 00:01:57,000 --> 00:01:58,920 Speaker 1: seeing a moving the area, because that's where the closest 36 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:01,560 Speaker 1: movie theater was, we would stop by around ten pm 37 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 1: when they were closing to see if we could just 38 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 1: get some biscuits, like at the back, just just be like, hey, 39 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 1: do you have any biscuits you're throwing out? We just 40 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 1: eat them, just throw them this way, you just toss 41 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 1: them directly into our mouths. We'll take them. We usually succeeded. 42 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 1: They would handles some biscuits and yeah, all of that 43 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 1: to say I have I have memories of red Lobster, 44 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:24,640 Speaker 1: and I mentioned in our biscuit episode. My dream one 45 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:27,639 Speaker 1: day is to return by their nicest bottle of red 46 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 1: wine and just eat the biscuits. I wonder if there 47 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: would be a surcharge for the biscuits if you didn't 48 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:34,520 Speaker 1: order any food. I don't know because they come free 49 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:40,440 Speaker 1: with meals. But oh, tot it to the test. I'll 50 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: make a scene. I'm getting your most expensive bottle of wine. 51 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:47,400 Speaker 1: We'll see, I'll report back. I'll report back. And also, 52 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 1: in the spirit of transparency, I did work at a 53 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 1: dart and owned restaurant, Long Orange Steakhouse for a couple 54 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: of years back for the span of two weeks, and 55 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:56,639 Speaker 1: I broke my foot and I never returned and I 56 00:02:56,720 --> 00:02:59,919 Speaker 1: never got paid. No. Yeah, well, I mean I know 57 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:02,920 Speaker 1: ver well share It was sort of like I assumed 58 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 1: the costume onboarding me. It was just sort of a wash. 59 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 1: At that point. You were like, well, I'll no harm, 60 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 1: no foul all around. Yes, I just never showed I'm 61 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:16,399 Speaker 1: a better employee now. Yes, yes, when you have injuries 62 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 1: you come in, I do possibly re injuring yourself. Good times, 63 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 1: good job, Thank you. Oh Darden being the company that 64 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:30,080 Speaker 1: for a long time owned Red Lobster. They no longer do, 65 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:33,360 Speaker 1: but yeah, for decades it was part of Darden's over 66 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 1: two thousand store empire, including all of Garden and Longhorn. 67 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 1: As you said, Bahama Breeze, Season's fifty two Capital Grill, 68 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 1: all these chains like that. Yeah, I'm not sure if 69 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 1: I've ever been in a Red Lobster. What I think 70 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:49,120 Speaker 1: I did once after college, after I had moved to Atlanta, 71 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:52,720 Speaker 1: there's a Red Lobster out in like Tucker, and I 72 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:55,120 Speaker 1: went with my coworkers because my office was over there. 73 00:03:55,800 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 1: And but I think that is literally the first and 74 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 1: only time that I've ever been in a red lips. Wow. 75 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 1: We have very different we bring very different experiences who 76 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:07,720 Speaker 1: we do. I think I've mentioned my father was a 77 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 1: cook or a cheffer, however you want to say it. 78 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:13,120 Speaker 1: And he had this like sort of personal grudge against 79 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 1: Red Lobster, I think, and I'm not entirely positive why. 80 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 1: He did have a friend who worked for the t 81 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 1: D I Friday's Chain, so like that might have been 82 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 1: part of it, but I don't know. He would just 83 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:26,719 Speaker 1: get really mad about Red Lobster in particular, and something 84 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:29,480 Speaker 1: about like seafood sustainability, and I don't know, Like my 85 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:32,480 Speaker 1: grandmother suggested us go there a couple of times, and 86 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 1: every time he would be like, we're not going there. 87 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:38,800 Speaker 1: You will not take my daughter into that place. Not 88 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: my daughter. So yeah, but but no, I think that 89 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:49,600 Speaker 1: your experience is not entirely uncommon in the suburbs of America, 90 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:53,800 Speaker 1: where these casual, family chain restaurants are kind of the 91 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:57,480 Speaker 1: only option. If you are looking to have a celebratory dinner, 92 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 1: you want to spend like more than Donald's or whatever, 93 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 1: but you know, there's either nothing available or nothing financially 94 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 1: available that's better than something like Red Lobster. Yeah. Yeah, 95 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:13,799 Speaker 1: and we're going to talk about that because Red Lobster 96 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: had a heyday and it's sort of coming back into 97 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 1: its own and one of the reasons for that possibly 98 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:24,920 Speaker 1: is the Beyonce effects, because after her song Formation came 99 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 1: out with the line if you rock me good, I'll 100 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 1: take his aster. Red Lobster the chainsaw boost in sales 101 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:35,840 Speaker 1: of thirty three, me too, And I gotta say when 102 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:38,240 Speaker 1: that song comes on and I'm running, it's the equivalent 103 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 1: of Popeye eating spinach. Oh yeah, yeah. Now, Beyonce is 104 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:47,839 Speaker 1: a serious force affector. She has effects beyond Red Lobster. 105 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:52,240 Speaker 1: She has many effects she does. True, it's true, But 106 00:05:52,720 --> 00:06:00,320 Speaker 1: this brings us to our question, Red Lobster what is it? Well, 107 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: a red Lobster is a chain of what's called casual 108 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:07,200 Speaker 1: dining restaurants started and headquartered here in the United States. 109 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 1: It is, and this category of restaurants offers full service dining, 110 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 1: like you sit down at a private table and a 111 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 1: server or a team of servers takes your order and 112 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 1: provides you with whatever else you request during the meal. 113 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:19,839 Speaker 1: But yeah, as I was kind of alluding to a 114 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:23,440 Speaker 1: minute ago, these restaurants offer that experience at prices that 115 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:26,600 Speaker 1: are aimed solidly at the middle class, like twenty to 116 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 1: forty bucks per person for a complete meal. It's a 117 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 1: sort of aspirational concept that came up in the late 118 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:36,559 Speaker 1: twentieth century. It's meant to evoke fine dining for folks 119 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:40,120 Speaker 1: who do not have access to find dining while maximizing 120 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 1: profits by taking cues from the fast food industry in 121 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:45,960 Speaker 1: terms of like leveraging this huge supply chain, like buying 122 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 1: in bulk and creating these easy, replicable, highly dependable experiences 123 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 1: across dozens or hundreds of stores, Like corporate designs the 124 00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:58,720 Speaker 1: menu and figures out how to get the ingredients and 125 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:02,360 Speaker 1: like manufacture the elements of the dishes at this large scale, 126 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 1: so that a kitchen in Kansas and a kitchen in 127 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:09,320 Speaker 1: Georgia can create the exact same dish. And here in 128 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:12,640 Speaker 1: the United States, Red Lobster is not a franchise. Corporate 129 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:16,360 Speaker 1: owns and operates every store, which is honestly impressive. Yeah, 130 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 1: I did not realize that. Yeah no, And they specialize 131 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:22,360 Speaker 1: in seafood. If you didn't know that it's a seafood chain, 132 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 1: what a punk that would be to go into a restaurant. 133 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 1: I think I'm going to get some lobster at this 134 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:31,360 Speaker 1: Red Lobster restaurant. No, nope, nope, no lobster here. That's 135 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:34,120 Speaker 1: just we like how the character looks, right. Does he 136 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 1: have a name. It's just Chicken now, I think it's 137 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:39,600 Speaker 1: his name is Chicken. It's Chicken, the lobs, Chicken, the lobster. 138 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:45,240 Speaker 1: That's clear, clear as a mud Lobster mud bug. We 139 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:48,960 Speaker 1: do have some Red Lobster numbers for you. Oh yeah. 140 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:52,000 Speaker 1: There are around fifty eight thousand employees working at over 141 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:54,640 Speaker 1: seven Red Lobster locations, mostly in the U s. But 142 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:58,520 Speaker 1: you can find some of these restaurants in Brazil, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Ecuador, Malaysia, 143 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 1: Qait Guitar and United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. In 144 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:06,840 Speaker 1: the United States as often, they were doing about two 145 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:10,560 Speaker 1: point five billion dollars in annual sales, making them the 146 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:14,200 Speaker 1: fifth largest casual dining restaurant in the country and the 147 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:18,440 Speaker 1: largest by far in terms of full service seafood restaurants. 148 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:20,880 Speaker 1: The profits on that were something a little bit under, 149 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 1: like a hundred and fifty million dollars a year. I 150 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:27,320 Speaker 1: love food industry terms. I think I've mentioned that before, 151 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:30,360 Speaker 1: but I love like casual dining restaurant. It's its own 152 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 1: specific thing. Oh yeah, yeah, don't don't put me in 153 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:37,680 Speaker 1: the same category. Is this thing that's fast casual that's 154 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:44,520 Speaker 1: completely fast food either, don't. Don't get it twisted. On average, 155 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:47,800 Speaker 1: Red Lobster restaurants bake a new batch of biscuits every 156 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:52,400 Speaker 1: fifteen minutes. One point one million biscuits every day, about 157 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:56,120 Speaker 1: three hundred and nine million a year. More on those 158 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 1: cheddar Bay biscuits. Later, you got to talk about the 159 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:00,960 Speaker 1: tedder Baby biscuits. Yeah, I mean, by the way, cheddar 160 00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:02,800 Speaker 1: Bay is not a real place. It's just a name. 161 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:06,000 Speaker 1: What Yeah, sorry, It's not like Cape cod It's like 162 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:11,880 Speaker 1: the reverse of cape pods. Oh my goodness. Apparently the 163 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:16,320 Speaker 1: endless shrimp is really endless and this is a big 164 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 1: draw to id Lobster, big marketing push where get endless 165 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:25,000 Speaker 1: shrimp to business. Insider reporters went into a Red Lobster 166 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:28,280 Speaker 1: in sixteen with the ultimate goal of getting their endless 167 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:33,559 Speaker 1: shrimp cut off. Over eight hours, they dined three hundred 168 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:36,240 Speaker 1: and five shrimp, and they got a bag of shrimp 169 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:39,800 Speaker 1: to go. The manager even offered them off the menu 170 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:43,280 Speaker 1: shrimp items and tips on digestion so that they could 171 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:46,880 Speaker 1: keep going and huffing to Impost tried the same thing 172 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:49,080 Speaker 1: a couple of years earlier, and if they weren't cut 173 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:54,040 Speaker 1: off either. If you're curious in you would have needed 174 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:57,760 Speaker 1: to eat about one shrimp just three pounds to get 175 00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:02,760 Speaker 1: your money's worth. Keep those shrimp coming. Endless shrimp is 176 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:05,440 Speaker 1: back at Red Lobster with all the shrimp you want, 177 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:08,320 Speaker 1: anywhere you want them, and no, your ears do not 178 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:11,480 Speaker 1: deceive you. That was a clip from a Red Lobster commercial. 179 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:16,960 Speaker 1: Endless shrimp, very exciting endless shrimp. According to a Darden representative, 180 00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:21,200 Speaker 1: as of people in the United States consume about fifteen 181 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:24,839 Speaker 1: to seventeen pounds of seafood per year. If he was right, 182 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 1: that's about five billion pounds total, of which Darden restaurants 183 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:33,440 Speaker 1: were peddling some a hundred million pounds of But the 184 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:37,240 Speaker 1: most important number the number of times Nicki Minaje has 185 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 1: been fired from the Red Lobster, which is an unknown number, 186 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:43,520 Speaker 1: but apparently it's hot. Apparently it's high corner every Red 187 00:10:43,559 --> 00:10:46,720 Speaker 1: Lobster she could think of. She was known to chase 188 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:50,400 Speaker 1: customers who had taken bins out into the parking lot 189 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:54,360 Speaker 1: and accidentally leave her nails and food press on nails. 190 00:10:54,480 --> 00:11:01,000 Speaker 1: It's a hazard, it is. Yeah. Well, well, with those 191 00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:04,280 Speaker 1: important we got Beyonce numbers and even nine numbers in 192 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:07,840 Speaker 1: this episode, we're really we're really cooking with some magic 193 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:12,960 Speaker 1: I don't know. But this brings us to the history 194 00:11:13,360 --> 00:11:16,200 Speaker 1: of Red Lobster, and it also brings us to a 195 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:18,800 Speaker 1: quick break for a word from our sponsor. Just not 196 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:30,200 Speaker 1: red Lobster, and we're back. Thank you sponsor, Yes, thank you. 197 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:35,320 Speaker 1: Our story starts with Bill Darden. That Darden, That Darden, 198 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:38,640 Speaker 1: I think one of the Darden's Yes, yes, totally, who 199 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:41,760 Speaker 1: opened the Green Frog in way Cross at Georgia during 200 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:45,600 Speaker 1: the nineteen thirties when he was only nineteen. It was 201 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:47,720 Speaker 1: a diner with a drive up service and it was 202 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:52,800 Speaker 1: very well received. Service with a hop was this skin 203 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:58,040 Speaker 1: yep and the restaurant specialized in traditional Southern dishes during 204 00:11:58,040 --> 00:12:00,800 Speaker 1: a time of racial segregation in the South. Green Frog 205 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:05,120 Speaker 1: did not segregate. The green Frog shut down in but 206 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:08,319 Speaker 1: you can still see artifacts of its existence, most notably 207 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:12,480 Speaker 1: the clothing boutique The King Frog. With the money he 208 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:17,359 Speaker 1: made from the Green Frog, Darden purchased the Howard Johnson franchise, 209 00:12:17,360 --> 00:12:21,160 Speaker 1: which at the time consisted of about twenty properties. P 210 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 1: JO was not only the first restaurant chain that was 211 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:26,440 Speaker 1: both national and full service, it was also the country's 212 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:30,760 Speaker 1: most popular chain during the sixties and seventies. Darden wanted 213 00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:33,680 Speaker 1: to open a seafood restaurant in Florida, and he did 214 00:12:34,280 --> 00:12:38,520 Speaker 1: with his business partner Charlie Wouldsby in Lakeland, Florida. In 215 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:42,960 Speaker 1: it was called the Red Lobster Inn, and the slogan 216 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:47,200 Speaker 1: was Harbor for seafood lovers. I'd like that he liked 217 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:49,600 Speaker 1: to fun. I do too. I think we might have 218 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:55,680 Speaker 1: gotten along. There are a couple of inspiration stories about 219 00:12:55,720 --> 00:12:57,959 Speaker 1: where the name maybe came from. Either it was a 220 00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:00,960 Speaker 1: play on the name the green frog, courtesy of the 221 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:04,240 Speaker 1: printer making the menus, as in the person who printed 222 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 1: up the menus came up with it, or occurred. According 223 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:10,440 Speaker 1: to Bill Dardin's wife Mary, it came up during a 224 00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:13,080 Speaker 1: brainstorming session and it had to do with the perfectly 225 00:13:13,320 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 1: cooked lobster, the red, the red lobster. I like that 226 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:21,600 Speaker 1: green frog, red lobster. Yeah. It was a pretty immediate 227 00:13:21,679 --> 00:13:24,280 Speaker 1: hit and they grew to five locations across the South. 228 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:27,040 Speaker 1: Within two years. It darted and would be sold the 229 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:29,880 Speaker 1: Red Lobster Chain to General Mills, and they stayed on 230 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:34,000 Speaker 1: as board members. Woldsby went on to open fish Bones, 231 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:38,560 Speaker 1: which is different then bone fish grew whole separate fish chain, 232 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:43,680 Speaker 1: separate fish chain. Red Lobster claims that you have them 233 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:48,480 Speaker 1: to thank for popcorn shrimp. Yes, is this exciting news 234 00:13:48,559 --> 00:13:51,920 Speaker 1: for you. I it's honestly, it's honestly so so, but 235 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 1: I mean it do come from somewhere. It did, and 236 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:57,960 Speaker 1: they say it was from them. They also say that 237 00:13:58,040 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 1: they came up with the first point of sales system 238 00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 1: and that they are also they should get credit for 239 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:09,440 Speaker 1: introducing the American palette to snow crab and calamari. They're 240 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:14,040 Speaker 1: claiming that we go the ballat share. As far as 241 00:14:14,080 --> 00:14:17,160 Speaker 1: that popcorn shrimp claim goes, Red Lobster says they introduced 242 00:14:17,160 --> 00:14:20,440 Speaker 1: the popular food in nineteen seventy four, but some dispute 243 00:14:20,440 --> 00:14:23,720 Speaker 1: this and say we should be crediting Paul Prudom instead. Yeah, 244 00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:26,760 Speaker 1: we've talked about him before, the Cajun chef yep. In 245 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:30,680 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy nine, Red Lobster debut their new slogan for 246 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:34,080 Speaker 1: the seafood lover an you. I remember that from television 247 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 1: commercials from when I was a small child. We had 248 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 1: Lobster for I feel like I do too. I feel 249 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:45,160 Speaker 1: like I do too. Bill Darden retired in nineteen eighty three, 250 00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:48,680 Speaker 1: but stuck around and consulted for General Mills, and by 251 00:14:49,440 --> 00:14:54,120 Speaker 1: five they were over four hundred Red Lobster locations. When 252 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:57,200 Speaker 1: Darden died in nine, the company decided to spin off 253 00:14:57,200 --> 00:14:59,880 Speaker 1: Red Lobster as part of a planned restaurant division, which 254 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:05,840 Speaker 1: called Darden Restaurants Inc. Alive Garden, on Word, Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, Capital, 255 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:10,560 Speaker 1: Grill Season, Eddie V's Yard House, and Cheddars Scratch Kitchen 256 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:14,560 Speaker 1: all fall under Darden Restaurants. All of Garden, which launched 257 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:20,800 Speaker 1: in now makes up fort of Darden sales. It's a 258 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:23,040 Speaker 1: lot of bread sticks. Yeah, that is a lot of 259 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: bread sticks. I had one of my worst dates ever 260 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:29,840 Speaker 1: at an Alive Garden. I suppose if someone asks you, 261 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:34,720 Speaker 1: I don't know anyway. I love the horror movies and 262 00:15:34,760 --> 00:15:39,000 Speaker 1: horrific dates are the two things that you your your 263 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:45,160 Speaker 1: two landmarks for your food experiences. It really solidifies in 264 00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:49,840 Speaker 1: the memory what you were eating. The whole thing. He 265 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:54,120 Speaker 1: poured water on me as part of a what he 266 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:57,200 Speaker 1: was doing, like a Jeff Goldbloom bit from Jurassic Park. 267 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:01,720 Speaker 1: But he poured the entire class of water. Oh that's 268 00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:06,960 Speaker 1: not the sexy thing. No, it was bad news anyway, 269 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:11,000 Speaker 1: Moving on to good news at least for me. Them 270 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:14,600 Speaker 1: biscuits though, Oh yeah, okay, yes, we have to talk 271 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:18,200 Speaker 1: about Red Lobster's bread and butter the Cheddar Bay Biscuits 272 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:22,480 Speaker 1: from Tina Phay's book Bossy Pants quote there is no 273 00:16:22,640 --> 00:16:25,640 Speaker 1: one of woman born who does not like Red Lobster 274 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:29,040 Speaker 1: Cheddar biscuits. Anyone who claims otherwise is a liar and 275 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:33,120 Speaker 1: a socialist. Mm hm m m m m. They are 276 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:36,520 Speaker 1: relatively new, though greasing Red Lobster tables beginning in the 277 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:41,080 Speaker 1: early nineties courtesy of one Kurt Hankins or Hankins. Hawkins 278 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:44,280 Speaker 1: was asked to come up with a replacement for Hush Puppies, 279 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:47,360 Speaker 1: and his first idea was Texas toast, but that quickly 280 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:51,000 Speaker 1: turned to biscuits because they went well with seafood. They 281 00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 1: were first tested in Georgia, and they took off almost 282 00:16:54,080 --> 00:16:57,120 Speaker 1: right a way their original menu listing. By the way, 283 00:16:57,160 --> 00:17:00,640 Speaker 1: it was apparently freshly baked hot cheese are like bread, 284 00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:04,960 Speaker 1: doesn't roll off the tongue the same way Cheddar Bay biscuit. Yes, yeah, 285 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:08,240 Speaker 1: I got that. Good alliteration and everything uh in their 286 00:17:08,320 --> 00:17:12,040 Speaker 1: current iteration. They are not, in fact scratch made in 287 00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:14,320 Speaker 1: a house, and they're about a hundred and fifty calories each. 288 00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:17,960 Speaker 1: An article about them in the Chicago Tribune in put 289 00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:21,600 Speaker 1: it like this quote. Natalie dupri the James Beard Award 290 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:25,280 Speaker 1: winning author of Southern Biscuits, PBS Staple and Biscuit Queen, 291 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:29,320 Speaker 1: told me people have biscuit fetishes and certain biscuits resonate 292 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:31,760 Speaker 1: for them. A biscuit can be terrible, but if it 293 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:34,720 Speaker 1: reminds that person of their grandmother, it doesn't matter. Hot 294 00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:39,960 Speaker 1: biscuits mean comfort and umbilical state. Which I'm so sad 295 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:43,359 Speaker 1: that I didn't have that quote for our episode on biscuits. 296 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:45,840 Speaker 1: That is a good call back for our biscuit episode 297 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:53,440 Speaker 1: also our nostalgia food episode. But anyway, it's the nineties 298 00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:56,960 Speaker 1: was Red Lobster's decade when they were one of the 299 00:17:57,080 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 1: key casual family dining restaurants. The chain gets some credit 300 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:04,840 Speaker 1: for introducing landlocked Midwestern states to types of seafoods and 301 00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:09,159 Speaker 1: types of preparations that they perhaps weren't going to experience otherwise. Absolutely, 302 00:18:09,160 --> 00:18:12,240 Speaker 1: and this was really the era of the casual family 303 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 1: chain restaurant. Yeah, Darden Group, which was the company that 304 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:20,920 Speaker 1: owned Red Lobster at the time, began funding efforts around 305 00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:24,680 Speaker 1: a lobster farming by the Australian Research Council. A whole 306 00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:29,320 Speaker 1: sixteen years later, researchers were able to raise lobsters in captivity. 307 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:33,600 Speaker 1: Darden also helped the Atlantic Lobster Sustainability Foundation get going, 308 00:18:33,640 --> 00:18:36,800 Speaker 1: and it took part in the Global Fish f I 309 00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:40,720 Speaker 1: s H Alliance UH Yeah. Part of these efforts included 310 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:45,159 Speaker 1: improved worker safety and training in certain fisheries, which in 311 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:49,879 Speaker 1: turn encourages better sustainability practices of wild populations of lobsters. 312 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:52,679 Speaker 1: A Red Lobster also at that point stopped serving a 313 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:56,520 Speaker 1: number of at risk fish and also stopped serving lobsters 314 00:18:56,560 --> 00:19:00,919 Speaker 1: over four pounds, which are good for breeding. Going back 315 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:05,000 Speaker 1: to raising lobsters in captivity thing, the company started the 316 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:08,080 Speaker 1: Darten Aqua Farm with a production goal of forty million 317 00:19:08,119 --> 00:19:12,919 Speaker 1: pounds of lobster a year. By This was the first 318 00:19:13,119 --> 00:19:16,160 Speaker 1: lobster farm of its kind, but since Darten and Red 319 00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:20,720 Speaker 1: Lobster broke up, this project is on hold of Note two. 320 00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:24,680 Speaker 1: The effort was not well received by main lobster fisherman, 321 00:19:24,760 --> 00:19:27,000 Speaker 1: especially in light of how lobster would continue to be 322 00:19:27,119 --> 00:19:32,080 Speaker 1: presented as main lobster yeah on the menu. The Aqua 323 00:19:32,119 --> 00:19:34,600 Speaker 1: Farm is off the coast of Malaysia, where you'll find 324 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:39,320 Speaker 1: spiny rock lobster instead. And then in two thousand three, 325 00:19:39,320 --> 00:19:41,560 Speaker 1: Red Lobster took a bit of a risk that did 326 00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:46,520 Speaker 1: not pay off when they introduced endless snow Crab. They 327 00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:50,840 Speaker 1: lost about one point one million dollars a month while 328 00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:54,240 Speaker 1: this promotion was going. That's in part because snow crab 329 00:19:54,280 --> 00:19:56,280 Speaker 1: has a lot more regulations around it here in the 330 00:19:56,359 --> 00:19:59,639 Speaker 1: United States. In the company chairman's words, it wasn't the 331 00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:04,240 Speaker 1: second helping, it was the third one that hurts. Hmm. 332 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:06,440 Speaker 1: People are going to get their money's worth if they 333 00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:11,199 Speaker 1: can around endless snow crab, endless anything. Yeah, if you 334 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:13,760 Speaker 1: say endless, someone will take you seriously. It's not always 335 00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:17,400 Speaker 1: just Home or Simpson. Not always, not always. In two 336 00:20:17,440 --> 00:20:20,800 Speaker 1: thousand four, Darden took their arch nemesis to court. There 337 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:25,199 Speaker 1: arch nemesis one International House of Pancakes. I feel like 338 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:28,359 Speaker 1: this is a twist. I wasn't. I didn't see it coming. No, 339 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:32,040 Speaker 1: I didn't. They accused I hop of copying all of 340 00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:35,920 Speaker 1: Gardens All you Can Eat postible promotion with their never 341 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:41,480 Speaker 1: ending pancakes and never ending popcorn shrimp promotions being no 342 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:44,879 Speaker 1: no in Darden's eyes. Darden's vice president of communications at 343 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:49,720 Speaker 1: the time called it very confusing. For the consumer, we're 344 00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:53,080 Speaker 1: very confused. I've never been that confused by endless pancakes. 345 00:20:53,240 --> 00:21:01,119 Speaker 1: I mean you mean I have gotten entertainment out of 346 00:21:01,119 --> 00:21:03,639 Speaker 1: their signs for never ending pancakes because it's just the 347 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:06,960 Speaker 1: infinity symbol. It's like infinity pancakes. Like that was definitely 348 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:09,320 Speaker 1: part of their promotional material when I was in college, 349 00:21:09,359 --> 00:21:13,120 Speaker 1: and I was like, is it really infinity pancakes. I'm 350 00:21:13,119 --> 00:21:16,320 Speaker 1: doubting your use of the word infinity. Infinity pancakes would 351 00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:19,399 Speaker 1: be a great screen name. Oh man, I bet it's taken. 352 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:21,600 Speaker 1: I bet it is. But we should look into that 353 00:21:21,680 --> 00:21:25,480 Speaker 1: after not if not one of y'all around two thousand 354 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:28,480 Speaker 1: seven to two thousand eight, facing changing tastes and a 355 00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:31,800 Speaker 1: greater consumer emphasis on like health and freshness. We've talked 356 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:35,080 Speaker 1: about this before. Red Lobster introduced Today's Fresh Fish met 357 00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:37,680 Speaker 1: you um By fresh, they meant not like literally fresh, 358 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:40,560 Speaker 1: not like I'm frozen, but just a grilled rather than 359 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:46,800 Speaker 1: heavily sauced or sauteed right. In a joke story from 360 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:49,840 Speaker 1: the site The Ruck City Times claiming one of their 361 00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:54,120 Speaker 1: writers went into a food coma after eating four hundred 362 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:57,399 Speaker 1: and thirteen of the cheddar Bay biscuits got picked up 363 00:21:57,400 --> 00:22:01,840 Speaker 1: as truth in several tadboids in some websites, sort of 364 00:22:01,880 --> 00:22:03,840 Speaker 1: like when people share links to the Onion not knowing 365 00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:08,120 Speaker 1: its satile. Yeah, I mean the paper bills itself as 366 00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:12,919 Speaker 1: Arkansas's second most unreliable news source. So I don't know 367 00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:16,879 Speaker 1: what the confusion was. Again, I don't know. It's not 368 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 1: the first most unreliable news source, but it's so unreliable. 369 00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:24,679 Speaker 1: Maybe it is the first most unreliable. Always check your facts, folks, 370 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:28,159 Speaker 1: Always check your facts. But truthiness or not. It was 371 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:30,919 Speaker 1: around this time that the Great Recession had hit the 372 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:35,240 Speaker 1: middle class hard. The middle class, you know, being red lobsters, biscuits, 373 00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:39,480 Speaker 1: and butter um. They saw decreasing sales in nine out 374 00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:42,560 Speaker 1: of the first thirteen years of the twenty one century. 375 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:45,480 Speaker 1: And this was part of an overall trend of decline 376 00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:48,359 Speaker 1: in these casual family like bar and grill type chains 377 00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:52,520 Speaker 1: um and arise in the cheaper, fast casual chains as 378 00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:56,199 Speaker 1: the middle class struggled and kind of stratified fast casual 379 00:22:56,240 --> 00:22:58,879 Speaker 1: you know, like a Chipotle and Panera five guys stuff 380 00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:03,760 Speaker 1: like that. As of the median household was lower income 381 00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:07,320 Speaker 1: than it had been twenty years earlier, and lower income 382 00:23:07,359 --> 00:23:11,280 Speaker 1: consumers were switching to those fast casual places. Meanwhile, higher 383 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:15,399 Speaker 1: income consumers were eating upward away from stuff like Red Lobster. 384 00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:18,040 Speaker 1: Red Lobster tried to win the middle class back with 385 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:21,840 Speaker 1: a few different pivots around this time. First and they 386 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:26,439 Speaker 1: expanded their non seafood, lower priced offerings, and then a 387 00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:29,879 Speaker 1: couple of years later leaned way back into seacoo um 388 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:33,199 Speaker 1: and tried cutting back on some of those bargain priced specials, 389 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:37,920 Speaker 1: those endless whatever kind of deals, hoping to increase perceived value. 390 00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:41,600 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah, every time I hear the word pivot, 391 00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:46,159 Speaker 1: I think of Ross from friends just screaming pivot, that 392 00:23:46,359 --> 00:23:50,040 Speaker 1: ring a bell, not at all, He's like trying to 393 00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:53,960 Speaker 1: move a couch and it's on the stairs. Oh I 394 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:57,000 Speaker 1: do remember that bit. Yeah, every time I hear that word, 395 00:23:57,000 --> 00:23:58,880 Speaker 1: that's what I think of, really stuck in my brain. 396 00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:03,680 Speaker 1: In fourteen of bacterial disease and blight majorly decreased the 397 00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:07,520 Speaker 1: shrimp output of the largest shrimp producing countries China, Thailand, 398 00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:12,720 Speaker 1: and Vietnam, prices tripled, and Red Lobster felt it. Oh yeah, 399 00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:15,879 Speaker 1: like shrimp prices increased by over sixty in a single 400 00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:20,040 Speaker 1: year um. This cost Red Lobster about thirty million dollars 401 00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:23,680 Speaker 1: over the course of that year. Yeah, and maybe because 402 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:26,920 Speaker 1: of these things, Red Lobster's parent company, Darden, sold the 403 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:29,960 Speaker 1: chain to Golden Gate Capital for a cool two point 404 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:33,239 Speaker 1: one billion dollars that same year. By the way, this 405 00:24:33,359 --> 00:24:36,720 Speaker 1: seriously piste off Darden's shareholders, who wound up voting out 406 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:41,040 Speaker 1: every single sitting board member in retaliation, like direct retaliation 407 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:44,600 Speaker 1: for this happening that they sold Red Lobsters. Yeah, Darden's 408 00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:54,160 Speaker 1: shareholders were mad like mad. Uh. And meanwhile, Golden Gate, 409 00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:57,040 Speaker 1: which was a like private holding company, turned around and 410 00:24:57,119 --> 00:24:59,880 Speaker 1: sold off one point five billion dollars worth of Red 411 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:03,840 Speaker 1: Absters United States real estate assets pretty much immediately. They 412 00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:07,439 Speaker 1: turned Instead, they're focused to selling franchises of Red Lobster 413 00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:09,960 Speaker 1: in other countries and have opened twenty two since then. 414 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:14,920 Speaker 1: Two years later, Seafood Distributed Thai Union Group PCL entered 415 00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:18,760 Speaker 1: into minority ownership with Golden Gate Capital for almost six 416 00:25:18,840 --> 00:25:21,800 Speaker 1: hundred million dollars. It was one of those two stage deals. 417 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:26,760 Speaker 1: Tai Union bought about of the shares of Red Lobster outright, 418 00:25:27,040 --> 00:25:31,639 Speaker 1: with another to convert in the next decade, so they 419 00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:36,600 Speaker 1: will own of the company and a word here friends 420 00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:41,480 Speaker 1: about Thai Union. They are the largest seafood supplier slash 421 00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:45,560 Speaker 1: distributor in the world, including lots of supermarket brands like 422 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:48,800 Speaker 1: Chicken of the Sea. They provide canned and frozen seafood 423 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:51,919 Speaker 1: throughout the United States and Europe from fisheries all over 424 00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:56,679 Speaker 1: the world and in They were the primary subject of 425 00:25:56,760 --> 00:26:00,440 Speaker 1: a Polar surprize winning Associated Press expose of out slave 426 00:26:00,520 --> 00:26:04,640 Speaker 1: labor and particularly child slave labor in the shrimp industry. 427 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:09,560 Speaker 1: Tai Union did, upon the publication of this expose a 428 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:13,240 Speaker 1: really shake down their supply chain. Um They avoided contracts 429 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:16,480 Speaker 1: with third party shrimp processors and became the first Thaie 430 00:26:16,480 --> 00:26:20,840 Speaker 1: seafood company to ban the policy of recruitment fees for workers. 431 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:24,920 Speaker 1: Recruitment fees being this policy where workers, often immigrants, who 432 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:28,879 Speaker 1: had few options and little support, would basically enter into 433 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:34,680 Speaker 1: like indentured servitude for the privilege of getting hired. You know, upside, 434 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:39,080 Speaker 1: it's great that they stopped doing that, and hopefully having 435 00:26:39,119 --> 00:26:41,800 Speaker 1: a company of their scope stop those practices will make 436 00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:44,560 Speaker 1: a significant impact in the industry. You know. Downside, it 437 00:26:44,600 --> 00:26:47,960 Speaker 1: took an expose a to make it happen. Yeah, but yeah, 438 00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:52,440 Speaker 1: so back to Golden Gate Capital. Yeah, the sale led 439 00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:55,840 Speaker 1: to a pretty substantial menu update, which in turn led 440 00:26:55,880 --> 00:26:59,840 Speaker 1: to an increase in Red Lobsters popularity with those ever elusive. 441 00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:06,200 Speaker 1: A survey found that it was rated the number one 442 00:27:06,280 --> 00:27:10,440 Speaker 1: casual dining spot for folks aged eighteen to twenty four, 443 00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:13,120 Speaker 1: and the company says that they weren't even targeting millennials. 444 00:27:13,119 --> 00:27:16,200 Speaker 1: They were just trying to make improvements overall, like including 445 00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:19,919 Speaker 1: preparing some dishes from scratch or near scratch in house, 446 00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:25,000 Speaker 1: like the scampie. Oh that was my favorite. I'm sure 447 00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:28,520 Speaker 1: it's just better now. Oh no, no, no, I say 448 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:31,040 Speaker 1: that nostalgically. I'm sure it's better now. I mean I 449 00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:33,960 Speaker 1: was a kid who just like all of the butter. Well, 450 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:36,800 Speaker 1: the thing is, like, apparently this change came about partially 451 00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:40,280 Speaker 1: because the cooks at Red Lobster restaurants wanted to add 452 00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:44,080 Speaker 1: more sauce to plates after customers kept asking for extra 453 00:27:44,119 --> 00:27:46,600 Speaker 1: sauce to dip their biscuits in. I forgot, I did 454 00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:49,639 Speaker 1: witness a lot of people do that. Yeah, so so 455 00:27:49,680 --> 00:27:51,399 Speaker 1: I think like if you were really just after the sauce, 456 00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:52,679 Speaker 1: like they're just trying to give you more of what 457 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:57,639 Speaker 1: you wanted. Well, maybe I have to rethink my dream 458 00:27:57,720 --> 00:28:01,120 Speaker 1: of returning factor and the lobster. Can I just get 459 00:28:01,119 --> 00:28:04,919 Speaker 1: a vat of biscode and some biscuits and red wine 460 00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:08,960 Speaker 1: and no questions asked? Please? Can just a scampy that 461 00:28:09,320 --> 00:28:12,800 Speaker 1: like a butter sauce bat to build it out? Can 462 00:28:12,800 --> 00:28:17,439 Speaker 1: that be my meal? Oh goodness, I'll pay top dollar 463 00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:22,440 Speaker 1: for it. Like this is revealing quite a bit about me, 464 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:27,399 Speaker 1: But scandal perhaps revealed quite a bit about Red Lobster. 465 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:29,560 Speaker 1: And we will get to that right after we get 466 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:31,840 Speaker 1: back from a quick break for a word from our sponsor, 467 00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:45,600 Speaker 1: and we're back, Thank you sponsor, and we're back with scandal. 468 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:51,320 Speaker 1: Scandal hounded Red Lobster in when a DNA test on 469 00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:56,640 Speaker 1: their lobster bisc showed no main lobster but instead then 470 00:28:58,040 --> 00:29:01,080 Speaker 1: a cheaper, less popular variety of lobster. Red Lobster claimed 471 00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:03,080 Speaker 1: that both types of lobster were used, and it was 472 00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:06,400 Speaker 1: quote the luck of the ladle. Seafood fraud is not 473 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:08,920 Speaker 1: at all uncommon in the restaurant industry, or even in 474 00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:11,880 Speaker 1: the fishing industry, anywhere anywhere in that supply chain. Anyone 475 00:29:11,920 --> 00:29:14,880 Speaker 1: from the people pulling stuff onto boats and selling it 476 00:29:14,920 --> 00:29:17,920 Speaker 1: to two restaurants or other second or third parties, to 477 00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:21,640 Speaker 1: the restaurant itself, purporting that whatever they are putting in 478 00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:24,120 Speaker 1: their food is one thing when it's really another. It's 479 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:27,200 Speaker 1: pretty common, and that investigation that we're talking about by 480 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:31,360 Speaker 1: Inside Edition implicated several other brands. It wasn't just Red Lobster. Yeah, 481 00:29:31,400 --> 00:29:34,160 Speaker 1: I think I remember a couple of years back when 482 00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:38,160 Speaker 1: there was all these headlines about how you probably never 483 00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:40,400 Speaker 1: had this type of sushi that you think you've had. 484 00:29:42,040 --> 00:29:46,640 Speaker 1: Not that, but that's what it's labeled as. So future episode, 485 00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:48,360 Speaker 1: for sure. A couple of you have written in about that. 486 00:29:48,520 --> 00:29:51,320 Speaker 1: Oh yeah. But in the meantime, we've got another scandal. 487 00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:57,360 Speaker 1: Red Lobster received the dubious honor of unhealthiest dish in 488 00:29:57,560 --> 00:30:01,240 Speaker 1: all of fast food, which in a minute, it's casual 489 00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:06,280 Speaker 1: family dining anyway, at twenty seven hundred calories and six 490 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:11,360 Speaker 1: of sodium. If you're wondering, it was a particular combination 491 00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:14,840 Speaker 1: of those create your own varieties, Okay, you can really 492 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:18,120 Speaker 1: go all out there, and Red Lobster in response said, 493 00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:21,240 Speaker 1: well you can get healthier. Yeah, you can get a 494 00:30:21,320 --> 00:30:23,720 Speaker 1: side of broccoli with that, like you don't have to 495 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:29,200 Speaker 1: get scampy scampy frize popinot. Judging me, Laura Butter, it 496 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:32,320 Speaker 1: was like, I think it's Waltz shrimp. I don't remember 497 00:30:32,360 --> 00:30:33,720 Speaker 1: what that is, but I know that was one of 498 00:30:33,760 --> 00:30:38,520 Speaker 1: the options in Red Lobster partnered with the Discovery Channel's 499 00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:43,080 Speaker 1: reality TV show The Deadliest Catch, creating an interactive experience 500 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:46,320 Speaker 1: for that year's crab Fest and their special promotion of 501 00:30:46,520 --> 00:30:52,000 Speaker 1: dueling crablegs Dueling crab legs. Yeah, I don't know what 502 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:55,760 Speaker 1: that means. Red Lobster wanted to show the seed to 503 00:30:55,920 --> 00:31:00,200 Speaker 1: table experience of their crab by doing this. Huh uh, 504 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:05,480 Speaker 1: I love this Deadliest Catch. Watch these fishermen put their 505 00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:07,480 Speaker 1: lives in peril and then go eat the crabs that 506 00:31:07,560 --> 00:31:12,680 Speaker 1: they call it dueling crab legs. I don't know. Later 507 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:15,280 Speaker 1: in the year, Red Lobster relaunched their menu yet again 508 00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:18,480 Speaker 1: to include more small and or shareable dishes and more 509 00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:21,720 Speaker 1: dishes with a kind of varied flavor influences. Southwestern, pan 510 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:25,760 Speaker 1: Asian Canadian. Yeah, they've got a version of poutine on 511 00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:28,640 Speaker 1: the menu now. These cheese fries topped with clam chowder 512 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:33,080 Speaker 1: and fried clamstrips apparently they're ridiculous and delicious. I don't know, 513 00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:38,840 Speaker 1: And yes, it brings us. And this is the fiftieth 514 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:43,240 Speaker 1: anniversary of Red Lobster existing. Wow, and we just happened 515 00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:47,120 Speaker 1: to do this episode. In January, Red Lobster announced an 516 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:53,440 Speaker 1: expanded commitment to serving only traceable, sustainable and responsibly sourced seafood. 517 00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:55,840 Speaker 1: A few months later, the company teamed up with Monterey 518 00:31:55,920 --> 00:31:59,520 Speaker 1: Bay Aquariums Seafood Watch program, which is this public service 519 00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:03,440 Speaker 1: that tries to educate and influence both consumers and sellers 520 00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:06,160 Speaker 1: of seafood about what products are safe to eat and 521 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:11,560 Speaker 1: what products are environmentally sustainable. This is increasingly valuable as 522 00:32:11,640 --> 00:32:15,719 Speaker 1: a combination of overfishing and climate change have been totally 523 00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:19,520 Speaker 1: destroying ocean eco systems and putting lots of species at 524 00:32:19,600 --> 00:32:22,640 Speaker 1: risk for extinction. Like, I mean, it's great, I'm glad 525 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:27,160 Speaker 1: it's happening. It's also it's essentially a giant corporation saying, hey, 526 00:32:27,440 --> 00:32:30,760 Speaker 1: so we've been profiting off of immoral and illegal practices 527 00:32:30,800 --> 00:32:33,479 Speaker 1: for decades by claiming ignorance to them. But we're stopping now, 528 00:32:33,560 --> 00:32:35,880 Speaker 1: we really promise, And also we pinky swear that it's 529 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:38,480 Speaker 1: not only because millennials seemed care about this and we 530 00:32:38,560 --> 00:32:40,800 Speaker 1: want their money. It's not that they've never tried well 531 00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:44,640 Speaker 1: and succeeded in making positive changes the brand has. I'll 532 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:47,360 Speaker 1: just I'll be less cynical about it when we see 533 00:32:47,880 --> 00:32:52,720 Speaker 1: more of those positive changes. With great power comes great responsibility, y'all. 534 00:32:53,200 --> 00:32:57,880 Speaker 1: Lawrence Guildroy Corner. Yep, it's not over yet, actually, yeah, 535 00:32:57,920 --> 00:32:59,920 Speaker 1: because just you know, I wanted to say here that 536 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:03,680 Speaker 1: the environmental impact of the fishing industry and its exacerbation 537 00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:07,120 Speaker 1: by climate change is this huge topic that that really 538 00:33:07,480 --> 00:33:10,800 Speaker 1: has to be considered species by species. You can't say 539 00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:14,920 Speaker 1: something about how tuna are reacting to stuff and extrapolate 540 00:33:15,040 --> 00:33:18,680 Speaker 1: that to how lobsters are reacting to stuff. But like overall, 541 00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:21,720 Speaker 1: changes in temperature and weather patterns have meant that ocean 542 00:33:21,760 --> 00:33:25,239 Speaker 1: animals are migrating differently and some of their populations are 543 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:28,719 Speaker 1: really struggling, And the fishing industry and the restaurant industry 544 00:33:28,920 --> 00:33:32,320 Speaker 1: need to work with organizations like Seafood Watch to understand 545 00:33:32,360 --> 00:33:35,360 Speaker 1: what's changing, um how they can catch wild fish without 546 00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:39,200 Speaker 1: endangering the populations, and how to best keep farmed fish 547 00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:42,000 Speaker 1: healthy for their sake as well as the consumer sake. 548 00:33:42,320 --> 00:33:46,040 Speaker 1: So yeah, for the planet's sake, for for all, for all, 549 00:33:46,120 --> 00:33:49,000 Speaker 1: for the good, for the good of all of us. Yeah, 550 00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:53,000 Speaker 1: this reminds me of something else. I feel like I've 551 00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:55,880 Speaker 1: had a million pop culture references in this episode, which 552 00:33:55,960 --> 00:34:00,440 Speaker 1: is surprised even me. Um, but when I have um 553 00:34:00,760 --> 00:34:05,080 Speaker 1: folder of favorites on my computer that I watch when 554 00:34:05,160 --> 00:34:07,720 Speaker 1: I'm having a rough time or need to be cheered up, 555 00:34:07,760 --> 00:34:11,279 Speaker 1: and they're in order of like that is this day, 556 00:34:12,360 --> 00:34:17,080 Speaker 1: and one of them. A recent recruit is when John 557 00:34:17,160 --> 00:34:23,000 Speaker 1: mulaney hosted Saturday Live a couple of months ago, there 558 00:34:23,239 --> 00:34:29,279 Speaker 1: was this bizarre but hilarious skit where it was, um, 559 00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:35,440 Speaker 1: this guy ordered lobster in a diner and the lobster 560 00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:41,120 Speaker 1: comes out. It's lame misera, oh my god, with lobsters, 561 00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:45,719 Speaker 1: and it's excellent. And I've never seen la miss and 562 00:34:45,920 --> 00:34:51,640 Speaker 1: I was incredibly moved by the whole thing. I am 563 00:34:51,719 --> 00:34:54,480 Speaker 1: I'm confused, genuinely for the first time in this episode 564 00:34:54,840 --> 00:34:58,360 Speaker 1: in in a really delightful way. Oh. When I was 565 00:34:58,440 --> 00:35:02,480 Speaker 1: watching it in the lobster it comes out. Yeah, that's 566 00:35:02,480 --> 00:35:05,360 Speaker 1: a lot. I mean, that's great. Oh, it was excellent. 567 00:35:05,520 --> 00:35:08,960 Speaker 1: I love I love some good absurdism. Surrealism and in comedy, 568 00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:13,960 Speaker 1: so excellent. Yeah, I highly recommend it. And of note, 569 00:35:14,160 --> 00:35:18,719 Speaker 1: this episode was about red lobster, but not lobster, so 570 00:35:18,840 --> 00:35:21,360 Speaker 1: we didn't get to talk about the goodness. Yeah, that 571 00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:23,640 Speaker 1: is a whole separate topic. And I know, I know 572 00:35:23,719 --> 00:35:26,520 Speaker 1: that we've covered crawfish or crayfish, however you want to 573 00:35:26,520 --> 00:35:31,319 Speaker 1: say it, which are similar but quite different. Yes, So yeah, 574 00:35:31,400 --> 00:35:35,279 Speaker 1: lobster is a whole topic for a whole other separate day. Yes, 575 00:35:36,040 --> 00:35:39,120 Speaker 1: and I'm really excited about it because they're so weird. Yeah. 576 00:35:39,320 --> 00:35:42,680 Speaker 1: And also there's a lot of pop culture stuff about them, 577 00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:47,600 Speaker 1: like was it in defensive lobsters, Oh my gosh, um, yes, 578 00:35:48,320 --> 00:35:53,480 Speaker 1: dealing with the wind consider the lobster, and recently, um, 579 00:35:53,880 --> 00:35:59,040 Speaker 1: the lobster, the lobster, Oh my gosh, the lobster. Yeah, 580 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:03,840 Speaker 1: that was buried deep in my psyche. And all the 581 00:36:03,920 --> 00:36:08,319 Speaker 1: news lately about giving them it's a thhc to see 582 00:36:08,360 --> 00:36:11,520 Speaker 1: if they don't feel pain. Oh wow, I hadn't even 583 00:36:11,640 --> 00:36:14,520 Speaker 1: heard about that part. That's I. Lobster is not one 584 00:36:14,560 --> 00:36:17,320 Speaker 1: of my favorite foods. The only times that I've enjoyed 585 00:36:17,840 --> 00:36:21,520 Speaker 1: eating them are when I've been in Maine, and it 586 00:36:21,640 --> 00:36:25,279 Speaker 1: has been extremely fresh. Even if it's well prepared in 587 00:36:25,320 --> 00:36:28,200 Speaker 1: another restaurant, I feel like it's just not. I don't 588 00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:30,919 Speaker 1: like it. I'm just like, this is like crappy crab 589 00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:37,600 Speaker 1: I'm bothering as a kid. Another reference, Um, I really 590 00:36:37,640 --> 00:36:42,080 Speaker 1: wanted to try lobster bisk because Elaine has it of 591 00:36:42,200 --> 00:36:45,600 Speaker 1: one episode and she equates it to being better than 592 00:36:45,640 --> 00:36:49,600 Speaker 1: an orgasm. I see. Okay, so yeah, you were like 593 00:36:49,760 --> 00:36:52,640 Speaker 1: into it. You're like, yeah, I'm gonna have got to 594 00:36:52,680 --> 00:36:55,160 Speaker 1: try to lobster biss And I tried. It was pretty good. Yeah. 595 00:36:55,320 --> 00:36:57,040 Speaker 1: I tried it at Red Lobster those So maybe that 596 00:36:57,200 --> 00:37:01,040 Speaker 1: wasn't the top. Sure, there was that one time that 597 00:37:01,120 --> 00:37:03,640 Speaker 1: I dressed up like a lobster. That's right for a 598 00:37:03,719 --> 00:37:07,120 Speaker 1: previous job. I'm not going to say it was the best, 599 00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:09,239 Speaker 1: but it was certainly an experience that I got a 600 00:37:09,320 --> 00:37:15,200 Speaker 1: Christmas card out of. Yeah. No, it's excellent. I I 601 00:37:15,360 --> 00:37:19,200 Speaker 1: love this story of yours. Um, we need to share 602 00:37:19,239 --> 00:37:21,000 Speaker 1: it one day. I think I can't remember if we 603 00:37:21,080 --> 00:37:23,600 Speaker 1: published it now or not. I don't think we did. Okay, 604 00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:26,640 Speaker 1: it's there, it's there, it's from it's a from our 605 00:37:26,800 --> 00:37:29,120 Speaker 1: Lexington road trip. All right, there you go. There you 606 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:33,680 Speaker 1: told the story in the car. Yeah, I'm going to 607 00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:37,800 Speaker 1: go ahead and save that one for our actual lobster episode. Okay, 608 00:37:37,920 --> 00:37:40,160 Speaker 1: and the accompanying photograph, although I'm sure that you guys 609 00:37:40,200 --> 00:37:43,080 Speaker 1: could find it if you really wanted to, so you 610 00:37:43,200 --> 00:37:45,680 Speaker 1: have that to look forward to. Yeah. Yeah, But in 611 00:37:45,760 --> 00:37:53,160 Speaker 1: the meantime we bring you Listen. Who am I I'm 612 00:37:53,160 --> 00:37:59,080 Speaker 1: telling you look up that skit? Look it up? Nick wrote, 613 00:37:59,600 --> 00:38:01,920 Speaker 1: I love listening to your show and using the interesting 614 00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:04,800 Speaker 1: facts shared to delight and amaze my wife and friends. 615 00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:07,320 Speaker 1: Thank you, Nick. One of my favorite episodes was the 616 00:38:07,400 --> 00:38:10,160 Speaker 1: pineapple story and learning how fashionable they used to be 617 00:38:10,480 --> 00:38:13,440 Speaker 1: in high society. Flash forward to last weekend where my 618 00:38:13,480 --> 00:38:15,960 Speaker 1: wife and I went to six Flags Great America, a 619 00:38:16,080 --> 00:38:19,560 Speaker 1: theme partner Chicago, to go ride some roller coasters. There's 620 00:38:19,600 --> 00:38:22,520 Speaker 1: a Batman coaster there and the que area is decorated 621 00:38:22,800 --> 00:38:25,600 Speaker 1: as if the rich Wayne family had donated funds to 622 00:38:25,719 --> 00:38:28,960 Speaker 1: a local park. Go on, behold Rightness Center is a 623 00:38:29,040 --> 00:38:32,240 Speaker 1: small water fountain adorned with nothing less than a single 624 00:38:32,600 --> 00:38:36,239 Speaker 1: elegant pineapple. My wife and I were in awe of 625 00:38:36,280 --> 00:38:38,959 Speaker 1: our first in person example of something learned from the show. 626 00:38:39,440 --> 00:38:41,560 Speaker 1: It added just a little more wonder to our day 627 00:38:41,680 --> 00:38:44,800 Speaker 1: at the park. That is delightful. It is. And I 628 00:38:45,320 --> 00:38:48,680 Speaker 1: love this because I am a huge roller coaster fan. 629 00:38:49,640 --> 00:38:53,280 Speaker 1: And the one the Batman at six Flags over Georgia 630 00:38:53,600 --> 00:39:00,480 Speaker 1: is not decorated. No, it's not Hell. It's sort of 631 00:39:00,520 --> 00:39:02,680 Speaker 1: like it's sort of like the scene and a Batman 632 00:39:02,840 --> 00:39:06,240 Speaker 1: Forever where there's all of those like day glo bikers. 633 00:39:06,920 --> 00:39:09,440 Speaker 1: I've never seen this. Oh that's right, there's these day 634 00:39:09,440 --> 00:39:11,560 Speaker 1: glo bikers and it's sort of it's sort of hearkens 635 00:39:11,640 --> 00:39:15,319 Speaker 1: to that Okay, yeah, film reference that you don't understand. Okay, Yeah, 636 00:39:15,520 --> 00:39:18,200 Speaker 1: it's like a sewer from Hell. It is, especially in 637 00:39:18,239 --> 00:39:21,239 Speaker 1: the summer. Yeah, oh yeah, that's an unpleasant I mean 638 00:39:21,560 --> 00:39:24,120 Speaker 1: most sewers are probably unpleasant to be in in the summer, 639 00:39:24,200 --> 00:39:28,520 Speaker 1: but probably Nicole wrote, I just listened to your episode 640 00:39:28,520 --> 00:39:31,360 Speaker 1: about biscuits and had to write. While the episode itself 641 00:39:31,440 --> 00:39:34,000 Speaker 1: made me crave all the carbs, I'm actually writing about 642 00:39:34,040 --> 00:39:37,680 Speaker 1: a comment you made about international KFC s. I'm originally 643 00:39:37,719 --> 00:39:40,160 Speaker 1: from Santa Fe, New Mexico, but i am currently living 644 00:39:40,200 --> 00:39:44,319 Speaker 1: abroad in Doha, Qatar. KFC is very popular out here, 645 00:39:44,400 --> 00:39:48,000 Speaker 1: although many people referred to it as Kentucky. This led 646 00:39:48,080 --> 00:39:50,399 Speaker 1: to a lot of confusion. One day when my former boss, 647 00:39:50,440 --> 00:39:53,600 Speaker 1: originally from Egypt, asked me if I wanted anything from Kentucky. 648 00:39:54,239 --> 00:39:56,799 Speaker 1: This was a very strange question, so I replied, maybe 649 00:39:56,840 --> 00:39:59,680 Speaker 1: some bluegrass and a racehorse. A lot of confusion in 650 00:39:59,760 --> 00:40:02,920 Speaker 1: su but I eventually figured out she was referring to KFC. 651 00:40:03,640 --> 00:40:05,920 Speaker 1: But the real reason I am writing is because the 652 00:40:06,040 --> 00:40:09,920 Speaker 1: KFC in Doha does not serve biscuits or mac and cheese. 653 00:40:10,640 --> 00:40:14,399 Speaker 1: They blasphemously give you a plain hamburger bun with your order. 654 00:40:15,160 --> 00:40:17,759 Speaker 1: I really don't like KFC, and I only visit for 655 00:40:17,960 --> 00:40:20,000 Speaker 1: the biscuits and mac and cheese, so this is very 656 00:40:20,120 --> 00:40:24,040 Speaker 1: upsetting to me. However, Red Lobster opened here a few 657 00:40:24,160 --> 00:40:27,520 Speaker 1: years ago. It is advertised as America's best seafood, which 658 00:40:27,600 --> 00:40:30,480 Speaker 1: is upsetting for its own reasons. But it does have 659 00:40:30,640 --> 00:40:33,920 Speaker 1: cheddar biscuits. However, it does not serve alcohol, which is 660 00:40:33,960 --> 00:40:37,120 Speaker 1: even more upsetting to me. Now that I've heard Annie stream, 661 00:40:38,080 --> 00:40:41,479 Speaker 1: this was very appropriate for this episode, very timely letter. 662 00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:46,960 Speaker 1: Absolutely yeah, especially a super producer. Dylan keeps telling us 663 00:40:46,960 --> 00:40:50,120 Speaker 1: about this this lobster rita yes that he and his 664 00:40:50,480 --> 00:40:54,440 Speaker 1: his dear friend Barry have enjoyed at Red Lobster, and 665 00:40:54,880 --> 00:40:57,240 Speaker 1: it's this red colored I don't think it has lobster 666 00:40:57,320 --> 00:40:59,640 Speaker 1: in it, but it's just it's this red colored margarita 667 00:40:59,680 --> 00:41:01,960 Speaker 1: that they are in one of those glasses that are like, legit, 668 00:41:02,080 --> 00:41:05,040 Speaker 1: the size of your of your head. Yes, and it's 669 00:41:05,040 --> 00:41:07,400 Speaker 1: a lobster rerito. Yeah. And apparently this is part of 670 00:41:07,400 --> 00:41:10,920 Speaker 1: their new marketing program too, like they're expanding their alcohol options. 671 00:41:13,880 --> 00:41:17,840 Speaker 1: What a night getting drunk at Red Lobster. I'm not opposed. 672 00:41:17,960 --> 00:41:20,399 Speaker 1: I mean my wine way is not like a much 673 00:41:20,480 --> 00:41:26,000 Speaker 1: fancier way of getting drunk there Lobster. The last time 674 00:41:26,040 --> 00:41:27,799 Speaker 1: I was at Red Lobster was a long time ago, 675 00:41:28,400 --> 00:41:32,040 Speaker 1: I mean probably like five or six years ago. And 676 00:41:32,360 --> 00:41:36,719 Speaker 1: it was after one of those zombie races. There's all 677 00:41:36,880 --> 00:41:39,800 Speaker 1: this mud and became a mud race, and it was 678 00:41:39,840 --> 00:41:42,239 Speaker 1: an obstacle. Of course, my friend and I were covered 679 00:41:42,280 --> 00:41:45,960 Speaker 1: in mud. We went to Red Lobster. They see it us, 680 00:41:46,040 --> 00:41:48,520 Speaker 1: they did not question us, man. And that was the 681 00:41:48,600 --> 00:41:51,560 Speaker 1: first time I got alcohol at a Red Lobster. Yeah. 682 00:41:52,200 --> 00:41:54,520 Speaker 1: Oh it sounds I mean good for good for them 683 00:41:54,600 --> 00:41:58,440 Speaker 1: being mud tolerant. That's that's sweet. We tried it, like 684 00:41:58,520 --> 00:42:02,160 Speaker 1: we went into the bathroom and tried to like, there's 685 00:42:02,200 --> 00:42:05,800 Speaker 1: only so much you can do. Oh yeah, yeah, but 686 00:42:06,880 --> 00:42:09,200 Speaker 1: I love this story. I love that they call it Kentucky. 687 00:42:09,400 --> 00:42:13,520 Speaker 1: That's really funny. Yeah. Thanks to both of them for 688 00:42:13,680 --> 00:42:16,120 Speaker 1: writing in. You can write to us as well. Our 689 00:42:16,200 --> 00:42:19,040 Speaker 1: email is hello at savor pod dot com. You can 690 00:42:19,040 --> 00:42:22,200 Speaker 1: also find us on social media. We are on Twitter, Instagram, 691 00:42:22,280 --> 00:42:25,200 Speaker 1: and Facebook at savor Pod. We do hope to hear 692 00:42:25,239 --> 00:42:27,680 Speaker 1: from you. Thank you as always the super producer Dylan 693 00:42:27,719 --> 00:42:30,320 Speaker 1: Fagan for his amazing stories about bowls of alcohol and 694 00:42:30,440 --> 00:42:32,439 Speaker 1: also you know, all the work he does here. Thanks 695 00:42:32,440 --> 00:42:33,840 Speaker 1: to you for listening and we hope that lots more 696 00:42:33,880 --> 00:42:43,239 Speaker 1: good things are coming your way. In Dartin Group, the 697 00:42:43,320 --> 00:42:46,360 Speaker 1: company that owned Red Lobster at the time, began funding 698 00:42:46,480 --> 00:42:53,080 Speaker 1: efforts around lobster lobster funding, funding around lovester funding. We 699 00:42:53,160 --> 00:42:57,920 Speaker 1: need to fund these as it's about funding. It's a 700 00:42:58,040 --> 00:43:06,680 Speaker 1: recursive funding. Just picture somewhere, just like taking a lobster 701 00:43:06,840 --> 00:43:08,680 Speaker 1: going like if you don't go to college, Jimmy, how 702 00:43:08,719 --> 00:43:10,960 Speaker 1: are you going to make anything out of yourself? The 703 00:43:11,080 --> 00:43:15,839 Speaker 1: lobster big like oh Man,