A RED Lobster customer has admitted to being part of the reason the chain got into a financial predicament over its all-you-can-eat shrimp.
The restaurant group's popular deal led to massive profit losses that the business is still trying to recover from.
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In response to the news, a customer on X, formerly known as Twitter, shared "proof" that they contributed to the issue.
"I can confirm that I am a reason that Red Lobster is in this predicament," Souldreadchef wrote in the post.
"I used to go there only during Endless Shrimp and eat 300 easy."
The customer included a picture of him next to a bowl overflowing with shrimp shells.
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"For the record, I thought I had iodine poisoning," Souldreadchef joked.
Red Lobster has been put up for sale after losing more than $22 million in 2023.
The Ultimate Endless Shrimp Deal, which was permanently added to the menu last June, resulted in a profit loss of $11 million.
All-you-can-eat shrimp at Red Lobster was originally available for $20.
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The price was gradually raised to $23 and $25, but the increase didn't stop the financial slide.
In January, investor Thai Union Group, a Thailand-based seafood conglomerate, announced plans to end its financial responsibility with Red Lobster.
Following a number of closures in 2022, Thai Union hoped to revive the brand by changing the menu and its operations.
CFO Ludovic Garnier explained the thought process behind the all-you-can-eat idea at the 660 restaurants.
"We knew the price was cheap, but the idea was to bring more traffic in the restaurants," Garnier told investors in an earnings call on February 19.
"So we wanted to boost our traffic, and it didn't work."
Thai Union Group is now looking to offload the brand and instead focus on the core of its business - canned tuna, sardines, and other seafood products.
“We are not happy with this decision [to divest], but I think it shows that we took the right decisions to move away and to exit from the business,” Garnier said.
The investment group is getting ready for a bidding process that will likely take three to four months, according to the CFO.
“We're not expecting to get anything much from the sale,” CEO Thiraphong Chansiri said.
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“Other people stop eating beef. I'm going to stop eating lobster.”
The U.S. Sun reached out to Red Lobster for comment.
