Red Lobster on Thursday announced that it’s rolling out new menu items and a new restaurant design across its nearly 700 restaurants in the United States and Canada.
Available on Tuesday, the new lunch and dinner menu items, which range in price from USD 8.99 to USD 18.50, are “inspired by the flavors of America,” according to Red Lobster. They include Maple-Glazed Salmon and Shrimp, Pecan-Crusted Jumbo Shrimp, Cedar Plank Salmon, Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia, New England Lobster Rolls and Shrimp Flatbread and Grilled Shrimp Salad.
Inspired by Bar Harbor, Maine, the new restaurant design actually debuted in 2005 but isn’t being rolled out system-wide until now. The design features cozy booths, warm-wood paneling, softer lighting and a nautical décor on the interior and a stone tower, ship lanterns and Adirondack-style chairs on the exterior. Also included in the redesign are new signage and a new logo with an updated lobster icon.
According to Red Lobster, one-third of its restaurants will be remodeled by June 2011, with the goal of refurbishing all restaurants by 2014.
“Our guests are at the heart of everything we do, and while their love for our delicious seafood and friendly service has never been stronger, they’ve expressed a desire for a more up-to-date atmosphere,” said Red Lobster President Kim Lopdrup. “We listened to their feedback and are very proud to now offer guests this beautiful new setting in which to enjoy a refreshing seaside dining experience.”
Red Lobster is owned by Darden Restaurants of Orlando, Fla., the world’s largest casual-dining company, which announced last month that it signed an agreement with Americana Group to develop a minimum of 60 Red Lobster, Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse restaurants in the Middle East.
Currently, Darden owns and operates about 1,800 restaurants across North America and has more than USD 7 billion in annual sales.
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