Red Lobster’s Endless Shrimp Is Back. Employees Are Horrified. So Was I—Until I Learned a Little Secret.
Red Lobster has reintroduced its Endless Shrimp promotion as of April 20, 2026, reigniting concerns among employees and raising questions about its financial sustainability. The promotion, which allows customers to eat unlimited shrimp for $20, previously contributed to an $11 million operating loss in late 2023 before being suspended. While Endless Shrimp became symbolic of the chain's struggles, Red Lobster's bankruptcy was primarily driven by unfavorable real estate leasing arrangements rather than the promotion alone.
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Food Another Round! Red Lobster’s accursed Endless Shrimp promotion is back. Employees are horrified. So was I—until I learned a little secret. By Luke Winkie Follow Luke Signed Up For Email Alerts Error Signing Up For Email Alerts Close Enter your email to receive alerts for this author. Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. You're already subscribed to the aa_Luke_Winkie newsletter. You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again, or manage all your newsletter subscriptions here . <div class="slate-notification--error"> Please enable javascript to sign up for newsletters. </div> Email address: Sign Up By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Slate Magazine.