# Red Lobster? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [May 20, 2024, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-lobster/1001821 "2024-05-20T19:10:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2024, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-lobster/1001821/81 "2024-06-10T22:33:20Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > > [@DCnDC](#): > > > > Nobody was coming in for the regular menu, the AYCE deals got them in the door, but then they didn’t order anything except the AYCE deal. > > Agreed! Their premise is that, once you lure them in with the deal, they will decide that they like the place and the food and continue to come in on regular nights, also. The idea is to sacrifice financially up front but more than make up for it over time. If it doesn’t work, it just hastens their financial demise. This reminds me of the early days of Groupon (and the many knock-off competitors it inspired). The pitch to business owners was “Sign up, offer a one-time loss leader through us, and gain a new full-price loyal customer for life.” The pitch to consumers was “Never pay full price again. Everything can be had with major discounts everywhere with a matching Groupon!” Either of those things might be true. But they can’t _both_ be true. At least not at the same time at the same place. By and large Groupon foundered because it turns out the consumer come-on was the one that was mostly true while the business come-on was mostly false. Groupon users were the antithesis of loyal; simply chasing lowest price via whatever means online or off with no thought of loyalty and very little to product or service quality. Once enough businesses learned that lesson, the collective support for offering Groupon deals crashed. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2024, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-lobster/1001821/82 "2024-06-10T23:13:12Z")
I remember when Groupon was the new hot dotcom. As I remember, Google offered five billion to buy it out but management turned them down. I don’t think it’s ever approached that value. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-lobster/1001821/83 "2024-06-11T00:09:08Z")
Hell, I remember there being a pilot, or at least a pitch, for a prime-time sitcom about Groupon. I’m sure it was mentioned in a thread here at some point. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-lobster/1001821/84 "2024-06-11T05:42:22Z")
I used Groupon twice in the last month - once for an initial dental cleaning/x-ray/exam at my very good dentist for my daughter ($40), and once for $10 off dinner at a local Indian restaurant (a very good place but overpriced without a discount). I’d pretty much forgotten about Groupon, and most of the deals now look like ripoffs, but there are still some good ones out there. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-lobster/1001821/85 "2024-06-11T12:36:59Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Once enough businesses learned that lesson, the collective support for offering Groupon deals crashed. On that theme, I highly recommend, [**“MoviePass, MovieCrash”**](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14257662/), on HBO. The gist of it is that they were offering way more than they could support. Despite dire warnings, you might say that the Titanic his the iceberg. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-lobster/1001821/86 "2024-06-11T16:07:18Z")
I saw a secondary list of Red Lobster locations that will probably close due to expensive leases. I haven’t been to a Red Lobster in probably at least 15 years & don’t remember it being all that good but I want to go now before they’re only a memory. Can’t say I’ve ever had their Cheddar Bay biscuits either so I guess I’ll try them whenever we do go. I have seen their biscuits in the frozen section of the grocery store but didn’t buy them. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-lobster/1001821/87 "2024-06-11T18:46:10Z")
There’s nothing much else except the claws, besides the tail. My daughter was presented with a whole lobster, cut it open and was horrified. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-lobster/1001821/88 "2024-06-11T22:42:18Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Hell, I remember there being a pilot, or at least a pitch, for a prime-time sitcom about Groupon. I’m sure it was mentioned in a thread here at some point. Not without stupid precedent. The Geico Caveman got a sitcom that somehow actually broadcast seven of thirteen produced episodes. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2024, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-lobster/1001821/89 "2024-06-14T22:30:33Z")
> [@salinqmind1](#): > > My daughter was presented with a whole lobster, cut it open and was horrified. I assume by the [tomalley](https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/tomalley-lobster-maine). ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2024, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-lobster/1001821/90 "2024-06-15T15:09:30Z")
Then there was some California Raisin shows, a bunch of Ernest movies, etc. Max Headroom was a British TV movie, a show, got cancelled, went across the pond to do Coke commercials and was revived there in part due to those. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-lobster/1001821.md?page=4)