CEO Explains Why Red Lobster Eliminated Endless Shrimp

Earlier this year, Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy and closed nearly 100 restaurants amid a company-wide restructuring and reinvention. Now, with a new CEO at the helm, the chain is looking toward the future, though customers will have to say goodbye to some remnants of the past.

That includes the chain's endless shrimp deal, which last year was expanded to include service all day, every day. It ended up becoming a massive financial strain on the company, ultimately playing a role in its road to bankruptcy.

Recently installed CEO Damola Adamolekun spoke about the changes at the company, including the elimination of the popular deal, in a new interview with CNN .

"There’s a hole to climb out of, for sure, and that will be the hardest part," he acknowledged. "It’s been a painful period in bankruptcy , and the closures have affected a lot of people."

When it comes to the all-you-can-eat shrimp deal, Adamolekun broke down just how bad it got for the employees dealing with hungry customers.

"That's a very expensive product to give away endlessly," he stated plainly. "When you have endless shrimp and people are coming in and sitting down at the table and eating for hours as much shrimp as they possibly can, you stress out the kitchen, you stress out the servers, you stress out the hosts, people can't get a table."

"It creates a lot of chaos, and you saw a lot of that," he concluded.

The company will now focus on simplifying its menu as it enters this next era. So if you got to experience the endless shrimp deal, consider yourself lucky.