During a recent episode of “Last Week Tonight,” John Oliver took aim at Red Lobster, which had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Oliver recreated a defunct Red Lobster restaurant on his show in order to make fun of the private equity firms that were behind the chain’s financial struggles.
Oliver’s team purchased the contents of a closed Red Lobster location and used them to recreate the restaurant in the show’s studio. Oliver jokingly criticized the company’s failed Endless Shrimp promotion, which he referenced by offering customers only one item on the faux-Red Lobster menu: biscuits.
Red Lobster has faced numerous challenges over the years, including high leasing costs, decreased foot traffic during COVID-19 lockdowns, and turnover among top executives. Despite these difficulties, Red Lobster had previously reported an $11 million loss in the third quarter of 2023 due to the Endless Shrimp promotion.
Representatives for both TAGex Brands and Red Lobster declined to comment on Oliver’s segment.