NEW YORK — Hush puppies, once a staple on Red Lobster’s menu, are coming back. It’s part of broader changes at the chain, which recently emerged from bankruptcy and is now under the control of a 35-year-old CEO hoping to turn around the seafood restaurant chain’s fortunes. Rolling out this week is an overhauled menu that is 20% smaller but has nine new items, including the beloved cornmeal fritters.
“There was a social media riot over us taking off the hush puppies a few years ago,” CEO Damola Adamolekun told NBC News . “I expect a stampede into our restaurants because we’re bringing back the hush puppies,” he jokingly added. Red Lobster is rolling out a new menu this week.
Also new on the menu are bacon-wrapped scallops, a lobster bisque, a lobster pappardelle and a Parmesan-crusted chicken dish. Red Lobster is also “crafting a new tartar sauce that brings back all the flavors” from its original recipe, according to its Facebook account. CNN has reached out to Red Lobster for additional details.
Adamolekun said he wants to make Red Lobster “relevant, compelling and exciting” and likely emulate the success of other chains, like Chili’s , whose sales are rapidly growing after slimming down its menu and focusing on food that people love to eat and share on TikTok. But, the chain still has to hold on to Red Lobster’s customer base of Baby Boomers — around 40% are older than 55, a demographic Red Lobster calls “quality traditionalists” — whil.