Flavor Flav is stepping up to save Red Lobster after the seafood restaurant chain filed for bankruptcy, ensuring everyone can still enjoy its famous cheddar biscuits.
Last month, Red Lobster filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closed numerous restaurants due to massive losses from its “endless” seafood deals. Upon hearing the news, the Public Enemy rapper took to social media, vowing to do whatever he could to help save the chain.
“YOOOO, I use my platform to help others and now I wanna use it to help save one of America’s greatest dining dynasties,” Flavor Flav posted to X
Ya boy meant it when I said I was gonna do anything and everything to help @redlobster and save the cheddar bay biscuits,,, ordered the whole menu,!!! 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾 pic.twitter.com/MVBcgHe6VT
— FLAVOR FLAV (@FlavorFlav) June 3, 2024
True to his word, the 65-year-old hip hop artist revealed on June 3 that he had bought the entire menu for his family at a Red Lobster location. He shared a photo on social media, posing in front of a table loaded with seafood, sides, appetizers, and the iconic Cheddar Bay Biscuits, traditional biscuits topped with garlic, butter, and cheese.
“Ya boy said he wuz gonna do everything to help Red Lobster and save the Cheddar Bay Biscuits… ordered the whole menu,” he wrote over the photo, showing him standing in front of the table holding a biscuit.
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Red Lobster’s official account replied in the comments: “It’s flavor time, boyeeeeeeee!”
When an Instagram user claimed that “venture capitalists destroyed” the chain, originally founded in 1968, the rapper responded: “Imma save them.”
“Love that cheddar bay biscuit,” someone else commented, to which he responded: “Who doesn’t?”
Red Lobster’s history
For decades, Red Lobster gained popularity across the US with its extensive menu of shrimp and lobster. The Florida-based chain was founded by Bill Darden and Charley Woodsby, aiming to make seafood restaurants more accessible and affordable for families.
Red Lobster was sold to General Mills in 1970 and later became part of Darden Restaurants, which also owns Olive Garden.
As Darden Restaurants focused on its more profitable chains, Red Lobster was sold to San Francisco-based private equity firm Golden Gate Capital in 2014.
Instead of buying the restaurant chain for its estimated worth of $2.1 billion, Golden Gate Capital sold most of Red Lobster’s real estate to American Realty Capital Properties, forcing Red Lobster to rent its own restaurants.
In fall 2023, Red Lobster lost millions on its Ultimate Endless Shrimp promotion, charging $20 for an all-you-can-eat shrimp deal. While the promotion increased traffic, more people than expected opted for the deal, leading to a $19 million loss reported by Red Lobster’s seafood supplier.
In its bankruptcy filing, Red Lobster estimated its overall liabilities between $1 billion and $10 billion. The chain continues to operate 700 locations worldwide.
