logo
episode-header-image
May 2024
24m 5s

Was Red Lobster's fall caused by more th...

CBC
About this episode

Red Lobster used to be one of the biggest names in the world of casual dining — but now the restaurant chain is on the brink of collapse as it files for bankruptcy protection. Was its famous "endless shrimp" promotion really too much for the restaurant to handle? Or is this more about the business decisions of a private equity firm and a major Thai seafood company?


Business Insider senior correspondent Emily Stewart takes us through the story of Red Lobster's years-long fall from glory — and how it joins a club of other businesses knocked out by private equity.

Up next
Yesterday
Portraits of childhood in Gaza
Today, if all goes well, a ceasefire will begin in Gaza.In phase one, Hamas has pledged to return all of the hostages, living and dead. For its part Israel will release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, while withdrawing troops to an agreed-upon line in Gaza and maintaining majo ... Show More
31m 3s
Oct 9
Inside the shadow war in Ukraine
Beyond the frontlines of the war in Ukraine, a shadow war between the Kremlin and Kyiv is escalating -- with covert assassinations, car bombs, civilian recruitment, and even the involvement of a terrorist group with a history in Canada. Today, national security reporter Ben Makuc ... Show More
21m 35s
Oct 8
What exactly is Antifa?
The term ‘Antifa’ derives from the German word for Antifascist — and the constellation of resistance movements largely created as a response to Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler. Today, Antifa describes a decentralized anti-fascist movement with local groups and unaffiliated acti ... Show More
33m 24s
Recommended Episodes
May 2024
Red Lobster’s bankrupt-sea
The seafood chain found itself deep in the red after a disastrous unlimited shrimp promotion. Wall Street Journal restaurant reporter Heather Haddon explains what sunk Red Lobster — and the troubled waters facing other casual dining chains.This episode was produced by Denise Guer ... Show More
25m 30s
May 2024
Who killed Red Lobster?
Red Lobster used to be a respectable place to eat too much seafood. Now it’s bankrupt. Today on the show, host Rob Armstrong and the FT's Wall Street editor Sujeet Indap put on their bibs and pick apart the exoskeleton of a fast-casual icon. They talk about pasta water, real esta ... Show More
19m 31s
May 2024
🩱 “85% off Ozempic” — Ozempic’s weight-loss dupe. Burger King’s free-tuition strategy. Red Lobster’s shrimp bankrupt-sea.
Coca-Cola, Lockheed Martin, & Burger King are all pursuing the same marketing strategy: Pay your tuition — Companies are dishing out scholarships because brands are the new institutions.Ozempic is facing its first ever dupe, a version that costs 85% less — Hims & Hers found a loo ... Show More
23m 47s
May 2024
Endless Shrimp In This Economy!?
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Kyla Scanlon, author of the new book In This Economy?: How Money & Markets Really Work to talk about the disconnect between reality and perception that lead what she calls a “vibecession” – wherein many belie ... Show More
44m 28s
Nov 2021
The Sunday Read: ‘The Untold Story of Sushi in America’
In 1980, when few Americans knew the meaning of toro and omakase, the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the founder of the Unification Church, spoke to dozens of his followers in the Grand Ballroom of the New Yorker Hotel.It was said Moon could see the future, visit you in dreams and speak wi ... Show More
45m 8s
May 2024
The Drowning of Red Lobster
Today is Wednesday, May 29, and we're looking at Red Lobster vs. Olive Garden.Listen to Business Wars Daily on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start ... Show More
4m 13s
Mar 2023
Should Fine Dining Exist?
The Copenhagen restaurant Noma has consistently topped lists of best restaurants in the world. People fly in from all over the globe to pay $500 per person for the hyperlocal tasting menus dreamed up by chef/owner Rene Redzepi. But a couple months ago, Redzepi announced the resta ... Show More
30 m
Jan 2024
How popular food brands get away with using prison labor
A two-year investigation by the Associated Press digs into the prison labor behind the foods we eat every day. We’ll discuss how incarcerated people’s labor is tied to some of the world’s biggest companies, including Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Walmart. Then, we’ll unpack the negot ... Show More
14m 14s
Aug 2023
US trucking giant Yellow files for bankruptcy
US trucking company Yellow has filed for bankruptcy and will be closing down. The company had received a $700mn Covid-19 relief loan from the Trump administration during the summer of 2020. So will the loan be repaid? And what does it mean for the 30,000 workers expected to lose ... Show More
26m 28s
Jun 2020
Restaurants
In a moment of profound unrest and unprecedented chaos, Americans are wondering what comes next. For citizens and businesses alike, this is a period of questioning, rethinking and rebuilding -- sentiments that have been reflected in many conversations we've had over the last ten ... Show More
37m 15s