After reports of long lines and altercations at Red Lobster on Mother’s Day, the chain’s CEO apologized Tuesday and promised changes were coming as the restaurant acclimates to dining in the wake of the virus outbreak.
Families looking for a break in eating at home by dining with the seafood chain were met with unfilled orders at restaurants across the country. The Orlando, Florida-based franchise offered online specials for the holiday. With excitement about the deals and celebrating with carryout, the customer response resulted in a record number of single-day business, according to CEO Kim Lopdrup. Dozens of customers reported waiting for hours for their orders outside in crowds.
There's going to be a riot at Red Lobster soon... ordered for pick up at 5pm, estimated pick up time was 5:45pm. It is now 8pm. You owe an apology to my mother, @redlobster. pic.twitter.com/A3msY1cg8j
— Angie 🍑 (@korps) May 11, 2020
@redlobster Never going to Red Lobster again. In Copiague, NY I ordered online and walked into this scene for pickup. No distancing. People on top of each other. 2 hour wait for pickup. Went outside and then cops came and threw everyone out. I left. Disputing charge with Amex. pic.twitter.com/ftgscnIOQR
— Jim Amorosino (@JAmorosino) May 10, 2020
Lodrup said in a statement that “despite preparing for a spike in demand on Mother’s Day, some of our restaurants were unable to keep up with the volume.”
He noted that several customers dealt with “unacceptable delays,” and crowds in the parking lot and at the doors when they came to pick up orders.
“I apologize that we disappointed many of you this past weekend as you placed orders for Mother’s Day, one of the most important days of the year,” Kim Lopdrup wrote in a statement. “We received significantly more online orders than we have ever gotten in a single day, and despite preparing for a spike in demand on Mother’s Day, some of our restaurants were unable to keep up with the volume.”
The mayhem in some places, like Pennsylvania, led to police being called and the restaurant closing early, according to the Tribune-Review. Footage of a tussle between staff and a customer at a York, Pennsylvania, location went viral Sunday. The woman was demanding a refund and struggling with staff as they pushed her out the door.
*The following clip includes some strong language.*
It went down at Red Lobster in PA on Mother’s Day🤦🏾♀️ just crazy! #mothersday2020 #redlobster #carol wanted her money😩 pic.twitter.com/sPORucSZg9
— therealwhit (@Whit0517) May 11, 2020
Others expressed dissatisfaction with their orders after waiting two to three hours for their orders.
Red lobster in Pgh. Arrived at at 5 to get my 5pm order. Store manager says nothing about how long it will be. He brings out 1 order at a time. At 735pm the cops roll into the parking lot. 736pm the store manager comes out and says they're closed. No food for all these people pic.twitter.com/47ZBiLNUGb
— Elissa Allen (@ElissaAllen20) May 11, 2020
Lopdrup said his team plans to review the company’s online system and discuss methods to handle a recurrence. He acknowledged many customers have contacted the restaurant, and the customer service team is working to answer each concern and request. The chain currently has nearly 750 restaurants throughout the world.
“We are working urgently to make sure this never happens again. We are reviewing our online systems to better support demand during peak periods. We will also review and improve our social distancing procedures to better handle situations where we have higher than expected volume.”
