Applebee’s and Red Lobster are once again betting Americans can’t resist the siren song of all-you-can-eat comfort food, reviving bottomless meal deals as inflation-weary diners pull back on restaurant spending.
The chains are pushing dine-in promotions this spring in an effort to boost foot traffic, arguably giving customers more than they desire and less than they deserve, to riff on “The Menu.”
Applebee’s relaunched its “All You Can Eat” special earlier this month, offering unlimited boneless wings, riblets, “Double Crunch Shrimp” and mountains of fries for $15.99.
Red Lobster brought back its “Endless Shrimp” promotion in April, with prices ranging from around $25 to $30 depending on the location.
The deals mark the latest salvo in the restaurant industry’s value wars as chains battle for diners whose budgets have been battered by years of inflation.
While overall retail sales continue climbing, restaurant spending has lagged broader consumer spending growth, according to recent data cited by MarketWatch.
Applebee’s is pitching its promotion as a summertime dine-in special. The fare includes six kinds of sauces for wings, three varieties of ribs and more.
The company’s terms specify the offer is restricted to one person per order, with no sharing allowed.
Red Lobster’s Endless Shrimp deal also comes with limitations. The seafood chain says the promotion is dine-in only.
Customers can choose among five shrimp dishes, including Garlic Shrimp Scampi, Parrot Isle Coconut Shrimp and Shrimp Linguini Alfredo.
The return of the promotions shows how keen some chains are to lure diners back into booths after years of declining traffic and higher operating costs.
The quest may prove as perilous as the hunt for Moby-Dick — when Red Lobster floundered on the shoals of bankruptcy in 2024, its decision to make endless shrimp a permanent part of its menu was widely blamed for the disaster.
Restaurant consultant Craig Miller told MarketWatch the deals are less about long-term strategy and more about generating a quick spike in traffic.
“These brands are throwing things at the wall to see what sticks,” the expert was quoted as saying.
The promotions can still offer real savings for consumers — if diners are smart about what they scarf down.
Deal experts interviewed by MarketWatch advised customers to avoid carb-heavy menu items designed to fill people up quickly before they consume more expensive proteins.
For Red Lobster, that means skipping the Shrimp Linguini Alfredo and focusing instead on options like coconut shrimp or shrimp scampi that deliver more crustacean and fewer carbs.
“As delicious as it is, the Shrimp Linguini Alfredo is loaded up with cheese and pasta, so that restaurant is betting that you’re going to fill up faster,” Kristin McGrath of The Krazy Coupon Lady told MarketWatch.
Consumers were also encouraged to use restaurant loyalty programs to stack discounts and freebies on top of the bottomless offers.
“We’re seeing a lot of restaurants now put their deals and freebies behind that rewards wall,” McGrath observed.
Still, the economics behind unlimited food deals remain risky for chains operating on thin margins.
The parent company for Applebee’s has not disclosed how long the latest promotion will run. Red Lobster similarly has not announced an official end date for the shrimp deal.
