Red Lobster’s new menu sharpens the focus on the chain’s area of expertise — seafood — and drops pork chops and other items incongruous with what it stands for, according to Dustin Hilinski, executive chef and director of culinary.
The new menu rolled out on Nov. 3, in a simplified format. Instead of four or five separate menu materials, there are now two: one with everything offered, and a separate piece with drinks and appetizers, which has helped incremental sales. The fresh fish menu has been incorporated into the menu, along with chef’s specials.
Hilinski also introduced new seafood, including the biggest shrimp Red Lobster has ever offered — size U16-20 — plus new shrimp and lobster preparations for the Big Shrimp Festival held earlier this year, and the Lobsterfest currently underway through April 4.
Hilinski discussed the new menu and other changes with Nation’s Restaurant News.
Seafood tacos are a fairly new platform for us that’s doing well for us. We tested it over the summer and brought it onto the regular menu in November. Another one of our new guest favorites is the wood-grilled lobster, salmon and shrimp with brown butter sauce. Variety is what people like, and the brown butter is a little trend-forward.
What other flavors have you introduced?
We’re really starting to get a following for grilled lemon. We’re finding that grilling the lemon takes a little bit of that citric bite out and makes it a little bit sweeter, and it also makes the juice come out a lot easier.
You also introduced new Crispy Shrimp Lettuce Wraps in November.
It has popcorn shrimp that’s tossed in a soy-ginger glaze. Then we have a cilantro slaw, so you have that crunch and a little bit of that cilantro-pop freshness. It also has [sliced] jalapeños, because a lot of people are looking for spicier food now — the palates are changing. It’s served with a lettuce wrap.
We find that people really like to interact with their food, and this is customizable, too, because you can put in what you want and decide your spice level. You get the sweet, the savory, the spicy — a lot of flavor profiles in one little wrap. When I take my kids to Red Lobster they’re all over this because they can eat with their hands.
Do such shareable items help build incremental sales?
It depends. What we’re trying to get out is the idea that we’re the seafood expert, and that there’s a lot of different ways you can do seafood.
What kind of training do your cooks get?
We have a pretty extensive training program. We have a Certified Grill Master program, where they have to meet certain criteria before they can work the grill.
How long does that take?
It really depends on the individual. I did it about two years ago. It took me a couple of weeks. It depends on how much time you have to invest in it. There are books, tests, videos, and then there’s a practical where you have to cook things to temperature.
A Certified Grill Master must work the line at all times.
Absolutely. You can’t work the grill unless you’re certified. And they each get a hat, so everyone knows they’re qualified to work the grill.
That’s often a preliminary step before becoming a culinary professional and then a manager-in-training, and then a manager.
Lobsterfest underway
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Do you have regional variation on the menu?
We’ll have perch up north, more grouper in Florida and less in Omaha. We have a lot of micro markets, where we might have a group that really likes pike, for example, and we make sure they have it. We sell a lot of walleye in Wisconsin.
Your menu has a ‘Chef’s Specials’ section. Does that also change from restaurant to restaurant?
We have several recipes in our system that the restaurants are able to choose from.
And they choose based on what customers are likely to like?
Exactly. We’ve been doing that for a long time.
Lobsterfest is currently underway. Is that Red Lobster’s best performing promotion?
It’s one of our favorites. It’s the time of year where you can get the most lobster at Red Lobster. We get to play with full flavors and preparations that make the chefs happy — that we have passion about and that our guests seem to really enjoy.
This year you introduced a cocktail to go with it for the first time. Can you tell me about it?
It’s Lobster Punch, which is Malibu Red [a mixture of tequila and rum], pineapple and Meyer’s Dark rum. It’s a refreshing, delicious drink garnished with a paper lobster.
Would you ever put an actual lobster claw or crab claw in a cocktail?
I don’t think it’s out of the question. We like to play with things that are common and put twists on them, so you never now. We did a drink a long time ago with a shrimp in it.
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